Roar of the Wind Dragon
by celestia193
Summary: Left alone in the middle of nowhere, the twin children of Igneel find their way to Fairy Tail, a guild of powerful wizards. There, while one continues the hunt for Igneel, the other trains away the weak constitution of childhood. Twists of fate, and meetings past, present and future. I do not own Fairy Tail, its characters, or canon plot. Current Arc: Non-Canon Chapters
1. Abandoned

July 7th - X777

Location: Unknown - Somewhere in the Kingdom of Fiore

 **Ciara's P.O.V.**

I lie motionless on the ground, exhausted, and feeling sick as usual. It's normal for me to be sick, though I've gotten a lot stronger in the past few years. Despite that, my body refuses to even move. Everything around me is quiet, so it's hard to tell if I'm awake or asleep.

A voice suddenly breaks the silence. "Hey! Sis! Get up!"

I stir a little at the sound of a familiar voice, meaning that I'm clearly awake. _Natsu…?_

"Come on…get up!"

I feel him pick me up and shift me onto his back. It takes all of what little strength I have to open my eyes. _Natsu…? What happened? Where are we?_

He understands me, thanks to the telepathic connection. "I dunno. I can't find Igneel either. It's like he just disappeared."

 _I see…_ Hearing that scares me. I can't remember a time that we haven't been able to find Igneel. No matter how far away we got from him, we could either find out way back, or he would come find us. He raised us to be independent, but he still kept a close eye on us, especially me, the weaker of the two of us.

If it weren't for me, Natsu could go off on his own to find Igneel. But I'm not an idiot, I know that he would never leave me behind. Not even when we went out to catch food, he wouldn't head back to Igneel until I'd had a chance to rest and recover. My weak constitution was often the cause of many problems.

That is, until Igneel called in a favor from one of his friends. A lacrima, he called it. Something to help me be stronger. And something that would make it less dangerous for me to learn magic. That was five years ago… But we've been with him for as long as I can remember. Six years maybe? I'm not quite sure. We depended on Igneel to tell us how long we'd been together. He even decided how old we were. _That makes us…ten, right?_

I didn't realize that I thought that out loud until Natsu responds. "Yeah, Igneel said that two months ago. He said that we were born in the summer. That's why my name means summer."

 _But we still don't know where my name came from, right?_

"Right, but I'm sure that whoever gave us our names gave them to us for a reason." I can feel Natsu's smile, even though I can't see it. He's always been like that. Even if you can't see his smile, it's impossible not to know that it's there. He's warm, and bright, and the best brother I could ever ask for.

 _Hey Natsu…where are we going?_

"Isn't it obvious? We're going to go find Igneel?"

 _But…wouldn't it be faster if you just left me here? I'm slowing you down…_

He stops walking all of a sudden, and his hands tighten on my legs. "What are you talking about? I can't just leave you here! You're my little sister, and that means that I'm supposed to protect you with everything I've got! You get it!? That means that we're going to be together forever. I don't care if that means that it'll take us a bit longer to find Igneel. I promised him that I would look after you. That's what big brothers do, right?"

His tirade surprises me, but it warms my heart, I close my eyes again and nuzzle my face into his back. _Yeah…of course it is… We'll find Igneel together. We're twins after all…_

"Yeah! We're Igneel's dragon slayer twins! We can totally handle this!" Natsu's boundless enthusiasm makes me feel like maybe we'll find Igneel quickly this time. Sure, he's never disappeared like this before, but it's not like he would just abandon us out in the middle of nowhere.

Right…?

* * *

 **As of May, this story now has it's own A.U. companion story, with all the same characters, just thrown into a high school setting.**

 **For this story, know that it does follow the canon arcs, with the addition of an O.C., as well as some chapters expressing the in-between sections that the anime and manga wouldn't have covered, leaving it up to the reader's imagination. I'm going to use blank spots and loopholes to the best of my ability.**

 **I hope that you enjoy Roar of the Wind Dragon.**


	2. Welcome to Fairy Tail

July 25th - X777

Natsu's P.O.V.

I walk slowly, trying not to wake my sleeping sister. She's so cute when she sleeps, but I wish that she was a bit stronger. If she was, we could move faster. But there's nothing she can do about it, she's always been a sick kid. I've been looking after her forever. And how can I not? She's my sweet little sister. She's always depended on me to protect her. And whenever I got stuck with my magic, she would help me to get it right.

She's always been the magic genius, even picking up reading all those crazy languages from Igneel. But she can't keep it up. She'll get sick and have a fever, and start throwing up. It's nasty. But…I've got to help her, at least until she's strong enough to take care of herself. And once she's strong enough, then we can go out and have all sorts of adventures together, without having to worry about if she's going to get sick again or not.

Igneel disappeared a couple of weeks ago, leaving the two of us alone in the middle of nowhere. We've been trying to find him, but there's been no scent to follow. Even her magical spells are useless. He's just…gone. If we could get stronger, find a place to use as a home base, maybe make some money as well, we could probably search for him better.

We make it to a town, and I nearly collapse at the front gate. _I can't…I can't keep walking like this. I'm so tired…_

"Hey kid, you looking for something?"

I lift my head to see a short old man. "Who…who are you?"

"Hm? Who am I?" The old man scratches his moustache. "Well, I'm Makarov, master of the wizard guild in this city."

"A wizard guild?" I've heard people talk about them, but I've never actually seen one before. "You mean, one of those places that wizards can go to for work?"

"That's right?" He looks at me, then at my sister. "What are a couple of kids doing out on the street?"

I struggle to me feet, doing my best to not let my sister touch the ground. "Looking for our dad…he disappeared a couple of weeks ago, and we've been looking for him ever since." Ciara is feeling a little cold to me, so I breathe a little fire and warm my body, trying to warm her up a bit.

"Oh, so you're a wizard?"

I look at the old man and nod. "Yeah. We're both wizards. We've been training since we were really little."

That interests the old man. "Is that so? Well, why don't you come with me. I'm sure that we have a place for the two of you back at the guild."

 _At the guild?_ I glance back at my little sister, still worried about her. "Yeah, okay. I'll come see this guild of yours."

"Excellent." The old man turns around and starts walking towards the other end of the city. "Follow me then. I'm sure that you'll fit right in around here."

I shift Ciara a bit higher onto my back, and balance my bag on my other shoulder. And before the old man walks out of sight, a jog up as smoothly as I can, catching up to him in a hurry.

As we arrive on the other side of town, I look up at the building, stunned. "Woah! This place is huge! So this is a wizard guild, huh?"

"Yep, it's called Fairy Tail." The old man smiles at the guild, like he's proud of it or something.

"That's a weird name." _I mean seriously, who names a guild after fairies?_

Ciara's voice echoes in my head. _Natsu…be nice…obviously it's important enough to them that it means something special. Besides…it sounds like a nice place to me._

The old man laughs. "Yes, well you see, no one knows whether or not fairies have tails, or if they even exist! So it'll forever be a mystery. Unless we try to find out, which could become an amazing adventure. And our members are the ones who would want to find out."

That excites me a bit. "I don't get it, but it sounds awesome!" _Especially if it'll give us a home…_

 _Yeah…a new home…_ She sounds really tired, which means that I should probably get her inside and find somewhere for her to sleep and recover. All of this traveling has been hard on her, and she kept insisting on walking herself so that I wouldn't have to carry her so much.

"And now that we're here, we can find your sister a place to sleep." The old man smiles gently at her. "She must be so tired…it's gotta be tough for a couple of kids to travel so far all on their own."

"Yeah…" It has been tough. We've had to catch all our own food, and sleep huddled together so that she doesn't freeze at night. And we couldn't cover a whole lot of ground, since she had to stop and rest all the time.

The old man opens the doors and raises his voice. "I'm back!"

"Welcome back master!" Yells echo out of the guild hall, stunning me for a second.

The old man waves to one of the older men. "Laxus, my boy, would you mind taking care of the little girl? Her brother has been carrying her so long that I found him collapsed at the front gates of the city."

A blond guy rolls his eyes and gets off the bar, walking towards me with his hands in his pockets. "Alright squirt, hand her over."

I clutch onto my sister protectively, until my arms start to shake a bit. "Fine…" I loosen my grip on her and let him take her off my back. "Just be careful with her, alright? She's…not feeling very well right now."

"Yeah, yeah…" He picks her up like she weighs nothing and walks over to a table with her, putting her down on the table like it's no big deal.

I follow along behind him to make sure that nothing happens to her. Igneel would never forgive me if something bad happened to her. And even if he did, I would never forgive myself for it.

But as I check on her to make sure that she's okay, I catch sight of a weirdo. He's got dark hair, and he's stripped down to nothing but his boxers. _What a freak…is everyone here as weird as he is?_

"Hey, you got a problem with me or something?" The kid in the boxers looks kind of pissed off that I'm looking at him.

And frankly, that pisses me off instead. This guy really gets on my nerves. And I'm sure not shy about saying so. I put on my best glare ever. "What if I do?"

A girl pops suddenly out of a barrel. "Gray, your clothes!"

"Aw man!" The streaker hops right off the bench, as though he didn't even realize that he's been lounging around with no clothes on.

"Jeez, what a pervert." _I am so not letting him get anywhere near my sister. Not a pervert like that._

He gets right up in my face. "Who you calling a pervert, Pinky?"

I slam my forehead against his. "You, you loudmouthed streaker!"

But just as the two of us finally get into a tussle, some red-head shows up and pushes the two of us apart. That idiot streaker looks scared of her, but I'm not. "What? You want some of this too then?"

"Don't do it!" The streaker looks at me like I'm crazy, but I don't see what the big deal is with one girl. That is, until she punches both of us so hard that we make craters in the wall.

"What total idiots."

"But why me too?" The boxers kid whines next to me while I try to shake the stars out of my eyes.

"You're not to fight. Are we clear?" The girl sure is bossy, ordering us around like we're her servants.  
Boxers boy agrees way too fast. "Yes Ma'am."

I hold my head, rubbing where it hit the wall. "Woah…scary!"

She looks at me with a slight frown. "Hey kid, what's your name?"

I glare at her and give her the stink-eye. "Natsu."

"Natsu, huh?" She turns her nose up and looks around the room. "Let's get one thing straight. Everyone in Fairy Tail treats each other like family, and this guild hall is like our home. It's not a place for fighting. Do you understand?"

"Yeah…" I hide my face in my scarf, trying to hide the fact that I'm pouting. Ciara always gets mad at me for pouting too much.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail. I'm Erza."

"She's mean." I whisper my thoughts out loud, trying to make sure that she can't hear me.

"For real." Gray looks at me and grins, so I grin right back at him. Then I remember that we were fighting just a couple minutes ago, and we glare at each other.

"Uh, hey kid! Natsu, right?" One of the older guys looks over at the table. "Your sister's shaking. Is that normal?"

As soon as he mentions Ciara, I jump to my feet and rush over to the table. I take one look at her and swear. "Crap! Not again…"

"Hey kid, is she gonna be alright?"

I nod and rub my hands together. "Yeah. I just have to warm her up…she's been getting sick a lot lately. Probably because we've been traveling non-stop for the last couple of weeks." I breathe into my hands, warming them up a little. "I need more…"

"Hey…what are you doing?"

"This." I suck in my breath, and let it out in my hands, turning my magic into fire. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" Fire pours out of my mouth and envelops my hands, making the air all hot. I touch Ciara's cold skin and wrap my arms as far around her as they'll go. "This should warm her up…"

"Hey, the kid's a fire wizard!"

Erza runs over in a second. "Natsu, what are you doing? Aren't you going to burn her?"

I shake my head and squeeze my sister tighter. "No…It takes more than a little heat to burn a dragon slayer."

"Dragon slayer?" The old man, Master Makarov, hops over to the table. "Are the two of you dragon slayers?"

I nod, pressing Ciara even closer to me, sharing my heat with her. "Igneel taught us his magic… He taught us dragon slayer magic. That's who we've been looking for. You'd think that it would be easier to find a fire dragon though."

"So, is your sister a fire wizard as well?" The old man sure likes to ask a lot of questions.

I shake my head quickly. "No, she learned wind magic. I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer. She's a Wind Dragon Slayer."

She starts moving around in my arms, so I loosen my grip as she wakes up. "Natsu…?" She rubs her eyes and looks around, blinking and frowning. "Where are we…?"

"Fairy Tail." I smile brightly at her, hoping to make her feel happy. "We made it here."

"Oh…" She looks around a little more, and she sees the old man. "You're the one from before…the grandpa who was talking to Natsu…"

He nods and smiles gently for her. "That's right. My name is Makarov, and I'm the master of Fairy Tail." Then he frowns a little. "You and your brother are welcome to stay here and join. But I think that first, we'll need to get you some medicine to deal with that illness of yours."

"Okay…" She snuggles against me, shivering less now. "Natsu…you're so warm. Just like Dad."

 _Just like Dad?_ I know she's compared my warmth to Igneel before, but it never stops being weird. I guess it's because of the fire magic. I snuggle her right back, keeping her nice and warm. _Don't worry little sis, I'll protect you. I'll never let anybody hurt you. I promise._


	3. Dragonslayer Twins

**This story is going to be mostly done in Ciara's P.O.V. I will indicate another P.O.V. if it's not her's. For the most part, any other P.O.V. is going to be Natsu, or a combination of the two, for magical reasons that I will explain through the story, or a third narrator who won't get a lot of screen-time until much later. The connection between Ciara and Natsu takes little superstitions and myths about twins to a whole new level. Thanks to magic, of course. Because magic makes anything possible. Oh, and this story is going to be REALLY long, just a warning. It's going through all of the canon arcs, and maybe a few minor fillers, if they're just, you know, day to day interesting kind of stuff. And there's going to be additions, of course, to fill out the spaces in between the major canon plot points. And time skips, of course, because Fairy Tail is famous for its time skips.**

* * *

The day after arriving at Fairy Tail, I wake up in the guild hall, feeling much better than yesterday. Whatever medicine they gave me must have worked, because I haven't felt this good in ages.

Igneel has never been very good with dealing with my illness. The downside of having a dragon for a parent is that he doesn't know exactly how to give medicine to a human when they're sick, let alone what medicine to use. Dragons usually just wait out a sickness, since they're strong enough to not need medicine. With me, he and Natsu would just keep me warm and wait it out.

I sit up and stretch out my arms. _Ah…I haven't slept so well in ages._ I look around and see no one in sight. I sniff the air and smell a lot of foreign scents, and one distinctly familiar one. _I guess I should find Natsu._

Hopping out of bed, I wander out of the room and into the hallways of the guild hall. Following my nose, I weave my way out towards where most of the smells are. _Natsu? Where are you?_

 _Ciara!? You're up? Are you feeling okay enough to be up? Did you get enough sleep?_

 _Yeah, I'm feeling a lot better now. If I sleep any longer, I'm going to get lazy. So..where are you?_

 _I'm out in the front. The master is about to give me a guild mark!_

I stop in my tracks, feeling a little giddy and excited. _So, we're joining the guild?_

 _Yeah, so come on over and we'll decide where we want our marks!_

 _Okay!_ I run through the hallways and finally come out in the main hall. I look around and see a lot of people, but not the spiky pink mop that I'm looking for. _Natsu, I can't see you!_

 _I'm over near the bar!_

 _Right…because I totally know where that is…_ I look round, but there's just so many people here that I have no idea which way to look. _Okay, Plan B._

 _Wait, what's Plan B?_

 _You'll see._ I take a deep breath and feel my magic start to flow. Wind swirls around me, lifting me into the air. "There we go." Now that I'm in the air, I should be able to look around for my brother quickly.  
I glance around the room, searching for that mop of pink hair that I know so well. And I see him, standing next to the bar, glaring at a boy with dark hair. Since he's distracted, this provides the perfect opportunity for a little mischief.

"Natsu!" I squeal his name, making him look up at me as I zoom down from the air and bowl him over, squishing him against the floor as I sit on top of him. "Gotcha!"

With his face pressed to the ground, he can't open his mouth to yell at me. So he uses his mind instead. _Ugh, Ciara! What the hell!? That hurt!_

"Oh come on, Natsu. Don't tell me that you weren't expecting that!" I grin at the back of his head and plop myself down on his back. "You should have known that I would do this as son as I woke up."

 _I still hoped you wouldn't…_

I sigh lightly. "Party pooper…" I roll off his back and sit on the floor next to him. "Happy? I'm off."

He rolls onto his back and glares up at me. "You didn't have to attack me, you know."

"Are you kidding me? That was hilarious!" I smile innocently at him, but with my usual brightness.

He tries to stay mad at me, but I know that he can't resist my smile. "Yeah, yeah…I know. But watch out, because I'm going to get you good next time."

I giggle a bit, then look around at the crowd of people. "Hi there! I'm Ciara Dragneel! Nice to meet you!"  
They all stare at me for a second, and a tall blond guy frowns at me. "Did she just…fly?"

I blink twice, then smile at him. "Yep! I can fly using my wind magic!" To prove my point, I let my wind magic sweep me off the ground and into the air. "See?" I land on the bar and sit down. "No biggie!"

Natsu climbs up onto the bar and sits next to me, looking worried. "Are you sure that you're okay? If you're still sick, you should go sleep some more." He presses his forehead to mine, frowning. "Well, it feels like you're the right temperature. That's good."

I press back against his forehead and close my eyes. _Of course I'm okay, you dummy. I should be asking you if you're okay. You're the one who carried me here, after all._

 _I'm okay. It takes a lot more than that to bring me down._ I hear him laugh, and that makes my heart soar. Our connection is deep, so deep that we speak with our minds, and share our emotions. We never really figured out why, but it makes communicating so much easier.

"Uh…earth to the two idiots! Hello!?"

I turn my head to look at the boy with the dark hair. "I don't appreciate being called an idiot. I know that Natsu's a different story, but I'm probably at least twice as smart as you are."

"Hey!" Natsu looks at me with a pouty face. "Ciara, you're so mean."

I poke him between the eyebrows and smirk. "You know, I keep telling you that if you pout like that, your face is going to get stuck that way. You won't be so cute anymore if that happens."

He blushes fiercely. "I told you to stop calling me cute!"

"Aw…but my big brother is such a cutie!" I hug him tightly, nearly squeezing all the air out of him. "It's only going to be a few years before you have all the girls after you!"

"Ugh…I hope not…" Natsu is still in the phase where he hates all girls except for me. And sometimes, he still hates my guts.

The old grandpa taps me on the shoulder. "It's good to see that you're feeling better. And before you arrived, Natsu and I were talking about where to put his guild mark. I assume that you would like one as well?"

I nod, then turn to Natsu. _So? Where should we get them? On our backs? Ooh, maybe the neck?_

 _I was thinking on my shoulder. I'd like it to be on my right shoulder._

 _Shoulder huh?_ That gives me a great idea. _Then you can get it on your right, and I'll get it on my left. That way, if we're holding hands to do a powerful attack, our emblems will be facing each other!_

 _Hey…that's a great idea!_ Natsu grins at me before turning to the master. "Hey, we decided!"

The old man raises an eyebrow. "You've decided…?" He frowns at us, then smiles. "Ah, I see, you two must be using some kind of telepathy magic."

I tilt my head at the old man, before realizing what he's referring to. "Oh yeah! I guess Natsu didn't tell you that part. We talk in our minds sometimes. That's how I found my way out here. I followed Natsu's smell, and his voice in my head."

"I see. That's a very interesting ability you two have there." He nods a bit, then his eyes widen and he takes out a little box with a handle. "This is the guild stamp. Have you two decided where you want your marks? You can also pick the color if you like."

Natsu grins and pulls his sleeve all the way up. "Right here, Gramps. And I want it to be red!"

The old man nods and presses the stamp to Natsu's arm, leaving behind a large red mark, shaped kinda weird, but kinda nice too. He turns to me and holds out the stamp. "What about you, little lady? Where do you want to have it?"

I roll up my sleeve, opposite to Natsu's. "Here. Oh, and can mine be silver? Natsu likes red because of his fire, so I guess silver would be better for me, since I use wind magic."

He chuckles a little and nods. "Alright then, silver it is." He presses the stamp to my arm, and it feels warm as he presses it to my skin. And when he lifts it away, there's a silver stamp, identical to Natsu's on my arm.

I lift my arm into the air and twist it a bit, looking at the mark. "Wow…that's so cool." Then I glance at Natsu and grin. "We're in a guild now, that's so cool!"

He grins right back at me. "Yeah. Now, we're Fairy Tail's Dragonslayer Twins."

"Dragonslayer Twins, eh…?" The old man looks at us with a smile. "I think that's a great name for the two of you. Fairy Tail's Dragonslayer Twins. That's a good start. And the two of you can use that to start building yourselves a reputation. Once you start taking jobs, it'll be the start of a whole new legend."

Natsu gets my attention by squeezing my hand, and I can see the image he's thinking of. _If we can do this, then maybe it will help us to find Igneel. Maybe, if we get strong enough, we'll find Dad again._

I giggle a little, feeling eager to get started. _Yeah. We'll get really strong, and we'll be able to go all over the world to look for him. And maybe, we'll find him while out on a job. And here, we can gather information about him. This is where we start._

This is where our Fairy Tail legend begins.


	4. Lessons Learned

It's been almost a week since we arrived here at Fairy Tail, and Natsu is already hanging out near the request board, looking to pick a job.

Eventually, he comes sauntering over to me, waving a job flyer through the air. "Hey Ciara! I found a good first job for me!"

I smile at him and glance at the flyer as he runs towards me. "Good. I hope that you have fun on the job." I would go with him, but I need to get stronger before going out on jobs. If I don't I'll be nothing but a burden to him.

He smiles at me happily. "I'll let you know how it goes. And soon, you can come with me. Okay?"  
I nod happily. "Okay."

As Natsu heads off towards the doors, Lisanna catches sight of him. "Bye! Come back soon!"

Her older sister Mira looks mockingly at Natsu. "Where are you going?"

"I got my first real magic job!" Natsu eagerly waves the flyer in front of her face.

Mira laughs scathingly. "Did you even bother to read the whole flyer first?"

Natsu's face immediately falls. "Uh…well, yeah. It says…please get rid of this…thingy…that's somewhere…doing something…to someone, for fifty thousand jewel." I want to groan. I mean, I know that I've always been the better reader of the two of us, but I still thought that he would have been able to actually read whatever flyer he picked off the board. I mean, it's clearly a job to kill something, but if he doesn't know where to go, then trying to leave the guild is pointless.

Mira starts laughing her head off, and Lisanna yells worriedly at Natsu. "It doesn't say that!"

"Lay off, okay!" Natsu is obviously suffering from a case of hurt pride. And when his pride is hurt, it's hard to get his self-esteem back up. He'll just mask it by being loud and obnoxious.

Mira's next words make my blood boil and writhe in my veins. "Are you telling me that you're so stupid, all you were able to read off that flyer was the reward?" _As if you know anything. Who says that this is even the language that we learned to read in?_

Thankfully, Lisanna stands up for Natsu. "Be nice, Mira!"

But Natsu is going off like a volcano now. "I can read! Igneel taught me and Ciara how to read and write when we were little! It's just that nothing on this stupid flyer makes any sense to me." And it's no wonder. The language is really different to what we learned with Igneel. And to top it off, he managed to get hold of some books that were written in a language that I haven't even seen in any of the flyers or books here.

"Aw…it's okay." Lisanna tries to encourage him, but his pride has already taken a serious hit.  
Natsu starts one of his little tirades to defend himself. "I know the names of all kinds of different foods! Hamburger, spaghetti, rice balls, cake and cookies, stew and soup, and I know… Oh man, this sucks. I swear I know more than just food names!" He falls over, embarrassed and ashamed of himself. "I'm serious, you guys. Igneel taught me to read. He really did. He taught me to read lots of stuff."

Mira puts a super weird look on her face, like she's trying to be cute, but failing miserably. "You're so cute! Please don't cry…"

"Don't be creepy, hands off!" Lisanna sounds almost like a bodyguard.

Natsu freaks right out at Mira's insinuation. "I'm not crying!"

Erza does no one any favors by walking in at this moment. "All of you need to calm down."

Natsu looks even more disheartened now. "Erza…"

"There's no reason for you to be embarrassed. I'm sure Igneel did his best. But its hard to learn to read and write, because there are an awful lot of words." She sounds like she knows what she's talking about. _Now to see if that's going to work on my big brother…_

But Natsu just pouts again. "Know it all."

Erza kindly offers Natsu a new perspective. "You just have to be patient and study hard. And I could teach you if you'd like."

Natsu turns her down immediately. "No way! Sorry, but you're way too scary!"

Erza gets mad immediately, grabbing hold of him by the hair and dragging him off. "I can't imagine what's so scary about a vocabulary lesson."

"Ahhhhhh! Please, you gotta help me!" Natsu cries out for help, scared of what Erza's going to do to him. _Ciara! Please help me!_

 _Help you? Are you kidding? I'm having fun watching!_

 _You meanie!_

Lisanna just thinks that this is a great idea, not realizing that Natsu is scared half out of his mind. "It'll be fine! I know you'll do good!"

"That's what he gets for being such a dummy." Gray snorts with laughter, a smirk growing on his face.

But Natsu hears that remark loud and clear, he breaks Erza's grip, throws his bag at Gray's head, and races over to smack his head against Gray's. "Oh yeah, Mr. Walks Around in his Panties?"  
Gray takes that challenge right up. "Yeah! You snot-nosed little brat!"

But Erza isn't having any of it. She forcibly separates the two of them and glares almost evilly at Natsu. "Give me three days! Think of me as Igneel number two. In just three days, I'll hammer all the vocabulary you need to be an effective Fairy Tail wizard into your thick skull. And you will not eat, drink, or sleep until you've mastered them!"

Natsu grits his teeth, but when he glances at the job flyer, he relents. "Alright, fine! You win! Teach me the stupid stuff already!"

Erza turns to me as well. "I could teach you as well, if you like."

Natsu snorts irritably. "Don't bother. She's a know it all as well. Seriously, everything that Igneel taught us, she can remember like it was yesterday. Whenever he managed to bring us books, she was the one who was always reading them."

I laugh a little. "Well, that's because you and Igneel were more focused on breathing fire than learning from magic books. Remember, dragon slayer magic is hard for me; learning from those books was how Igneel decided to teach me most of my magic. Besides, it's hard for a fire dragon to teach wind magic in the first place. He did what he could, but most of it, I had to figure out myself. Thats why you always got all the practical training. Unlike you, I can read and write just fine. The flyer says that there's a giant centipede rampaging through the forests near Oak Town."

Natsu grumbles at me a little, before being tugged away by Erza. And for his sake, I hope that he can master all of Erza's lessons quickly, because taking jobs is going to be hard if he can't read this version of the language.

But, after Natsu is gone, Mira stares at me like she can't believe her eyes. "How is it that he can't read at all, and you can read off a flyer that you saw from like ten feet away?"

I shrug. "Like Natsu said, I did the most reading when we were living with Igneel. He was writing words in the dirt with sticks, while I was reading…" I think hard to myself to remember what Igneel called it. "Ancient…Mildean? I think that's what he called it. But I'm not sure, it was a long time ago."

"Really now…?" Gramps looks at me curiously. "You must have had a very interesting education…"  
I nod. "Well, isn't that a given? Natsu and I were raised by a dragon after all. Obviously, it's not going to be the kind of stuff that most kids learn."

"Clearly not, seeing as Dragon Slayer Magic isn't something you see every day." Gramps' eyes look like they're seeing right through me. But his smile is warm, and that makes me feel better.

But Gray just scoffs at me. "Raised by a dragon? Yeah right. You do know that dragons don't exist, right?"

I turn my gaze on Gray, hardening it into a vicious glare. "You may not believe that dragons exist, but they do. And if it weren't for Igneel, Natsu and I would have died who knows where. And it's not like there's another way to learn Dragon Slayer Magic. You have to be taught it by a dragon!"

Gray glares at me, a slight smirk on his face. "Oh yeah? Well I haven't seen any of that magic coming from you. So why don't you prove it?"

"Gray, that's enough!" Gramps cuts Gray off with a stern voice. "She doesn't have to prove anything if she doesn't want to. Besides, she's still recovering from being sick. It's not good to push her too hard this soon."

But Gray's challenge hits me right where it hurts. And if I ever choose to be like my big brother, it's in situations like this. I glare at Gray, letting a smile creep onto my face. "You want to see some of my dragon slayer magic? Alright. But we'll have to go outside first."

"Why? Afraid that you won't be able to breathe in here?" He smirks at me, not getting what the problem is.

I hop off my stool and walk towards him. "Fine, if you want to see me let loose right here, I can do that!" Wind circles around me, lifting me off the ground ever so slightly. "Last chance to rescind that challenge."

Gray just smirks at me. "Go ahead. Hit me with your best shot."

 _Oh…you are so going to wish that you hadn't said that._ I close my eyes, breathing in deeply, steadying myself. _Get ready, idiot. I'm about to blow you away._ I focus all of my magic into my lungs, getting ready to wreak havoc on Gray. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" I puff up my cheeks, before releasing all of the magical pressure in one shot.

A cyclone erupts from my mouth, twisting the air itself into a whirlwind that shoots across the room, slamming into Gray and sending him flying across the room. He flies straight into the opposite wall, but doesn't leave a mark on it, since I went easy on him. If I went full force, I might have sent him through the wall instead.

I float through the air, approaching Gray as he pulls himself to his feet. "Had enough? Or should we take this outside?"

He glares at me, then snorts with frustration. "Jeez, it's like all the girls here are demons."

"What was that…?" I crack my knuckles menacingly. "Demons, you say? Well, I can't speak for Mira or Erza, but I'm closer to a dragon than a demon. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." He covers his head with his hands, trying to protect himself from another blast.

"Hm…" I land lightly on a table, then sit on the edge, swinging my feet playfully. "Well that was fun. It's been ages since I did that. Natsu's always telling me to take it easy. He's worried that I'll get sick again."

"Then maybe you should be careful with that magic of yours." Gramps sounds a bit solemn now. "We wouldn't want you to come down with something incurable now."

"Alright, Gramps!" I smile a bit, turning my gaze back to Gray. "So, did you like that taste of my dragon slayer magic? That roar was something that I learned from Igneel. The element is different, but the concept is the same."

He grumbles a little. "Yeah…whatever…" He gets up, rubbing his head. "You and your dragon…pain in the ass."

"Don't you mean in the head?" I grin at him, aggravating him as much as I please. He glares back at me, before trudging off with his tail between his legs.

I giggle a little as I watch him walk away. Tugging lightly on the ribbons in my hair, the ones that Igneel gave to me years ago, I smile. _I really think I'm going to like it here._


	5. First Job

**Okay, so this first section of chapters is going to go through a general little backstory before the main story. It will deal with most of the flashbacks seen throughout the anime, because I know that some people don't like flashbacks. Plus, it's just easier to get the timeline straight this way. This chapter is a bigger one than the last few, more than twice as long, so get ready.**

* * *

October X777

After surviving Erza's vocabulary lessons, Natsu started going out on easy jobs around Magnolia, and sometimes further out to other cities. Now, he spends a lot of his time either inside the guild, or off on jobs. And while he does that, I stay put around the guild and spend my time practicing my magic. Though because of Natsu's insistence, I take medicine and rest whenever I start getting sick. He never wants me to push myself so hard that I'll collapse. But despite his worrying, with a healthy diet, medicine in case of emergencies, and plenty of training, my episodes slowly start to come less and less often. And I'm soon healthy enough to go exploring around without supervision, and even to get into slightly more intense and exhausting training.

I train with Erza most days, and despite the vast improvement in my health, she's always careful to push me just hard enough to get results, but not so hard that I'll get hurt. That said, I still end up with a big collection of bruises after training sessions with her. Going unarmed against someone who specializes in weapons is not nearly as easy as one might think. Especially since I have to try my best not to hurt her. It's called Dragon Slayer Magic for a reason. It's meant to be lethal to some of the toughest magical creatures out there. Humans aren't supposed to be able to stand a chance. Which is why holding back is a necessary precaution. If I don't, she could end up dead.

* * *

After one particularly painful training session, the two of us sit out on the grass behind the guild. It's something that we do, she always says that it promotes harmony to relax together like this.

"You're really improving, Ciara." Erza looks over at me with a calm smile. "I can see that Igneel trained you well."

I nod and lie back in the grass. "Yeah, he did. Even though he couldn't teach me as much as Natsu, he still did his best. And what he couldn't teach me, I kind of learned all on my own. And I even invented some stuff, since his friend couldn't come and teach me herself."

"His friend?" She sounds curious now. "So there was another dragon involved?"

"Sort of…" I touch the place just over my heart, remembering some of what Igneel said. "Because I was a sick kid, it was hard, almost impossible for me to safely learn magic. So instead of doing it himself, Igneel asked a friend of his to give me something called lacrima. It was supposed to make me stronger, make me less fragile. And I guess it worked, because I could actually start learning magic. He said that it woke the magic sleeping inside me."

Erza nods. "Okay, so there was crystallized magic involved? What else?"

"Well…since it came from a wind dragon, the powers I have are very different to Natsu's. Of course, Igneel planned it that way. He said that it would be better if our magics complemented each other, instead of having us both wield the exact same magic. And I also studied magic from really old books. So I've got a wider range of spells to use than Natsu. But to be fair…he's way stronger than I am. The only way I can beat him is if I get the drop on him."

"Hm…" Erza looks out at the water, thinking hard. "I think that Igneel had the right idea." She picks up a stone and skips it across the water. "If you and Natsu both used fire magic, then if you got into trouble with water or wind magic, then you guys would have been helpless. But this way, no matter what kind of situation you're in, you'll never have an elemental disadvantage."

I consider her words, then smile in agreement. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. But it might also have something to do with our personalities. Natsu is a bit more…fiery than I am. And I'm a bit more free-spirited than him. That's why it sucked so much to always be trapped by being sick. I hated it so much." I pick up a stone myself, blow on it, and skip it across the water so hard that it skips right out of sight. "But once I'm strong, I'll be able to go on jobs just like Natsu. I'll be a great wizard!"

"So…you want to go on a job, huh?" Erza gets to her feet and brushes the grass off her skirt. "Then let's go on a job!"

I blink at her in confusion. "Go on a job?"

"Yeah, you and me!" She holds out her hand to me with a smile. "You want to get out of the guild and do something, right? I'm sure that if the two of us go together, Master won't object."

I digest the meaning of her words, and a great big smile crosses my face. "Alright!" I grab her hand and she pulls me to my feet. "So what kind of job did you have in mind?"

She taps her lip lightly. "Well…maybe something just outside Magnolia. I'm sure that there should be an easy monster hunting job on the board."

I nod eagerly. "I can do that!"

"Then let's go!" She grabs my hand and pulls me back inside the guild. People turn to stare at us as we run towards the job board. Erza starts looking all over the board. "Okay…we should look for something between a hundred and two hundred thousand jewel. That should be easy enough for us, but challenging enough that we'll benefit from the experience. And we'll be able to make some money from it too."

"Okay." I glance over my side of the board, and see half a dozen jobs that fall into that range. _Something just outside Magnolia…and involves hunting something._ My eyes flick over the jobs as I quickly read the many descriptions. And then, I spot something. "Hey Erza, look at this!"

She shuffles over to look at the job I've got my eye on. "Huh, that's just one town over. It's close enough that we could actually walk there. And the reward is a hundred and sixty thousand jewel for wiping out an infestation of magical bees along the road through a forest. Those must be some pretty annoying bees if they're offering this much of a reward for exterminating them."

My eyes glitter with anticipation. "If it's just bugs, I can blow them away easy! You could swing that blade of yours around and knock the hives down, and once the bees are swarming, I can roar them right out of existence!" Then a thought occurs to me. "Wait, you aren't allergic to bees, are you?"

"No, I'm not." Erza grins eagerly. "I was about to ask you the same thing, but if you're asking me, then it means you're probably not. So we can definitely do this job on our own." She pulls the flyer off the board and gestures over to the bar. "Let's tell the master that we're taking this one."

I follow her over to the bar, where Gramps is drinking like there's no tomorrow. "Uh, Gramps? You there?" _Somehow…I doubt he's all there right now._

He puts down his mug and looks at us, his eyes all glazed over. "Oh, hello Erza, Ciara. What brings you back inside? Done training for the day?"

Erza holds up the flyer. "Actually, Master, we'd like to take this job."

"You two, huh?" He peers at the job, then at me. "You sure? It doesn't look too easy…"

I nod excitedly. "Yeah, we wanna take it! I've been cooped up here so long, and I want to go on a job. Erza said she'd take me! And this job looks easy enough for us! She just has to knock some hives out of trees while I blow all the bees away! And it'll be fine! It's not like I could burn the forest down!" Making sure that he knows that I wouldn't mess things up like Natsu could is one of my biggest selling points.

He frowns, then waves his hand. "Alright. I don't see why not. Erza, watch out for her, alright? And make sure that you two make Fairy Tail proud, alright?"

"Of course." Erza looks at me, and I quietly celebrate. "Let's go, Ciara!"

I nod eagerly at her and the two of us race out of the guild hall. _How awesome! I'm finally going on my first job! Natsu's going to be so jealous that he didn't get to come! I'll brag about it to him when we get back._

* * *

A couple of hours later, Erza and I are walking along to meet with the client for the request. It's been weeks since I was last outside the city, so seeing the countryside is a thrill, especially since I'm not being carried around half-conscious by my brother this time.

"So where is this client you talked about?" I look to Erza, hoping for an answer, seeing as I have no idea where we're going.

She looks at her map, then points down into the valley in front of us. "It should be one of the biggest buildings there. We're looking for the local merchants' guild. They're looking for someone to clear out the forest so that their caravans and members can travel through the forest without being swarmed by the bugs."

"Okay…" It sounds like an important request to me. Getting stung by magical bees can't be good. I've been stung by normal bees, and it hurt a lot. If they've got magic to make it worse, then I can't imagine how bad it must be.

We walk into town and start looking around for the merchants' guild. I doubt that it'll be too hard to find. I've heard from the others that all guilds tend to display themselves prominently so that everyone knows who they are. Building up a reputation and stuff.

After turning our tenth corner, we come face to face with a big blue building with logos all over it. I turn to Erza, excited. "Think that's it?"

She checks the map again and nods. "Yeah, that should be it right there. Now, all we have to do is go in and talk to the master, and we should be able to start with the extermination."

Erza leads the way inside the building as I look around, completely star-struck. _So this is what a different guild can look like…? It's so…clean._ And it's true, it's much more orderly and organized than the Fairy Tail guild hall, where the tables are all haphazard, and barely anyone ever bothers to clean up anything.

Once at the counter, she looks up at the attendant and clears her throat. "We're here to see the guild master about a job."

The attendant looks down at us. "Sorry, we don't let kids join here."

Erza shakes her head. "We're not here to join, we're wizards from Fairy Tail, we're here about the bees."  
The attendant frowns at us, then shrugs. "Alright, but you two seem a bit young to be wizards." She leaves the station and heads to the back, out of sight, but not out of hearing range.

I listen in carefully on the conversation. "Sir, there's a couple of little girls here, claiming to be wizards from Fairy Tail. Should I have them escorted out?"

"Hm…" This voice sounds more like an older man. Though not as old as Gramps. "No, I'll go out to meet with them. Until we confirm whether or not they have guild emblems, it would be wise to treat them courteously."

Footsteps start coming closer, so I nudge Erza. "Hey, they want to see our guild marks."

She slaps her forehead once. "Of course, I should have expected that. Well, I suppose that we can show them to the master here. That should get us the details of the job quickly." Then she nudges me. "By the way, how did you know that?"

I tap my ear lightly. "Me and Natsu can hear really well. We can smell really well too. I think it's because of our training with Igneel, or it might just be us. I'm not sure. But I've never met anyone who can hear or smell as well as we can."

"I see…" Erza looks like she approves, which is good, since I want to earn some points with her. "Ah, it looks like the master is here."

The older man approaches us as the attendant takes her place back behind the counter. "Hello young ladies. What can I do for the two of you today?"

Erza rolls up her sleeve to show off her guild mark. "We're here to take care of some bees that you had complaints about." She lets her sleeve drop and holds out the flyer. "My name is Erza Scarlet, and I'm a wizard from Fairy Tail."

She elbows me,so I roll up my sleeve. "Sorry, I'm with Fairy Tail as well, my name is Ciara Dragneel." My silver guild mark catches the light and the master's eyes drift to it. "This is my first time on a job, so Erza is showing me the ropes."

"I see…" The old man doesn't sound too impressed, not that I expected him to be. "Well, I suppose it won't hurt… The bees are off int he forest to the north. They've been swarming our caravans and merchants whenever they get to close to the hives. The bees used to only be a problem in the far reaches of the forest, but they've been expanding their hives towards the road, and it's been a serious hazard for our members. If you can clear out all of the bees, you will get your fee."

"Sounds good." Erza smiles at me. "Ready to put that wind magic of yours to good use?"

I grin right back at her. "Of course! I haven't been training my butt off this last month just to sit around the guild forever!"

"Good attitude." Erza's smile becomes a little more confident and professional as she turns back to the guild master. "If all goes well, we should be back later today with the news that the forest road has been cleared of these bees."

"Yes…" The old man doesn't sound too sure, but he'll soon learn not to doubt us.

We get a lot of weird looks as we leave the building, but Erza doesn't say a word until we're outside. "Don't let it get to you. We just haven't built up our own reputations yet. Once we have reputations of our own, no one will doubt us or look down on us. We just have to be patient and work hard."

"Yeah…" I look over to the north, towards the forest. "First things first, we need to clear out those bees. The last thing we need is for someone else to get hurt because we couldn't do our job."

Erza laughs a bit. "Yeah. Like I said, that's a good attitude to have. Keep this up, and I'm sure that you'll have a good reputation in no time."

With high spirits, the two of us start walking over towards the forest. And as we approach, I hear something I don't like. "Erza, wait a minute."

She stops and looks back at me curiously. "What is it?"

I close my eyes and focus on the sounds. "I can hear them…the bees."

That gets her attention immediately. "You can hear them? Do you hear a lot of them? Or is it just because we're getting closer to the hives?"

I frown, concentrating harder. "They're close, and there's a lot of them. I think that we're going to need to sneak up on them, otherwise we're going to get stung. If we can get close enough for you to start dropping hives, then I can tear them to shreds. If they swarm before you start dropping hives, I could miss some of them." Insects are something that I'm well acquainted with, after living for so long in the wilderness with Natsu and Igneel.

"Alright, then I'll see what I can do about cutting down those hives." Erza peers into the woods, looking for what's causing the buzzing in my ears. "Okay, I think I can see them, but we're going to have to get closer. I'm still working on throwing weapons, so I don't know how accurate I'll be at this distance."  
I nod in agreement. "Then I'll follow behind you and wait. And once the hives are on the ground, you get behind me while I make them disappear."

"Let's go." Erza moves in front of me as we approach the forest, sword drawn. "I'll move as fast as I can. Get ready and follow me, then we'll turn around at the other end."

I nod, ready to follow through with the plan. And as soon as she takes off running, I follow right in her footsteps. As we run down the path, the bees start getting agitated. "Erza, now!"

In an instant, she takes down the first hive and it hits the ground. We sprint faster, and she takes down hives left and right. They smash on the ground, releasing the bees, who mobilize before giving chase to the two wizards in their territory.

Once we reach the end of the road and the last of the hives, we skid to a stop, and I turn around, readying my magic. I concentrate as much magic as I can in my chest, puff out my cheeks, and release it in a deadly cyclone of sharp wind blades. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!"

My magic tears through the swarm of bees, ripping most of them apart in seconds. It took a lot of magic to produce that roar, but there are still more bees to take care of, so I ready a different attack. My magic focuses in my hands this time, and I spring forwards towards the swarm. "Wind Dragon's Wing Attack!" I spin through the air, sharp wind blades extending from my arms like the wings of a dragon, just like Igneel taught me. Bugs drop to the ground around me, and I don't stop spinning until I can't hear even a whisper of their wings.

I touch back down and look around at the bees that litter the road. Erza marches up to me, looking around at the bee carcasses as well. "Wow, looks like all of that training really did pay off."

I shrug slightly. "Natsu may be physically stronger than me, but I picked up magic faster than he did. I guess it's a trade off. I'm better at it, but I can't use it as much as he can."

"Quality over quantity, huh?" Erza picks up my point quickly. "Well, we should look around to see if there's any that we missed. And once we're done, we can report back and get our reward."

"Yeah…" I gaze off into the trees, my ears straining to hear even the smallest of sounds. But apart from the animals that are supposed to be here, I can't hear anything that seems strange to me.

All of the hives on the ground are empty and half destroyed, so with a little bit of magic, I smash what's left of them into gooey pulp. On the other side of the road, Erza is doing the same thing, just with her foot instead. Frankly, I think it's a little gross for her to be crushing them with her foot. At least I'm not getting any of the stick, smelly goo on me. She's the one who's going to need a bath later.

* * *

After half an hour of squishing hives, it look like we've successfully taken care of the infestation problem. "I think we're done here."

Erza walks over with a satisfied smile on her face. "It would seem so. Let's report back to the merchants' guild and tell them that their bee problem is dealt with."

Then an idea hits me. "Wait…first, I wanna try something." Erza watches me curiously as I go around to some of the bigger trees along the roadside. I rub up against them, scratching my skin a little. Beads of blood come to the surface, rubbing off on the bark of the trees.

"What are you doing…?" Erza stares at some of the blood, quite bewildered. "Natsu won't be happy if you hurt yourself."

"Don't worry, I'm fine." I finish getting my blood on the trees, making sure that I haven't missed any along the road. "Igneel used to do something like this. I don't have scales like he does, so I can't get scales stuck in the trees, but if I get my blood on them, then it should keep the bugs away. They don't like the smell of dragon blood, so maybe they won't like the smell of dragon slayer blood either."

"I see…" She touches one of the trees, running her hand over the marks. "That's a good idea. It will help the merchants if they don't have problems like this again. Now let's get back, we have a job to report and a reward to collect."

I nod eagerly, and I follow her out of the forest. I'm excited to report back to notify them of a job well done. I'd always hoped that my first job would go well, and it looks like I got that wish.

We walk back into the merchants' guild as the sun starts to set, and there are still staff and merchants milling about. Erza heads straight for the same counter as earlier, and taps on the glass. "Excuse me, we'd like to see the master again."

The same lady as earlier looks down at us and frowns. "Very well. I will go fetch him."

She disappears from behind the counter, returning a moment later with the same old man as earlier. He walks around the counter and approaches us with a confused expression on his face. "Back already? What about the bees?"

"All taken care of. The road through the forest is clear of bees, and the hives have also been destroyed." Erza sounds very confident in delivering her report to the master. "If you want proof…" She reaches into her armor and I nearly gag as she pulls out a gooey piece of the hive, with a few dead bees stuck in it. "Here's the one piece of hive that we didn't crush into goo."

The old man's eyes widen in surprise, and he gingerly takes the hive piece from her, setting it down on the counter. "I see…so it's done then. But the two of you managed to clear the road all by yourselves? How?"

"Well, I cut the hives down." She points back at me. "And then when the bees swarmed, she roared them right out of existence."

"Roared?" Now he looks even more confused. "Exactly what kind of magic do you use?"

Erza turns to me, so I swallow nervously. "Um…I use dragon slayer magic… I'm a Wind Dragon Slayer. So after we got rid of the bees, I put some marks on the trees that will hopefully keep the bees from getting near the road again. It's a dragon thing…"

"Dragon Slayer…?" Awe spreads across his face. "I've never heard of such magic. And I thought dragons were myths."

That doesn't surprise me too much. "Well, I've never heard of any dragon slayers other than me and my brother, so I guess we're just not around a whole lot. And we lived out in the wilderness with our dragon, so I guess it might be normal that you haven't ever seen one of us before."

"No doubt…" He walks back over to the counter and reaches behind it, picking out a small stack of money. "Well, since you completed the job, here's your money. And a little extra, since you got it done in a single day."

Erza takes the money and shuffles through it. "Two hundred thousand jewel? That's an extra forty thousand jewel. You are very generous."

"Well, that road is very important to us, it's one of our main trade routes. Something of a shortcut for our caravans. It reduces the cost of every trip, so a little extra money for such a quickly done job is nothing." And now, he gives us a gentle smile. "You've saved us more money than that, so it's the least I can do."

Erza divides up the money and hands me half of it. "Well, there's the money for your first job. Save as much of it as you can. The sooner you can get your own house, the better."

I nod, and the old man seems to approve. "Wise advice. And if the two of you are ever looking for an investment, we have several specialists here who can help you with that."

"Thank you for the advice." Erza puts on her best smile for the master. "Now, we should probably be getting back to the guild. If we hurry, then we can make it before it gets dark."

The old man looks a little worried, so I smile as well. "Don't worry, we're Fairy Tail wizards. We'll be okay!"

"I see…then be safe on your way home." A smile spreads on his face. "And the next time we have a problem, I'll be sure to ask Fairy Tail for help."

That warms my heart, and we wave back at them as we leave the merchants' guild. As we walk away, I turn to Erza with a grin. "That was fun! I want to go on even more jobs like that!"

She smiles back at me and pats me on the head. "Well, keep training, and you'll be going out on jobs all the time. But remember, going out on jobs is what gives you experience. So if I'm not around, and you want to go on a job, pick something in Magnolia, no matter how small. Every job counts, and you can use the small ones to work your way up to the big ones."

"Yeah!" Her encouragement makes me believe that even someone as weak as me can get strong someday. Natsu may protect me, but it's Erza who believes in me.

And I'm going to make everyone else believe in me too.


	6. Enter Gildarts

**A warning. The character dynamics might seem a little strange for siblings (at least for those who grew up without them). But as a tomboyish big sister to two younger brothers _(One of whom looks like he's older than I am, though that's probably because I look about 2-3 years younger than I actually am and he looks older because he has a beard. We have been asked on far too many occasions if the two of us are twins, which we are not, since I'm over two years older than him, but somehow we still get the question anyway.)_ I assure you that sometimes, stuff like this happens. There will be times that the twins do not see eye to eye, actually many times and I promise to make some of it funny, and sometimes will even be hostile to each other. This happens to siblings a lot, especially if they're different genders. I would know, I spent most of my childhood arguing with my brothers, and we can hold grudges forever…eventually we make up, but it can take a long time…**

 **Anyway, Enter Gildarts.**

* * *

Natsu's voice is still ringing in my ears, eve though it's been a month and a half since I went on that first job with Erza. He really took it too far, and all over a few scratches.

 _ ***Flashback start***_

I walk back into the guild hall with Erza, the two of us talking happily about the way we handled the bees in the forest.

"So, I was thinking that maybe, the two of us should go out on jobs together once in a while, you know, until you get comfortable going out on your own." Erza smiles at me, almost the way I guess that a mentor would.

And being the reasonable twin, I like Erza's suggestion, since it's nice to have someone else around, and I'm also less likely to get into trouble that way. "Sure! And if we go together, then we can take some of those ones with better pay, right?"

"Right. As long as they aren't too dangerous. You know what your brother will say if you do anything to get hurt." Erza's concern is reasonable, if a little overprotective. I'm not completely helpless, after all.  
I notice a flurry in the corner of my eye, and an approaching mass of pink and red. "Speaking of which…"

Natsu storms over in a rage. "Ciara! Where have you been!? They said that you went out on a job! Why did you leave the guild!?"

I sigh as he marches up with an evil glare on his face. "Don't worry Natsu…I went with Erza. We went to a forest a couple of hours away, took care of some magic bees, and came back. We didn't get hurt or anything, so what's the big deal?"

"Then why do I smell blood?" He grabs my arms and twists my wrists to reveal the bandages under my sleeves. "See! You're hurt!"

I pull my arms back and glare at him. "I did that myself. I needed to put blood on the trees so that the bees would stay away. It's not as bad as it looks, I promise. I'll be all healed up in a few days."

Natsu turns on Erza next. "Was it your idea!? Did you take her out there?"

Erza crosses her arms, staring down at Natsu. "Yes, I did. Is that a problem?"

"Hell yeah it's a problem! Do you have any idea what could have happened to her out there!? She could have died!" He turns on me again, absolutely livid. "You can't go out! You're not strong enough!"

In that instant, I snap. "Natsu! Stop trying to protect me so much! I'm not as helpless as you seem to think! I've been training ever since we arrived, trying to get strong enough to go out on jobs like you, and now that I've managed one, you aren't even happy for me! Can't you say that you're proud of me or something!?"

Without another word, I turn on heel and storm over to where Gray is sitting, refusing to talk to Natsu. Gray looks at me nervously. "Hey…are you gonna be okay?"

I glare at him and turn up my nose. "I'm fine, it's that idiot who is being completely unreasonable!" _Not strong enough, huh? I'll show you how strong I am…_

 _ ***Flashback end***_

 _That was a month and a half ago, and the fool is still mad at me._ Natsu and I have been having something of a silent war of disapproval. He doesn't want me to be going out on jobs, because he's worried that I'm going to get hurt, and I'm confident that as long as I don't do anything stupid, I'll be just fine.

With the two of us at an impasse, I spend a lot of my time outside, either training, or sneaking off to do jobs with Erza. She's the only one who isn't either worried that I'll get hurt, or scared of the fiery hell that my brother will rain down on them if they take me anywhere.

I kick at the snow on the ground, imagining that it's Natsu's head. _Stupid! Idiot! Moron! Cant he see that he's not the only one doing his best!? Why can't he just accept that I'm working this hard so that he doesn't have to worry about me hurting myself in the first place? If Igneel were here, he'd understand…_ It;s true, Igneel was always encouraging us to become stronger, strong enough to take care of ourselves. He was always careful with me, but he never held me back unless he thought that there was a real risk of getting myself killed. And in those cases, Natsu was in as much danger as me, so it wasn't just on account of my health.

It's starting to get kind of cold now. _Great…if I stay out here much longer, I'm going to get a cold. And if that happens, Natsu will never let me hear the end of it. He'll just say that it's exactly what he's talking about when he says that I'm not strong enough to go out on jobs. And that's a headache I really don't need…_

I sneeze once and feel snot dribbling slowly from my nose. _Too late…_ I rub my hands together, trying to warm myself up as much as possible. _Natsu's so lucky…he doesn't have to worry about the cold, he's like a heater all year round. And he loves the heat so much that summer doesn't bother him either… It would have been better if I was the fire-wielder instead, maybe then I wouldn't get so sick._

As I wander back towards the guild, I bump into a cloaked figure, much taller than I am. "Sorry…I didn't mean to bump into you…"

The figure turns around and looks down at me, giving me a good view of his rust colored hair and dark eyes. "Oh, hello there little one, I didn't see you there." He crouches down to take a good look at me. "Uh-oh, you look a little sick. Where do you live? I'll take you home."

I frown at him, trying to figure out if he's nice or just pretending. "I'm not supposed to go home with strangers…"

He blinks, then smiles. "I see…that's good. Alright then, my name is Gildarts. What's your name?"

"Ciara…" This guy seems a little too friendly. "You live here? I've never seen you before…"

He nods. "I've lived here for a long time. And I've never seen you here before…"

"I arrived here a few months ago with my big brother." I'm pretty confident that if this guy tries to mess with me, I can blow him away, but I still keep a close eye on his every movement. "He's a wizard."

Gildarts' eyes widen. "A wizard, huh? Is he a member of Fairy Tail?"

I nod slowly. "Yeah."

That puts a grin on his face. "What a coincidence. I'm a member of Fairy Tail as well." He lifts up his shirt to reveal a black Fairy Tail emblem on his chest. "So, do you want me to take you back to the guild?"

After finding out that he's a member of Fairy Tail too, I relax a bit. "Okay…"

He picks me up like it's nothing and settles me on his shoulder. "So, why don't you tell me about this brother of yours? What's his name? What kind of magic does he use?"

Thinking about my brother makes me a little mad. "His name is Natsu, he's a fire wizard. And I'm mad at him."

"You're mad at him? How come?"

I growl a little, before sneezing once. "Ugh… I'm mad at him because he's always telling me that I'm too weak to be leaving the guild to go on jobs with Erza. I've been training hard, and he just doesn't see it."

"Oh, so you're a wizard too?" He bounces me a little on his shoulder. "Do you use fire magic as well?"

I shake my head. "No…I use wind, not fire. And wind can beat fire…"

"You're right, it can. But that's only if you use it right." He hums a little, and it sounds funny. "You know, to be practicing magic at your age…you must be a talented little one, huh?"

"I guess. I mean, I always did pick up what Dad taught us faster than Natsu did." I sniffle a little, trying to wipe my nose. "But because I get sick easily, Natsu's stronger than me… And he always thinks that I'm going to get hurt if I leave the guild. That's why I'm so mad at him. I want him to know that I'm not as weak as he thinks I am!"

"I see, so you feel like your brother is underestimating you, and not looking hard enough at the effort that you're putting in to become strong."

I nod and rest my cheek on the top of his head. "I'm taking my medicine and training hard, I'm going out on jobs that aren't too hard, and I'm making sure to take care of myself whenever I leave. So it's not like he's got anything to worry about…"

"Hm…well I don't know about that. Isn't it natural for a big brother to worry about his little sister?"

He makes a good point, even though I really don't want to admit it. "He worries way too much, though. If he had his way, I would never get to leave the guild hall. And I don't see how that's supposed to help me get stronger."

Gildarts chuckles as we approach the guild. "Well, he probably just wants to keep you safe. He just sees you as something small and cute right now, something for him to protect. But once you get bigger, I'm sure he'll stop putting up such a fuss about you getting stronger."

"I guess…" I pout a little and rub my nose a bit more as he walks into the guild with me on his shoulder.

"Hey all! I'm back!" He waves joyfully to everyone inside, getting stares from all across the room.  
Suddenly, the room erupts in noise. I cover my ears and wince. This guy must be pretty popular here. It's hurting my ears…

But as people run up to greet him, he doesn't put me down. He must have figured that it would be too dangerous to put me down in the middle of a crowd. I'm so tiny that I would get squished.

After working his way free of the crowd, he approaches Gramps at the bar. "Hey there, Master. I found this little one wandering around town. She seemed cold and upset, so I brought her back here."

Gramps takes one look at me and sighs. "Honestly…between you and Natsu…I'm not even sure which of you is more trouble." He reaches behind the counter and pulls out a little cup and a bottle, pouring a thick red liquid into the cup. "Come now, drink this. You know that Natsu will have a fit if he sees you like this." He feels my forehead gently. "And you're freezing cold… You know, you shouldn't go wandering outside with so little on. If you want to go outside when it's this cold, at least bundle up."

"Okay…" I take the cup and start gulping down the bitter red liquid that I hate so much. "Is Natsu here?"

Gramps nods and points behind me, and as soon as I look over to my left, I see my brother storming up with fire in his eyes. "Ciara! Where have you been!?"

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Like you care…"

He jumps onto the bar and glares at me. "You know that you're not supposed to disappear like that! What if something had happened to you!?" Then he notices my red, runny nose, and he glares even more. "See! This is exactly what I'm talking about! You're making yourself sick!"

"Hey…hold up little guy. She's not that sick." Gildarts pats Natsu on the head and smiles at me. "She just needs to warm up and get some sleep. She'll be fine in the morning."

"What do you know!?" Natsu tosses his hand off and glares at Gildarts now. "She's been like this ever since we were little! She would get so cold that I thought she was gonna freeze! I even stayed up some nights because I was scared that she was gonna die!"

I look determinedly away from Natsu. "You don't get it. I've got medicine now, and I'm training. I can feel myself getting stronger. I'm not getting sick as much as I used to, and it's not so bad now. You can stop worrying about me so much. I don't need coddling."

Just as Natsu is about to start yelling at me again, Gildarts pats us both pretty hard on the head. "Alright now…you two need to stop arguing and come to a compromise. How about this…" He turns to my brother first. "Natsu, right? Your sister is trying her best to get stronger. And I think that you should let her do that. The stronger she gets, the less you'll have to worry about her." Then, he turns to me. "But in the meantime, if you ever do get sick, let your big brother worry about you. It's something he can't help, because he loves you. Alright?"

Natsu and I glance at each other, then let out identical sighs. "Fine…"

Natsu turns to Gildarts, frowning. "Who are you anyway? I've never seen you before."

Gildarts smiles and rubs the back of his head awkwardly. "Oh, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name's Gildarts. I've been a wizard here for…" He pauses, looking confused. "How long have I been here for?"

Gramps sighs. "Long enough that you've forgotten, apparently. It's been since long before any of you kids were born. He's one of our S-Class wizards."

"He's S-Class?" Natsu's frown turns upside down immediately, and he looks at Gildarts in awe. "That's so cool…" And just when I think he's going to be mature about this, he gets all excited instead. "Fight me!"

I slap my forehead as Natsu covers his fist in flames and leaps at Gildarts. But to my surprise, it takes less than a second for Gildarts to swat my brother right into the floor. "Nice try kid. But I think you're going to need a little more training before you try challenging me."

Natsu gets to his feet, wobbling and shaking. But he's got a huge grin on his face. "Alright, then I'll get stronger, and I'm gonna beat you!"

"Alright, I look forward to it." Gildarts beams at Natsu, looking almost proud of my brother's gusto.

But I've got a whole other line of thought going through my head. _If you're going to train to get strong enough to beat Gildarts, then I'm going to train and become strong enough to beat you._

 _And I'm going to make S-Class before you do!_

* * *

 **To answer a review request, defining her generational category is…difficult. She's Natsu's sister, so her 'default' generation would/should be first, she just needed a little help to get started, the lacrima was implanted prior to training (of which there was plenty). Plus, they don't even hear about the different generations until the GMG arc, so there's no way for them to know until the topic actually gets brought up in X791. They just go with real dragonslayers (trained by a dragon) and fake dragonslayers (meaning only have the lacrima, like Laxus and Cobra). In essence, she is closer in that respect to Sting and Rogue. Situationally similar, circumstantially different. Then again, the two each also 'claimed' to have killed a dragon and taken the lacrima, and obviously she didn't. However, if you go over the more recent arcs, the alleged generational thing gets a little more complicated than that, and the line becomes fuzzy enough that it almost disappears entirely (at least in my opinion it does). Though to be frank, she's more of a middle ground for them.**

 **So…yeah, kinda fuzzy there. And my personal way of categorizing them is a lot simpler, when I look at them, I tend to divide them up by exposure (meaning how much time they got with their dragons before they disappeared, which means that the older slayers got more time because they HAD more time) since dragons seemed to pick their foster children up young. Spent several years with their dragons (Natsu and Gajeel, who seemed about 10 and 13 by the time their dragons disappeared, since I estimate their physical ages at about 17 and 20 by the time the first arc actually starts), spent a couple of years with their dragons (Sting, Rogue, Wendy, who were all five-ish when their dragons disappeared, since Wendy was about 12 when they meet her, and Sting and Rogue are 19 seven years after that), and the ones who spent no time with dragons (straight up lacrima implants, and Cubellios is not a dragon foster parent, and therefore does not count). So, that's how I would base her in the first category, because she just had more time. Although at this point…Sting and Rogue aren't really around yet to brag about being third gen, so it's not particularly relevant to the story.**

 **But it will become slightly and silently relevant in a different arc, though in a roundabout way. Look forward to that.**

 **And for those of you who like to leave reviews, because some do, if you've got any ideas for jobs that could constitute extra little funny chapters, feel free to leave ideas, and maybe suggestions for who she's going out on the jobs with. I'm thinking something along the lines of fugitive/bandit capture (for much later), disenchanting and dealing with everyday cursed objects (think...stopping a wardrobe from flying around without smashing it to pieces), monster extermination, etc... Because we all know that they do go out on jobs when they're not out there trying to save the world. In the meantime, I'll just try to come up with some off the top of my head. Magic bees...kinda just happened like that since I don't like bugs much.**


	7. North with the Ice Wizard

**Sorry, this chapter is going to be a long one, though to be honest, most of my chapters from here on out are going to be at least 3-4k words (this one is just short of 5k, so that should be a good indication of what's to come). I want to use this chapter to get a start on the relationship between Ciara and Gray. Relationship meaning that unlike Gray and Natsu, they aren't constantly at each other's throats, and don't actually "hate" each other. They can get along if it suits them. So, this is a little fun with the two of them. Plus, I just really wanna see the two of them working together.**

* * *

November - X777

Natsu is still mad at me. He hasn't said anything, but I know that he's still angry. Despite what Gildarts said a month ago, he just can't seem to accept the fact that I want to go out on jobs.

Which means that I just have to go without him.

One afternoon, while Erza is out on a job, I walk up to Gray. "Hey! Gray, I need to talk to you."

He looks confused. "What, did I lose my clothes again?" He looks at himself, as though expecting to be naked again, but surprisingly, all of his clothes are still on. "Nope…still there. Weird."

I shake my head and point towards the request board. "I want to go on a job."

"So…?" He doesn't get my point at all. "Why are you telling me?"

"Because I want you to go with me!"

Gray sits there, staring at me in shock. "Wait a minute…you want me to go on a job with you!? Why? Isn't it Erza's job to babysit you?"

I grab Gray by the collar and growl at him. "She is not my babysitter. She watches my back. And if you're swallowing everything Natsu says about me, then you're wrong. I'm not as weak as he thinks I am, and I could go out on a job alone if I had to."

"Then why are you asking me to go with you?" Gray shoves me off him and glares at me.

I fold my arms across my chest and glare right back at him. "Just in case something does happen. I'm not stupid, I know that I've got health problems. As long as I'm careful and manage them properly, there shouldn't be any problems." Then I sigh impatiently. "Besides, Erza isn't here right now, so I can't ask her to come with me. And I would rather ask you than Mira."

"Then why don't you ask your brother?" Gray really wants to get out of helping me today, that much is obvious.

But I've got several reasons for not wanting to ask my brother for help. "Because if I ask him, he'll say no, and he'll go on another rant about me getting sick. He's mad at me already, and I really don;t want to deal with him when he's like this."

Gray still looks like he doesn't want to help. "Then why me? There are plenty of other people here that you could ask."

"Because I want to go with you!" Before I know it, I'm shouting at him. And I quickly realize that I'm drawing stares from around the room. I quiet down and try not to blush. "I just…think that we could work well together if we tried." I hold up the flyer that I took off the board. "And…I though that if we worked together, we could do this…"

"A hundred and eighty thousand jewel?" He frowns, then takes the flyer out of my hand. "An emergency job… There's a snowstorm in the north…that froze over a harbor and trapped all the boats in the ice?"

I nod. "They can't get any of the boats out, and they're bringing in supplies from across the kingdom, instead of getting them from the trading in the port. I thought that if we went…we might be able to break up the ice floes and free the boats. Between your ice magic and my wind magic…I thought that it would be an easy job."

He glances at the flyer again, then sighs. "Alright, fine. I'll go on this job with you. But we're splitting that money in half, got it?"

I tilt my head in confusion. "Isn't that normal? If we're going together, then obviously we're splitting it."

He stares at me as though I'm some kind of idiot. "I thought that you wanted me to come along to make sure nothing happened."

"Well yeah, but that doesn't mean that you're not helping." I snatch the flyer back and wave it in his face. "Have you forgotten that I've got a brother? I'm used to sharing."

He blinks, then gets up from the table. "Alright, then let's go. I don't want to have your brother yelling at me before we even leave."

"Okay!" I grin eagerly and skip over to Gramps at the bar. "Gramps! Me and Gray want this job!"

He eyes it carefully, then nods. "Yes…I can see that the two of you should have the skills needed to deal with that mess. Go ahead. Just be careful."

"Alright!" I grin and grab my bag from next to the bar, where I've started leaving it, just in case I need to leave the guild in a hurry. And today, I need to get out of here fast. I pull on Gray's sleeve and give him a good tug towards the doors. "Come on, if we hurry, then Natsu won't be able to yell at us first."

"Yeah, yeah…I'm coming." He grabs his bag as well and grabs my wrist instead. "Let's hurry, we've got a train to catch!"

The two of us race out of the guild as fast as we can, or at least as fast as Gray can, since I could run a whole lot faster on my own. We're soon sprinting down the main street, off towards the train station in the middle of the city.

Once at the train station, Gray runs up to the counter. "Hey, two tickets for the northern train!"

The guy looks over the counter, scrutinizing us. "You two from Fairy Tail?"

Gray nods. "Off to crack a few icebergs and get a harbor cleaned up."

"Alright." The attendant stamps a couple of tickets and hands them to Gray in exchange for the money. "Travel safe, kids. And hurry, the train leaves in less than ten minutes."

Knowing that we've got a deadline coming up fast, we sprint towards the trains, find the right platform, and find the doors as quickly as we can. We're barely inside the train when the whistle blows and it starts moving.

I look around as the train gets going, a little awestruck by what I see. "So this is what a train looks like on the inside…"

Gray frown, scrunching his eyebrows together in confusion. "Wait, are you saying that you've never been on a train before?"

I pout a little. "Hey…I've only gone out on jobs that I could walk to before…don't blame me for not going on a train. I never went on one with Natsu either, we just hiked a lot through the middle of nowhere."

Gray sighs and shakes his head. "Alright…then follow me, we need to pick a couple of seats."

I nod and follow Gray into one of the cabins. There are a lot of seats, but most of them are full. Gray searches around, and he sees a couple of free seats at the back. "There, we can sit down over in those seats."

He leads me down the center aisle and all the way back to a couple of seats that lie across from each other. He takes the one in the very back, leaving the one facing the back to me. He drops his bag down on the other side of his seat and leans back into the chair. "Well, I guess all we can do now is enjoy the ride. We're going to be here all day, so you might want to na while you've got the chance. I'm not having you collapse on me, got it?"

I nod and look out the window, watching puffy clouds float across the clear blue sky. _Sleep…that might be nice._ I close my eyes, planning to just sleep for a little while. I sleep for more than just a little while.

* * *

By the time I wake up again, the sun is much lower in the sky, it must be late afternoon by now. Which means that we're most of the way to our destination. But from the looks of it, we've still got about an hour left on the train, and sitting still for that long is not my specialty. In fact, if I sit still for too long, I start to fidget. And after a while, my fidgeting finally starts getting on Gray's nerves.

"Would you stop that? You look like you're going to have a panic attack!"

I bite my lip and start staring out the window. "Sorry…I just get a little anxious if I've got nothing to do."

Gray shifts a little, then leans against the window, looking a little bored. "Well then how about you tell me what else you can do with that magic of yours. Other than blowing people across a room."

My eyes widen at his question, and I try to keep myself from laughing at the memory he's referring to. "Well… I guess that you already know that I can fly. Though I can't fly very high or very far yet. But I'm working on that! But…it's basically just blowing things around and maybe breaking stuff. My other magic isn't very good yet, so I don't use it around the guild… I especially don't use it around my brother. He says that it's dangerous, but he doesn't know what he's talking about. He wasn't taught the same way I was."

"Other magic?" Now he looks a bit less bored. "What do you mean by other magic?"

I clutch my bag preciously, and reach inside, pulling out a book. "This book is the only one that I still have from when Igneel was still around. It's got a lot of old magic spells in it…so I've been trying to learn them all. I've memorized most of them. It's just that actually using them is really hard. Whenever I try, they either go wrong, or they don't work at all."

"Huh…so you can use incantations too…" He looks at the book, frowning. "But I've never seen any language that looks like that. What's it written in?"

I look at the book and read the cover. "The Mildean Compendium of Arcane Arts. Written in X356."

Gray's eyes widen. "That's ancient magic…" He scrutinizes the cover, touching it lightly. "Well, the binding sure looks old. But it's in pretty good shape for being over four hundred years old."

"That's because I take good care of it…" I put the book back in my bag and tie the top up tightly. "The book holds things that Igneel taught me, so I make sure to keep it safe."

"Again with this Igneel…" Gray rolls his eyes. "Are you sure that you didn't dream the whole thing up? I mean, no one's ever even seen a dragon. They've been extinct for centuries."

I direct a momentary glare at him, before staring up at the sky. "I'm sure. My magic is proof enough… But I remember him. He was warm…kind…and really scaly." I smile as I remember the feel of his warm scales on a cold day. "He was…weird, but he was a good dad, even though he barely had a clue how to raise a couple of human kids. He loved us as much as a human parent would, I think. Neither of us remember our birth parents, so Igneel is really all we had."

"Hm…" I can tell that he still doesn't believe me about Igneel. Of course, it's not like I really expect him to. No one really believes me and Natsu, and it's no wonder. You only really believe in dragons if you've seen one for yourself.

So I just smirk at him slightly, glancing at him out of the corner of my eye. "Don't worry. When Natsu and I find Igneel again, I'll tell him not to eat you."

"Thanks…" Gray's drawling voice gets on my nerves a bit, but who am I to force him to believe in something when he doesn't want to?

We sit around and exchange small talk for the next forty-five minutes, before the train's whistle finally blows again and the announcements tell us that we've reached our destination.

And after arriving at the train station, we hop off the train and set out for the harbor. The request said to report to the harbor-master for the reward, so it would be best to check in before getting to work.

I spot an ornate looking building on the edge of the harbor. "Hey, you think that's where we need to go?"

Gray squints at the building. "How am I supposed to know? How can you even see from this far away? It's on the other side of the city!"

I shrug lightly. "Dunno. Natsu can too, so I didn't think it was too special. This is the first time that I've heard that someone else can't see that far."

Gray sighs. "You just get weirder and weirder the longer I'm around you. I swear, if you start growing something out of the top of your head, I will never let you live it down, you hear me?" He tugs me along towards the harbor. "Come on, let's just get this job started already."

He leads the way through the streets, always keeping a hand on my wrist. _He probably doesn't want me to get lost in the crowd…_ There's a lot of buildings and people, so it's not too hard to imagine that a short kid like me might get caught up and disappear all of a sudden.

We get close to our destination, but neither of us knows where to go from here. So Gray pulls over a local. "Hey, do you know where we can find the guy in charge of the harbor?"

The lady looks down at us, bewildered. "Uh…yes, the harbor-master works in that building there." She points to the building I was looking at earlier.

"Thanks!" I grab Gray's arm and start running towards the building. "I told you! I knew it was that one."

"Yeah, yeah…okay." He grumbles as he picks up the pace and stops dragging his feet.

We weave our way through the crowd until we come to the pretty building I was looking at earlier. "So, this is where we'll find the guy who issued our job."

"Yep, so let's go." Gray just starts walking inside, without even giving me a chance to stand back and appreciate how pretty the building is. I always lived out in the middle of nowhere with Natsu and Igneel, so seeing different kinds of buildings is a bit of a thrill for me.

Once inside, I find that the interior is just as impressive as the outside. "Wow…this place is so cool!" There are maps on the walls, and interesting metal gadgets lining the room. And what looks like an astrolabe is sitting right in the middle of the room, with a projection of stars above it.

But Gray obviously just wants to get this job started as soon as possible. He pulls on a cord dangling from the ceiling, which rings a bell somewhere in the back of the building. "Hello? We're here to see the harbor-master!"

There's some rustling in the back, and a guy about Macao's age comes walking out of the back room. "What's this? A couple of kids? Sorry, but this isn't a playground."

"We're not here to play, we're here for this." I hold up the flyer and wave it in the air. "You sent this to Fairy Tail, right?"

"I did…so what?" He frowns. "Wait, are you saying that Fairy Tail sent a couple of kids to deal with this? Is this some kind of joke?"

That ticks me off, but Gray stops me from yelling back at the guy. "We took this job ourselves, no one had to send us. We're wizards from Fairy Tail. And don't underestimate us just because we're kids. I'm an ice wizard, which means that dealing with cold stuff is my specialty."

"And what about her? Taking your little girlfriend on a sightseeing tour?"

I growl angrily at him. "I'm not his girlfriend! I'm a wind wizard!"

"A wind wizard, huh?" He looks me over and shakes his head. "Fine…if you two can clear up the ice, you'll get your money. If you can't, then just go home and send someone else."

I suppose that grudging approval is better than nothing. "Can you take us to a place where we can get a good look at the harbor? It would help if we could see how much ice there is, and how far it goes."

"Yeah, yeah…this way." He motions to a staircase that goes straight up through the roof. "You should be able to see plenty from the top of the building."

The harbor-master leads the two of us up the staircase, opening a trap door in the roof that leads straight outside. He climbs up first, following by me, then Gray. I pull myself onto the roof and marvel at how easy it was to get on top of a building without using wind magic.

Gray pulls himself up after me and gets to his feet. "Alright, now we figure out what's really going on here."

The harbor-master points out towards the sun. "That is why we sent out the request. Usually the ice is no problem for our ships, but this storm has completely frozen over the port. It's like this up and down the coast.

As I look out towards the sea, it's even worse than I thought it would be. The ice extends out for half a mile, and all of the boats are completely stuck. "That's…a lot of ice. There's no way that just hitting it is going to work."

"No wonder you're offering so much money for the job." Gray peers out over the frozen water. "We can do this. All we have to do is put some cracks in the ice, then hit the ice with enough force to break open the cracks."

An idea starts taking form in my head. "You mean like…if I used wind magic to score the ice, and you made something like a huge spike of ice for me to slam down into the cracks?"

His eyes start to sparkle and a grin spreads across his face. "And then I could smash up the ice floes with my maker magic."

I hold up my fist to him eagerly. "Then let's do this!"

He glances at my face, then grins. "Yeah!"

The harbor-master looks at us with a frown. "So tell me, how exactly are you kids planning on freeing the boats? And how long do you think it will take? If this were just normal ice, we could just wait it out. But there's so much of it now that we can't depend on it to thaw before the winter's over."

I look back out at the huge sheet of ice and frown. "It might take us a day or two, but it really depends on how thick the ice is. It's going to be up to me to make a crack in it, so it'll go faster if I can find the thinnest part and work from there. The hardest part is going to be getting the first crack forming. After that, we can just start taking chunks out."

"So, are you ready to get started?" Gray grins at me eagerly. "This'll make great practice, don't you think?"

"Yeah…" Then I hop onto the ledge and the wind sworls around me. "Then I'll see you there, Gray!" I leap into the air and off the side of the building, floating lightly through the air, before picking up a little speed and zooming through the air, towards the boats.

I land just short of where the boats are docked, on the edge of the ice sheet. _Now…I've got to go and find the thinnest part._ I stomp down on the ice, but it seems pretty solid. _Hm…this part is close to shore…so maybe it's thicker here?_ I walk out across the ice, stomping my feet the whole time.

"Hey Ciara! Wait up!" Gray rushes out onto the ice, being careful not to slip across it. "Jeez, you didn't have to leave me behind like that."

"Sorry…" I look around at the ice, following my instincts. "I'm trying to find where the ice is thinnest. Once I know that, I think I know how I can puts some cracks in it."

Gray sighs and points out towards the open ocean. "It's going to be thinner out that way. Problem is, if we fall in, we'll probably drown."

"Drown?" The concept of drowning is a little strange to me. "How do you drown?"

He slams his palm to his forehead and sighs. "Great…I'm working with someone who has no concept of death." He points out towards the water. "If you fall in and get sucked underwater, you won't be able to breathe, and you'll drown."

I blink at him and look out at the water. "Then I'll just use my wind magic to make air and get back to the surface. Or I just won't fall in."

Sauntering off towards the edge of the ice, my stomping starts to make a few strange sounds. _Oh, looks like I found a thin part!_ I stop about a hundred meters short of the edge, and pick a spot where I can actually see through the ice. "Here's good."

"You sure?" Gray kneels down and knocks on the ice. "Hm…yeah, this seems good." He backs away and I see the ice just under his feet thicken into a platform. "You think you can crack it?"

I nod and look around. I see a boat stuck just a short distance away. "Perfect…" I run towards the boat and run straight up the side, stopping only once I'm sitting on the prow. "Get ready! I'm gonna give this all I got!"

Gray looks like he's ready to get this started, so I focus magic into my foot and leap off the prow. "Wind Dragon's Talon!" I flip through the air, spinning quickly, and bringing my heel down on the ice. A sharp crack fill the air, and I look down to see a big crack in the ice, and shards of it clattering all over. "Okay, that was a good first shot." I turn to my partner and grin. "Your turn. Give me something to drive in there."

He nods, and I back away, letting him work his magic. "Ice-Make Stalactite!" Magic swirls around him, reforming into a giant spike of ice that falls through the air and crashes into the crack, wedging itself deep into the ice. "Alright, go for it!"

With the spike in place, all I need to do is apply just a bit of pressure. My plan…is to apply a lot. I run towards the boat, running right back up the side. But instead of stopping on the prow, this time I use my momentum to power my strike. Once I hit the prow, I kick off it, spiraling me through the air and straight towards the spike of ice. "Here I go!" And just like earlier, I bring my heel down, this time driving the spike of ice down into the sheet.

The cracks widen and lengthen, and the spike shatters under the pressure of my strike. But the damage is done, and there is a huge hole where the spike once was. I drop down onto the ice, using the wind to keep my balance on the rocking pieces. "Alright, I'd say that worked!"

"No kidding…" Gray smirks and shakes his head. "Now we just gotta do that until the cracks meet each other. If we can do that, then we should be able to shatter the entire ice sheet."

I smile at the ice, feeling very satisfied with this early progress. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's do this!" I skip off towards the other side of the harbor, looking for another thin spot that we can stick a spike into.

* * *

For the next four or five hours, the two of us pick out weak spots in the ice, and create some of our own by guiding the cracks where we want them to go. It takes some creativity in the shaping of the ice spikes, as well as the angle that I come down from when making the initial cracks, but after some trial and error, we get the hang of it, and manage to keep up a pretty good pace.

By the time the sun sets, most of the harbor is now ice free. The only ice still around are the chunks floating around aimlessly, as well the thin layers that are still stuck to the hulls of the boats.

I float over the water, checking for any stray pieces of ice that we might have missed. _Well, it looks all clear to me… Guess I just have to blow the little floating chunks out to sea._

I turn towards the open ocean and measure my distance from the pieces of ice, as well as how far out I can spread my attack with the magic I've got left. "Well, here I go." I take a deep breath and focus. "Wind Dragon's Roar!"

The cyclone hurtles across the water, blowing away every remnant of the ice sheet left in the ocean. The attack drains most of the magic I have left, and I drift down towards the water. _Uh oh…better get back to shore before I get too tired and fall in. If I catch a cold from falling into the ocean, Natsu will never let me hear the end of it._

I float back across the water and land safely on the shore a couple of minutes later. Gray walks up to me, gazing out at the ocean. "Well, looks like our job here is done. Let's get our money and go home."

"Yeah…" I stretch my arms and yawn. "But I'm sleeping on the way back."

"Good idea." Gray jerks his thumb towards the city. "Time to get out of here."

The two of us head back to the harbor-master's office, collect our money from a very grateful and impressed client, before boarding the train heading back down south to Magnolia. A train ride that is going to take hours...

On the train, I sit quietly, my eyes barely staying open as we find our seats. This time, the train is much fuller, and I end up sitting next to Gray instead of across from him. I yawn again, just like earlier, and I lean over towards Gray, kind of like what I do with Natsu. "Today was fun…but I'm sleepy. Goodnight…"

As my eyes close, I hear a soft voice in my ear. "Goodnight…"

"And Gray..."

"What?"

"Put your clothes on."

* * *

 **I just wanted to add a little cute and funny at the end. It's supposed to contrast how she is at first, with what she grows up to be. Because it's normal that you change as you grow. Plus, I wanted Gray to show just a little of that soft side. We all know he has one. And of course, I had to throw a strip in there.**

 **So yeah, this is about how I figure these two would act while teaming up. Not exactly the most cuddly pair, but not nearly as bad as Gray and Natsu. That's just asking for trouble. Needless to day, Natsu's little sister has a much more level head on her shoulders, if still a little reckless.**


	8. A New Member of the Family

**I'm going to issue a relationship warning (not a romantic designation, just general relationship) right here. I will throw these out from time to time so that character interactions make sense. You know, context. Ciara and Laxus DO NOT like each other AT ALL. I guess I should say that Laxus thinks she's a brat, and she hates his guts because he's more of a bully than she can handle (which shouldn't be a surprise seeing as there's a seven year age gap between the two). Plus, Laxus doesn't really like anybody to begin with, he's frankly a sourpuss. At least, that's what he's like for the first part of the series.**

 **Also, Ciara is ten, and raised by a dragon…so she doesn't understand some of the… *cough* *cough* insults that Mira and Erza use…**

 **By the way, I'm dating some of these early chapters just to give a sense of time passing. And I'll be trying to stick to the canon timeline as accurately as possible.**

* * *

March - X778

As per his usual enthusiasm, Natsu comes sprinting into the guild hall one day, carrying a huge white and blue egg above his spiky pink head. "Hey guys! Check out this awesome egg I just found!"

"Where in blazes did you pick up that thing?" Gramps sounds more than a little confounded by my brother's insane ability to find the most unexpected things while out and about. I, on the other hand, am not.

Natsu just looks so proud of himself, despite the fact that he clearly has no idea where this giant egg actually came from. "I found it in the East Forest!"

"The East Forest?"

"Look at that! Guess you're good for something after all, huh? Gonna fry it up for us?" Gray grins like he's eager to get a taste of a giant omelet.

And right on cue, Cana points out Gray's most embarrassing and chronic habit. He's in his boxers again. "Gray! Your clothes!" I'm still not entirely sure where that habit of his came from, and I don't really want to ask, since I'm kind of afraid of what the answer might be. All I know is that he never realizes it himself, and he jumps right out of his seat when someone points it out.

Natsu is less appalled by Gray's stripping habit, and more so by the fact that our resident ice mage suggested cooking the egg. "I ain't gonna fry this! Can't you see it's a dragon's egg? I'm gonna hatch it!"

That gets my attention immediately _A dragon's egg? Are you sure? Wouldn't it be bigger? I mean, remember how big Igneel was? I would think that a dragon's egg would at least be bigger than you are. That one…is about the same size._

 _Of course it's a dragon's egg! What else could it be? I've never seen anything lay an egg this big!_

"You sure?" Cana looks at the egg like a hardened skeptic.

"Look at the marks on the outside of it! They look just like dragon claws, right?" Natsu sounds so sure of himself, but I've still got a few doubts.

And I'm not the only one with doubts, Gray has them too, though he's got them in spades. "I dunno about that…"

Natsu runs up to Gramps, eager to see what's inside the egg. "So anyway Gramps, why don't you hatch the dragon with a spell?"

"Don't be a fool! Using magic for such a purpose would dishonor the miracle of life. You see, life is born from love, and love alone. No spell can transcend that power." Sounds to me less like Gramps wants to teach Natsu a lesson, and more like he just doesn't want to help Natsu out with hatching out whatever is inside the egg.

Natsu…just doesn't get it. "…Sorry Gramps, I don't think I'm following yah."

Gramps sighs as though trying to act all old and wise. "You'll understand when you grow up…"

Erza walks up to clarify the situation for my eggheaded big brother. "He's saying that if you want it to hatch, you have to work hard to make it happen on your own. Since you usually just burn and break things all day, it might be nice to try something more productive for once." _She's got a point but…my brother is only ever gentle with me…he's never that gentle with anyone or anything else._

"Erza!" Natsu's frown returns quickly after spotting the approaching red-head.

On the other hand, Gray's terror level rises immediately. "I didn't hear you come in…"

Mira stomps towards them, a dangerous leer on her face. "I've been looking for you, Erza! Why don't we pick up where we left off? Come get some!" I watch curiously as Mira goes right ahead with picking yet another fight with Erza.

The boys can't believe their eyes, and Lisanna just looks at her sister wearily. "You're gonna fight again?"

"Mira…you know, now that you mention it, we never did finish our match, did we?" Erza looks like she wants to cook Mira up instead of the egg. And I just sit on the bench of my table and watch the ensuing chaos.

"I'm gonna bury you alive!"

 _Well that's not nice… Starting off with death threats already, Mira?_

"I'll make you beg for mercy!"

 _Don't you already make the boys do that already? Shouldn't you get tired of hearing it?_

"Is that armor your training bra?"

 _Are training bras supposed to work like that?_

"Like showing off your love handles?"

 _Love handles…? What are love handles…?_

"You ugly prude!"

 _Sure she's a prude…but Erza's not ugly by any stretch of the imagination._

"You stupid witch!"

 _Aren't we wizards…? When did witches get involved?_

"Thunder thighs!"

 _I don't think legs can make those kinds of sounds…or produce electricity. Unless it's Laxus…but neither of you seems willing to try out that insult on him…_

"Way to keep it classy girls…" Cana looks on with an almost deadpan expression.

"Oh sure, she's all mad when we get in a fight, but she can wreck the whole guild whenever she wants?" Gray most astutely points out Erza's habit of using a double standard when it comes to who gets to fight inside the guild.

Natsu doesn't see any problem with the fighting. In fact, it just makes him even more excited, excited enough to start cracking his knuckles in anticipation. "Just wait. One of these days, I'm gonna give them a beat down they're never gonna forget."

But Lisanna decides to poke a little fun at my brother. "Aw…give me a break… Keep up that tough guy act and you'll never get the girls to like you."

"Shut up, Lisanna. What do you know?" Natsu's never had a chance to be interested in girls before coming here, so it's no surprise that he might be a little overwhelmed. Plus, with the exception of me, he just doesn't know how to deal with them.  
Lisanna pouts for him. "Now don't be mean. I was just about to ask if you needed a hand raising that egg."

"You wanna help? Really?" Natsu's mood improves instantly. _And no wonder…he has no idea what to do to make the egg hatch on his own, so he's probably willing to take any help he can get._

Lisanna is just excited about all of this. "I've never tried raising a dragon! I bet it'll be real fun!" _Yeah…you'd be excited until it starts breathing fire. Then it gets completely out of hand._

Gray, as always, is the voice of skepticism. "I don't know if fun's the right word."

"Well, how are we supposed to make it hatch?" Natsu really is clueless. You'd think after being around Igneel for so long, he would have realizes that dragons like it warm.

Lisanna gives it a little thought. "I think you just warm it up."

Natsu's expression brightens instantly. "For real? Looks like I'm the right man for the job!" He lights his hands on fire and gets close to the egg. Then he goes full blown crazy and breathes fire all over it, turning it red hot. He's my brother, I know him better than anyone. And even I'm shocked by this tactic.

Lisanna is completely scandalized. "Not like that, Natsu!"

"Are you stupid?" Gray knocks Natsu over and grabs the egg out of the air.

Lisanna gets the egg settled on a cushion before turning on my brother. "Jeez, careful! We're trying to hatch the egg, not poach it!"

"Yeah…you're right." I wish that Natsu sounded as ashamed of himself as he looks.

"Stand back and let my magic handle this! Takeover! Animal Soul!" And with no hesitation whatsoever, Lisanna goes and turns herself into a huge, rainbow colored bird.

Natsu can barely believe his eyes. "Woah! You're a bird!" To be fair, it's the first time I've seen Lisanna's possession magic, and I'm a little intrigued and awed by it as well.

"Oh, I get it!" Something must click in Gray's head, because he somehow understands what's going on.

Lisanna flaps her wings and cuddles with the egg. "They're experts when it comes to hatching eggs!"

"Wow! You're so smart Lisanna!" Natsu's enthusiasm goes through the roof, and he starts jumping up and down. "Let's go find a place to hatch it!"

The two of them do some careful maneuvering, and they take the egg outside to find a place to hatch it. I watch as they leave, feeling a little sad. _If that really were a dragon's egg…then maybe we could get it to help us find Igneel. After all, dragons have even better noses than we do._

* * *

A little while later, Laxus comes strolling back into the guild hall. He spots me, then takes a good look around, not finding the identical head of pink hair that he's used to. "So, where's the brat?"

Macao takes a sip of his beer before answering. "Off with Lisanna to hatch a dragon's egg that he found in the East Forest."

"You kidding me? A dragon's egg? Don't tell me you believe in all that garbage." Laxus' clearly doesn't believe in dragons either. But again, sometimes you have to see it to believe it.

Macao shrugs. "I dunno. Natsu and Ciara said they were raised by a dragon, so why not?"

Laxus scoffs at the notion. "Like I buy that."

"Give them a break, they're kids! Lisanna even made them an itty bitty house to keep them warm."

"You guys are lame." Laxus turns around, and nearly bumps right into me. "Your brother's an idiot."

I glare at him angrily. "Yeah, he is. But you don't have to be mean about it. I don't think it's a dragon's egg either, but he's determined to hatch it. So don't give him a hard time about it."

He smirks at me. "So, finally giving up on all the dragon crap?"

I hiss angrily at him. "It's not crap. I just don't think it's a dragons egg because it's too small. If it were really a dragon's egg, it would be bigger than that!"

Laxus turns his nose up at me. "You're almost as stupid as your brother."

I go back to glaring at him as he walks away. _Stupid, huh…? You just wait. One of these days, I'm going to prove to you that Igneel is real. And you'll never deny the existence of dragons ever again._

Macao and Wakaba must say something to piss Mira off, because on the other side of the room, she smashes their table in half and nearly causes another riot. Something about Team Erza, or some other nonsense.

* * *

Lisanna and Natsu stay out in their little grass house for a few days, keeping watch over the egg, waiting for it to hatch. But all hell breaks loose during breakfast when the two of them come back without the egg.

Natsu is already losing his temper, first confronting Cana and Gray about the apparent disappearance of the egg. "All right, which one of you stole it!?"

"We don't want your dumb egg." Gray sounds more than a little fed up with all of this egg business.

"I don't know anything about it." Cana denies it immediately, then turns her sights on Gray. "Gray, your clothes.

Natsu turns on Laxus next, shoving his face right into his face. "Laxus, was it you!?"

"Yeah right." Laxus doesn't seem the type to take it, but the eyeroll that he follows up with is completely unnecessary.

Natsu makes Erza his next target. "Okay Erza! Out with it already!

She sighs and frowns at him, keeping as calm a voice as ever, if somewhat annoyed. "Now, now, let's not jump to conclusions. It wasn't me."

Lisanna walks up to her big sister for help. "What about you, Mira? Have you seen the egg?"

"No! 'Fraid not!" She turns on Natsu with an evil grin. "You ate it, didn't you Pinky!? Just admit it!"

"Mira!" Erza scolds her for being so insensitive.

But Natsu has a horrified look on his face. And that look quickly changes to anger. "That's it! You're going down!" He bowls into Mira, knocking Gray over at the same time.

But Mira's always up for a fight. "Oh yeah!? Bring it on! I'll skin you alive, twerp!"

Poor Gray gets more involved than he wants to be when Natsu bashes him right on the head. "Watch where you're punching, stupid!"

I watch Erza run across the room as she moves to break up the fight. I continue eating my breakfast, watching them as Erza breaks up the fight. _I wonder what did happen to the egg… I know that Natsu is good at losing things, but this seems a little suspicious._

Now, Natsu sounds like he's about to cry. "Why are you so mean!? I just want my egg back!"

"Come on…" Looks like Gray's going to start whining and complaining any minute now. And that tends to end with him and my brother tearing across the guild in a fist fight. The last thing we need is those two at each other's throats again.

Mira isn't helping the situation either. "Aw…look at you crying. You're so cute…"

"I am not crying!" Natsu has always been defensive about crying. It's probably a macho complex that he got from all that time protecting and taking care of me.

Erza gets on Mira's case again. "You have to quit teasing him about it." Then she turns to Natsu and puts her foot in her mouth. "Now, would you please stop crying?"

"I'll make you cry!"

Following Natsu's outburst, Erza and Mira get into a short, quiet argument about giving Natsu his egg back. And the kicker is that they each think that the other took it. _Obviously this situation is going nowhere fast…_

I give up on trying to figure the mess out when they get into an argument over who ate it. Or didn't eat it is more likely, since I doubt even Natsu's huge appetite could give him enough room in his stomach for an egg that big.

Finally, Elfman comes waddling in with the egg in his arms. He approaches Natsu, looking slightly apologetic. "Hey, sorry you guys."

Natsu turns to Elfman with his fist in the air. "So it was you all along, wasn't it!?"

"The egg!" Lisanna's spirits go up immediately.

He waddles closer, keeping the huge egg locked safely in his arms. "I didn't mean to steal it or anything. It's just you toss and turn so much in your sleep, I was afraid you wouldn't keep the egg warm enough."

"Wait a sec…" Natsu's smile starts coming back.

And Lisanna is just as relieved. "So it's okay?"

Elfman nods, being careful not to drop the egg. "I'm not very good with magic, but I stuck close to it all night and kept it warm with my body heat."

"Oh, I get it now!" Natsu's earlier annoyance and anger is now being replaced by his usual warm and fuzzy demeanor.

"Thank you!"

"Thanks a lot! You sure are a real man!" Natsu's grin spread ear to ear as he rejoices the return of the egg.

As Erza and Mira get into another fight over whose fault things usually are, and who does the most blaming, I walk over to Natsu and the others.

I sit down next to the egg and pat it. "Huh…well it's no wonder that Natsu couldn't keep it warm. He tosses and turns like you wouldn't believe." I smile wryly. "Actually, he's only ever a calm sleeper when he's latched on to me."

Natsu blushes and squats next to me, rubbing his hand over the surface of the egg. "I wonder when it's gonna hatch?"

"Dunno…" Then I feel vibrations coming from deep inside the egg. "Uh…actually, maybe right now?"

I snatch my hand back as the egg starts to crack, and Natsu's hand jerks away as though he got burned. Everyone starts getting either excited or curious, and gather in a circle around the hatching egg. _I guess this isn't something they see around here too often._

The egg smashes open from the inside, making lots of little holes before the top blows clean off. A bright blue light shines, flying high into the air above our heads. It shimmers and glitters for a minute, and when the light goes out, a blue baby cat with white wings and black eyes pops out, letting a high pitched mewl into the air.

There's more than a little surprise coming from Macao and Wakaba. "Woah! It's a freaking cat?"

"It has wings!" Natsu points up at the cat as it flutters over towards us. "Is it a bird?"

"No, it's a cat! A blue cat!" Lisanna claps her hands and jumps up and down a little.

But the little guy can't stay airborne for long, and he plops down, right on top of Natsu's head. Natsu smiles a toothy smile, his cheeks all pink. And the little cat sits up on top of Natsu's head. "Aye!"

Lisanna fangirls over it immediately. "It's so cute!"

And everyone around us insists on getting a turn to hold the newborn flying cat. Lisanna latches on to Natsu with a smile. "Did you see that? A minute ago, everyone was all worked up! And now they're happy!"

Natsu finally gets the kitten back, and I poke its cheeks a couple of times. "Yeah, somehow this little guy made the whole guild light up."

Lisanna laughs. "He's almost like a bluebird of happiness!"

"Happiness, huh?" Natsu's brain actually starts working for once, a pretty rare occasion that I think I should start celebrating. "Well, in that case, I'll name him Happy!"

The kitten's ear twitches, and he opens his eyes again. "Aye!" _Looks like he likes the name at least…_

Natsu starts celebrating the birth of his new friend, waving him around like a present. "Happy the dragon!"

Mira tries to be a bit of a buzz-kill. "It's not a dragon!" But even with her yelling that at him, his good mood refuses to darken.

I roll my eyes and grab Natsu's hands, pulling the kitten down into my hands as well. "It doesn't matter if it's a dragon or a cat. It's a new little member of the family. Right?" I grin at Natsu and giggle.

"Yeah…" He goes a bit closer, nearly squishing Happy between us as he rubs his forehead against mine. "Another part of the family."

 _Our little family…_


	9. Cat-sitting

**All right, so this is more of a short gag chapter than anything else. Just something for a bit of a laugh. It features Happy in the early days. I just envision that he starts the same way any baby does. Just picking up some things a little faster than human babies…**

 **By the way, another clarification on the narration. If there is no P.O.V. designation at the start of the chapter, assume it to be Ciara's. P.O.V. designations will only appear if it starts with another character, or if there is a P.O.V. switch somewhere in the chapter. In this case, Natsu is the other P.O.V.**

* * *

May - X778

Ciara's P.O.V.

The sun is shining, the weather is warm, there's a nice breeze bringing along the smell of flowers in late spring. It's a wonderful day, perfect for just sitting around and relaxing. And after all the jobs I've been sneaking away from Natsu to do, I need a little time to myself. Time to rest and relax and let my sore muscles unwind. And lying in the grass, reading a magic book, is just what the doctor ordered…

"Ciara!"

And just like that, my peaceful day is interrupted in an instant by my stupid big brother. "What is it, Natsu…?"

He runs up and puts Happy down in my lap, covering my book with a vibrating ball of blue fur, then grins at me. "You're cat-sitting today."

I groan slightly as I look at the two month old flying cat that my brother has been obsessively raising since it hatched. "Why me…? Couldn't you get someone else to watch him while you goof off? I'm trying to read…"

Natsu pouts, his recourse whenever he really wants to get his way. And I hate it when he pouts. "Because I'm going on a job, and I need someone to watch Happy. Erza isn't here, and I'm not leaving him with Elfman. And there's no way I'm letting Gray watch him." He puts his hands on his hips in a bad imitation of me. "So since you're not going anywhere today, you get to watch him."

 _I guess that's as good an argument as any…_ With a sigh, I remove my book from under Happy and close it up. "Fine…how long are you gonna be gone this time? Because if you expect me to watch him all alone for a whole week, I'm not gonna do it."

"I'll just be gone for a couple of days." Natsu flashes me a sign for victory. "Don't worry, I'm all packed and ready for a camping trip. So just watch Happy and make sure that he gets fed. I'll be back by dinner time on Sunday."

His time frame isn't too bad, it's shorter than some other jobs he's done. But before I even have time to ask him what kind of job he's going on, or where, he runs right out of sight of the guild hall like there's a dragon chasing him. And I would know, considering that I used to watch Igneel chase him around during training. _Good times…playing tag in the mountains with Igneel. If we were lucky, we could avoid getting tossed over a hill._

Looking down at the blue cat in my lap, I sigh. _Well, looks like I won't get to do any relaxing today._ I wrap my arms around Happy and his ears perk up. His eyes flutter open and as though he read my mind, he lifts up a paw. "Aye!"

"Well, looks like it's just you and me until Natsu gets back." I scratch behind Happy's ears, and he nuzzles his head against my hand. "You really like this, huh?"

"Aye!" He gives me his usual response, something that everyone around here finds inexplicably cute for some reason. Even Laxus lightens up a little at the sight of our little blue pet. And he never lightens up.

 _Well, there goes my weekend._ I let my left hand stroke Happy's fur, while my right opens my book back up. _Guess I might as well read while I have the chance. It's not gonna stay quiet for long._

I don't hate Happy, not by a long shot. I adore the little guy, especially when he cuddles up between me and Natsu at night. But it's hard to handle him when he won't stop crying for more than two minutes. I've tried food, a nap, giving him milk, and even playing games with him. But nothing seems to work for long.

As Happy starts bawling again, I sigh and sit down with him in my lap. "What do you want…?" _I wish I could speak cat. If I could, then I could just ask him what's wrong, instead of making all sorts of wrong guesses._

His ears perk up at the sound of my voice. "Aye!"

I sigh again. "Real helpful Happy…"

"Happy!"

I freeze in an instant. Happy…? I look down at him and frown. "Happy?"

"Happy!" He waves his paws and smiles at me. "Happy! Happy!"

 _Did he just…talk?_ I bite my lip and stare at him. "Natsu…?"

He wiggles his nose and shakes his paws. "Natsu! Natsu!"

I stare at him, not believing my ears. I'm babysitting a talking cat. I thought that him saying 'aye' was just his way of trying to meow. I didn't think he was actually trying to say real words. _In that case…_ "Can you say Ciara?"

"Ciahah."

 _What…?_ "No…Ciara." _Was that on purpose? Is he messing with me? Or is it…?_

"Ciahah." _Ah… So he can't pronounce some letters, huh? I guess that makes sense. He is a baby after all._

His inability to say my name properly frustrates me. It seems that he can only get the first syllable right. "Okay…Cia. Can you say Cia?" _I guess that this is sort of a compromise… I'll teach him how to roll an r some other time._

"Cia! Cia!" His paws wave around enthusiastically as he squeals my name. "Natsu! Cia! Happy!"

"Hey, what's all the racket over there!?" Gramps frowns over at me, tapping his walking stick against the bar.

I look back down at Happy and shrug. _Might as well tell him. If this cat is able to learn how to talk, it's only a matter of time before everybody finds out. Natsu will make sure of that. And it won't be long before he's talking everyone's ears off like big brother._

So I stand up, carrying Happy in my arms. "Not much, I'm just teaching Happy to talk."

"You're teaching him to what now?" Macao leans over as I sit down at the bar. "You do know that cats can't talk, right?"

I shrug. "Tell that to Happy, our flying blue cat. I don't think he got the message."

"Happy!" Happy squeals again, waving his paws in the air. "Natsu! Cia! Happy!"

"See?" I sigh as Macao's mouth drops wide open. "I wasn't lying you know… The little guy seems to have figured out a few names already. Though I guess that it should have been obvious that he can talk, since the first thing he did was say 'aye', instead of meowing or purring."

Gramps looks over at me, listening to the conversation. "Well now…that's quite an interesting pet that you've got there."

I nod and scratch Happy behind the ears again. "I suppose it'll be easier to play with him if he can talk…" I look around for some kind of book to use. "Hey, do you have any picture books lying around? If he's going to learn to talk, I might as well start teaching him right now."

Gramps nods and pulls a book out from behind the bar. Though why he kept a picture book there, I'll never understand. "Here, this book should help you teach him simple words."

I take the book and open it up, holding Happy carefully in my lap. "Alright…" I turn to the first picture and point to it. "Happy, this is a fish. Can you say fish?"

Happy giggles and points at the picture. But no words come out of his mouth. So I sigh and point again. "Fish. That's a fish!"

Happy giggle again, and the truth dawns on me. _I'm teaching a cat to talk… This is definitely going to take a while._

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

It took me a while to finish up the job, but I'm back on time, which means that Ciara shouldn't be worried about me. Worrying is my job. I race back into the guild as soon as I get back from my job. "Hey! I'm back!"

Macao looks over at me with a grin. "Welcome back, Natsu. You're just in time for a surprise."

"A surprise?" _What could have happened while I was gone?_ I walk over to a small knot of people at the bar. "What's going on?"

Cana smiles at me and moves, letting me into the circle. And in the middle are Ciara and Happy. Ciara is holding a picture book and showing it to Happy. "Alright, what's that?"

I frown in confusion. _What…is she doing?_

But Happy points at the picture. "Fishy!"

My jaw drops. "Happy can talk?"

Ciara looks up at me with a smile. "Yeah. It was a bit of a shock, but he started talking a little while after you left. So I started teaching him words. We've been working on them for almost two whole days." She turns the page and points to the picture. "Alright, can you tell me what that is?"

Happy points again. "Bed!"

Ciara's smile spreads right across her face. She turns Happy so that he's facing me. "Alright, now who is that?"

I don't expect him to be able to say my name, but he points at me and giggles. "Natsu! Natsu!"

"What!?" I feel like my mouth would hit the floor if it were physically possible. "How does he know how to say that!?"

Ciara giggles and turns Happy back towards her. "Well, that was actually the third word he said. First it was aye, then it was his name, then yours."

"Huh…" I point at my sister, but talk to Happy. "Alright Happy, who's that?"

"Cia! Cia!"

 _Well that makes no sense…_ "Uh…why is he using your nickname?" _I thought that I was the only one who ever calls her that._

Ciara shrugs. "Well, seems like he can't pronounce the letter r yet, so I gave him the short version to say instead. We can teach him the full version later. But for now, I'm using this picture book to teach him. We can teach him on the way home too, we just have to point things out to him and teach him the words. If he sees them all the time, he'll probably remember them better."

"Oh yeah…" The idea of having a talking cat for a pet is actually really awesome. "Then let's do it!"

But Happy has other ideas, and he curls up, tumbling down into Ciara's lap. "Sleepy…"

"Aw…" Ciara pouts as though she was enjoying being a teacher. "Well, looks like the lessons will have to pick back up tomorrow."

"Yeah, and I'll help too." I pat Happy's head excitedly. "I can't believe we've got a talking pet! This is so cool."

Ciara rolls her eyes and laughs. "You almost make me think that you've forgotten that Igneel could talk too. Is it really that strange to find an animal that can talk?"

"I guess not…" It's true, Igneel talked plenty. The two of us didn't even know how to talk until he taught us. _Now, it's our turn to teach someone to talk. Just like what Igneel did for us._


	10. Adventure for the Threesome

**Review Replies:**

 **I'll make this section where I reply to reviews that come in. And I'll do it on an as needed basis. So if you've got a question or comment, I'll reply to it here.**

 **As a reiteration, I do accept suggestions for the story (within reason, so no AU stuff). I've got basically the main story planned out (or at least outlined in accordance with the canon storyline), but ideas can be used to flesh out details, and provide some continuity or funny asides. I mean, they do DO things when they're not out saving the world. So if you want to throw an idea my way, I'll take a look at it and see if it fits within the parameters of the storyline. If it does, I might just put it in. With much elaboration, of course. Or twisting. I like taking ideas and twisting them into something new.**

 **As for getting Ciara an exceed partner of her own… (I'm sure that there's more than one person thinking that) I wasn't planning on it, simply because she doesn't need one for flying, and she kind of shares Happy with Natsu. But we'll see what happens when the Edolas arc comes, because there's a** **slight possibility that I could change my mind. Who knows? But I am planning on making her collectively the favorite person of the others' exceeds, meaning the one person that they can all agree that they like. It's gonna be really cute when that happens. It's going to involve a very interesting cat-nap.**

 **By the way, if anyone has suggestions for what might happen if Ciara and Natsu had an argument inside the guild hall, I'm all ears. I'm currently trying to flesh out a particular chapter, and it's proving to be a bit difficult. I'm thinking, he goes flying through a wall...but I'm stuck there.**

* * *

August - X778

Happy floats over while I'm eating and plops himself down on my head. "Cia! Tell Natsu that I want to go out on a job! I want money so I can get some fishies… Natsu can never catch me any big ones!"

Happy learned to talk pretty quickly. It only took us three months to get him to the speech level of a four year old, and he's getting better every day. And after discovering his Aera magic, Natsu convinced Gramps to give Happy a guild emblem, making him an official wizard of Fairy Tail.

I roll my eyes and shove the rest of my food in my mouth. _My brother and his terrible fishing abilities._ "Alright…but let's go pick one first."

"Aye!"

I head over to the request board, Happy still lying happily on my head. "Now…what kind of jobs are up there today?" I scan the board, looking for something good. There are the usual jobs, like disenchanting, rescues, and monster hunting. But I need to find one that my brother can't possibly mess up.

"How about that one." Happy points at the board, and I follow his line of sight, my eyes landing on the job he's suggesting.

"Clearing debris off a town after a storm? And they're offering three hundred thousand jewel?" _This sounds like a perfect job for me and Natsu. And it pays a fortune! Looks like a storm brought down a lot of trees around the town, and a landslide dropped a few boulders on them. I guess they don't have the equipment to dig themselves out._

I look around the guild, searching for my brother's pink mop. _Now…just have to find him so that we can go out and do this._ I pull the flyer off the board and start walking around, looking for my brother. _Oi Natsu! Where are you?_

 _I'm eating with Gramps._

Knowing that, I look around until I see Gramps at the bar, again. _Of course he's over there…_ So I float into the air and fly over the heads of some of our guildmates, landing softly on the stool next to Natsu. "Hey, Happy wants to go on a job, and I found us a good one!"

Natsu looks at me sceptically. "A good job? Are you sure that you wanna go? You could get hurt."

I huff impatiently and roll my eyes. "Yes, I do. Let's not have this argument again. I've come along on several jobs the last couple of months, and nothing bad happened. I'm going, and that's final. If you want to stay behind, then that's fine, I'll just go with Happy."

"Nah, I'll go. Now show me what you found." He pulls the flyer out of my hands and reads it. "Woah! Three hundred thousand jewel just to destroy stuff!? That's a lot of money!"

"Yeah, sounds perfect for us, right?" It's our chance to finally make a lot of money in one go. Then I get a bit more serious. "But remember, that just means trees and rocks and stuff. Try not to hit any buildings."

"Okay. And it's not too far from here." Natsu grins eagerly at me. "Let's do it!"

Macao looks over from the other end of the bar, laughing at us. "Well, leave it to the Dragonslayer Twins to find something to destroy. It's definitely your strong suit."

My mouth twitches and I growl at Macao. "Hey! Natsu's the one who destroys stuff. I only destroy what I'm supposed to. There's a big difference between me and him!"

Natsu rolls his eyes. "Thanks a lot, sis…" And without even getting mad, he goes right back to shoving food into his mouth.

Gramps snatches the flyer and looks it over. "Hm…yes, this should be a good job for you two. Just remember not to push yourselves too hard."

"Alright!" I grab Natsu's hand and pull him away from the bar. "Eat the rest on the way, we're going!"

"Alright, jeez!" He stuffs the rest of his food into his mouth and grabs his bag as I tug him out the door. "But how are we getting there?"

"The train, duh! I've still got some money left from my last job, so we can take the train and get there fast!" I pull him right out of the guild and down the street towards the train station.

Natsu, on the other hand, does not seem nearly as excited about this as I am. "But I hate trains…"

I ignore his pouting and drag him into the train station. "Natsu, it's going to be fine. Just stick your head out the window until we get there. It'll take an hour, tops."

"Okay…" He looks like he's going to be sick, but I'm too excited to pay him much notice.

I pull him to the counter with an attendant. "Three tickets for the train at eleven heading south!"

The attendant looks over the counter, frowning. "But there's only two of you."

Natsu points to Happy. "He's coming too."

The attendant sweatdrops. "Uh…but we don't allow pets on the train."

Happy takes offense to being called a pet. "I'm a wizard!"

The poor attendant nearly jumps out of his skin after hearing Happy talk. "What the hell!? Why is that cat talking!?"

I sigh and hold up some money. "Like he said, he's a wizard, and he's a member of Fairy Tail, just like us. So if we could please get three tickets…"

"Uh…sure…" The guy barely looks at the tickets as he hands them to us, focusing his gaze on our talking cat.

I take the tickets from him and turn towards the train, pulling Natsu along as I head for the doors. "Come on, we've got to get on that train now. We don't want to miss it."

"Yeah…" Natsu really looks like he's going to be sick, but I've got no idea why.

The three of us board the train and head off to find some free seats. Natsu toddles along behind me, still looking like he's going to puke up his lunch. So I pull him along to a set of free seats and sit him down. "Natsu…it's going to be okay. Don't be nervous about the job."

He groans a little. "I'm not nervous about the job… I don't like riding trains."

That sounds a little odd to me. "You don't like trains? Why?"

"They make me sick…" And just as he says that, the whistle blows and the train starts moving. "Oh no…" His face turns green and he really looks like he's going to throw up now.

Before Natsu can puke all over the seats, I clench my fist and bite my lip. _Sorry about this, Natsu._ I raise my hand and smack him square on the head, and not very gently. He falls right over in his seat, unconscious.

Happy freaks out. "Cia! Why did you do that!?"

I wince at Happy's tone, but my gaze is fixed on my brother. "Well, it looked like he was gonna get sick, so I knocked him out. Now, he won't get sick.

"Oh…" Happy hops over to Natsu and pokes his cheek. "Well, he's asleep." He snuggles up to my brother. "Wake us up when we get there…"

"Alright…" I watch quietly as Happy falls asleep against Natsu, and I spend the rest of the trip reading through my magic book. There are still a lot of spells in there that I haven't even read about yet. And this is the perfect time to get a little reading in.

* * *

Four hours later, I wake the two of them up and drag my brother off the train when we finally arrive at our destination. _Poor Natsu…he had to sleep the whole way here. I didn't know that he got motion sickness on trains. I'll have to remember that for next time._

Natsu groans as he pulls himself to his feet. "Are we there yet?"

I nod and point ahead of us. "Yeah, that should be the city of Thyme."

"Time?" Natsu cocks his head to the side. "Do they make watches and clocks there?"

I slam my hand to my face. "Thyme! Not time… It's spelled differently. Thyme is a kind of herb that you can add to food."

Natsu looks like he's going to hurl again. "Please don't talk abut food."

"Alright…" I start walking off towards the main street, since it's about time we find out how bad the damage is here.

It doesn't take long to find out. Five minutes in, and I can see that the storm picked up trees and rocks and hurled them all over the place, bringing down a few buildings in the process. Natsu finally gets over his motion sickness and looks around in horror. "This place got flattened…"

A couple of townsfolk point at us and start whispering, so I approach them. "We're looking for the mayor, do you know where he is?"

The woman recoils a little and points towards the other end of the city. "H-he should be in his office."

The woman hurries away with the man, quickly disappearing from sight. Happy fies over my head and points in the direction that the woman did. "Let's go!"

Natsu groans and starts walking. I'm sure that he wants to get this job started so that he can forget about his motion sickness, but the feeling has to die down before he can get enthusiastic about the job. Though if he gets too enthusiastic, we're going to have to clean up a lot more than just the trees and rocks.

We get about halfway into the city, before a man in a nice suit steps into the street in front of us. "Well now, I haven't seen the two of you before. What brings you here?"

I point around at the destruction. "We're here to take care of your problem."

He frowns a little. "Are the two of you from Fairy Tail?"

I shake my head a little. "Not quite." I point up to Happy before flashing the man a look of my silver guild emblem. "The three of us are from Fairy Tail. This is Happy, he's a wizard too."

That surprises him. "I see. Then the three of you." The man looks around and sighs. "Well, I suppose that you can see the damage that the storm has caused to the city. It's destroyed buildings and left debris all over. We were hoping for someone to come and help us deal with the large pieces of rubble that we simple don't have the means to remove ourselves."

Natsu seems to have gotten over his motion sickness now. "That's why we're here! Destroying stuff is our specialty!"

That seems to alarm the man, who I guess must be the mayor. So I shake my head and sigh. "What he means is that we can use our magic to break down the rubble into more manageable pieces. Like shattering the boulders and cutting up the trees."

"Are you strong enough to do that?" The mayor now looks a little hopeful. "It would be wonderful of you if you could help to save my city from this disaster."

Natsu grins eagerly. "Of course! We're dragon slayers! No boulders area match for us!"

"Dragon slayers…?" The mayor looks a little confused now. "I've never heard of that kind of magic."

It's not a surprise, and it's something we've been through before. So I grin and introduce us, much in Natsu's fashion. "I'm Ciara Dragneel, and this is my twin brother Natsu! We're Fairy Tail's Dragonslayer Twins. He's a fire wizard, and I'm a wind wizard. And Happy is our talking cat, he uses Aera magic."

"I see." The mayor's eyes light up in excitement. "In that case, please help us. I place this city in your hands, Dragon Slayers."

I turn to Natsu with a grin. "Well, looks like we've got permission to get to work. So, should we get started on some of this mess?"

He nods and shows me an identical grin. "So, I'll take the trees, and you can do the rocks?"

"No way!" I shake my head. "You take care of the rocks. If you light all the trees on fire, then you'll start an inferno in the city. Go around smashing the rocks instead. I'll take care of splitting the trees in half."

"Fine…" He trudges off towards the nearest boulder and starts getting to work on smashing it to pieces.

I turn to Happy. "Hey, I want you to do something too, okay?"

He raises a paw in the air eagerly. "Aye!"

"I want you to use your Aera magic to pick up small pieces of wood and move them to a wide open location, somewhere where Ntsu can safely burn all of the wood. Okay? Try to get some of the people involved as well. If we've got a huge pile to work on, it'll make everything go faster."

"Aye!" Happy flies off into the sky as I look around for my first target.

Once I get a good look at the area, I head for the nearest fallen tree and concentrate magic around my foot. I spin around and bring my heel down. "Wind Dragon's Talon!"

The impact of my foot on the wood of the tree causes the bark to splinter, and the tree snaps in half, with cracks running up and down the grain of the wood. But most of it is still intact.

 _Hm…I need to put more force into it._ The entire tree is probably ten times my height, and a hundred times my weight. So the only way to get more force is… _To fly._

I back away from the tree, letting the wind circle around me. I float up into the air, going higher and higher, until the tree looks a whole lot smaller. _Well, time to see if this is gonna work._ Using the height I gained, I zoom down towards the ground, and smash into on half of the tree. The wood completely shatters under the force of my kick, splintering into a million pieces. _Perfect, looks like this is going to work._

On the other side of the street, I hear a deafening boom, and look over to see that Natsu is surrounded by the remnants of a gray boulder. _Nice one, Natsu!_

Natsu turns to me and waves, a huge grin on his face. _That was awesome! I'm going over to that huge boulder next!_

 _Then be careful, you don't want it to shatter into sharp spikes, remember?_

 _Yeah, I know!_ Natsu runs off like he's on a sugar high. Not that he needs sugar. He can get plenty hyper without it.

I finish breaking up the tree trunk, before turning my attention to a smaller tree that's gotten wedged between a couple of houses. I jump over and land in the branches of the tree. _I'm gonna have to make this smaller before I get it out._

I focus magic in my hand and aim at the branches. "Wind Dragon's Claws!" I slash at the branches, and they snap off like icicles hanging from a roof. Then I jump out of the tree and back away. _Now to get this thing out._ I inhale deeply and aim carefully. "Wind Dragon's Roar!"

Without all the branches keeping it stuck in place, my roar dislodges the tree and sends it flying out into the street, turning it into a heap of kindling.

I jump over to inspect the tree, and it's completely toast. _Maybe…I overdid it a little? If I reduce the force of my roar, maybe they won't fly so far._ I hear a small explosion nearby, which can only mean one thing. Natsu is getting a little overenthusiastic about this job. _Well…it's not like we can make the city's condition much worse. It's already half destroyed as is._

I jump onto the rooftops and take a look around. There are plenty of trees lodged on top of the buildings, and those are dangerous for a whole different reason. If they fall into the streets, people could get hurt.

* * *

After carefully blasting apart a few dozen more trees, mostly ones on top of buildings, I head back towards where the loud sounds of demolition are coming from. _Sounds like Natsu is getting a little too excited about this job. It's like listening to a dragon stomping around._

I follow the sounds of boulders being thrown around, and I find Natsu piling a whole bunch of them into one large heap of rocks. I tilt my head, trying to figure out what he's up to. "Uh…Natsu? What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm putting them in a pile! Happy said that you wanted to burn all the trees, so I thought I'd make a fire pit." He shatters a couple of the boulders, and starts spreading the shards all over the ground. "They've been bringing all the broken trees over in carts."

"That's good." I look around until I see where the carts of wood are sitting. "Then I guess we should start piling the wood up. I mean, it's no good for building, so all we can do is burn it."

"Then I will have my cleaning staff move the debris into the pit." The mayor comes out of nowhere, a smile on his face. "You know, I have thought of making some kind of monument or park in the square. But I suppose that a festival bonfire pit would be an excellent idea as well."

It hadn't really occurred to me that they would want to keep this mess in the city. But if it's their way of making something good out of a bad situation, then I'm in no position to argue. "Okay. Then Natsu and I will build the pit's walls. Those boulders should seal up the pit pretty good."

In response to that idea, Natsu tosses another boulder into the circle. "Awesome! Then I can build it just like the house I tried to make for Happy!"

His reference confuses me, but somehow, I'm afraid to ask him what he means. "Can I help?"

He frowns, then shakes his head. "Nah, I got it. You should help get the wood into the pit. Once we're done, I'll light it up."

It seems a little odd that he doesn't want my help with moving the boulders, but maybe it's just got to do with him wanting to burn some energy. So I busy myself with transferring some of the splintered wood into the center of the growing fire pit.

A half hour later, we're done moving everything around, and the fire pit is pretty well sealed up. And with all of the wood piled in the pit, Natsu lights his hand on fire. "Ready?"

I nod eagerly. "Of course. Light it up!"

He bends down and picks up a leftover stick, lighting it on fire easily. He tosses the stick into the air, throwing it clear over the ring of boulders, lighting the entire pile of wood on fire. It doesn't take long before the entire pile is ablaze.

The locals gather around to watch the flames climb higher and higher. The entire square is bathed in an orange glow. It almost reminds me of the fires that Igneel would make for us. Big and warm, and glowing red and orange all night long. And this fire is going to burn for hours.

* * *

Now that the town is all cleared up, Natsu and I pick up our packs and get ready to leave. The city itself will have to rebuild itself, but at least now there is no longer any danger from falling trees and rocks. Ensuring the safety of the city was our job, not helping to rebuild it. Besides, we've already built them a huge fire pit, trying to fix the buildings without coming prepared would just end in disaster.

But before we have the chance to head to the station, the mayor approaches us again in the middle of the main square. "Once again, I thank you for your help." He hands us a stack of money, our payment for the job. "If we require any more help, I'll be sure to send word to Fairy Tail."

I grin at him as I swing my pack onto my back. "Well, if another storm hits and you need Fairy Tail to come by again, be sure to ask for us!"

"Yeah! We're the Dragonslayer Twins!" Natsu lifts up his hand in a sign for victory. "We'll totally come help you guys out again!"

Now that we've officially finished up the job, which includes receiving our payment, the mayor sees us off at the train station. This time, I have to almost dragon Natsu onto the train, and I get him to fall asleep quickly, so that by the time we leave for Magnolia, he's already fast asleep.

So with this job, we start to build our reputation. And it's going to be a long and difficult road for us. But if we can stick it out, then there's nothing that we can't do.

* * *

 **Detail Explanation:**

 **This section will be for explaining details that might seem contradictory or strange. It'll be at the end of chapters so that the chapter doesn't get too spoiled. Unless an explanation is needed beforehand.**

 **This chapter explains a (fictional) origin of the Twin Dragon's name that Sting and Rogue use. I imagine that Sting would be the one who came up with a name like that, since Rogue never seems to care. So, remember who Sting's idol is. Because if your idol disappears and is presumed dead, it leaves a nickname wide open. If I were Sting, I would snap it up in an instant (but still twist it enough so that it's unique, and maybe more powerful than the nickname of the idol).**

 **Also, I'm of course going to make some room for the running joke. Meaning...Natsu's motion sickness. Oh, and for anyone planning on complaining that Ciara doesn't get motion sickness, I'll be explaining why much later on. Although, it isn't so much a why as a what. Anyway, I'll get to that later when it actually becomes relevant. For the meantime, just go with...she's fine with vehicles. And I'll just add that Gajeel doesn't start getting motion sickness until the GMG arc, and Wendy is the same way, when we first meet her, motion sickness is nowhere to be seen, and she's even capable of curing it.**

 **Regardless, there is a very specific reason that Ciara doesn't get motion sickness. And I promise that I will explain it in future chapters. It's part of a few plot points. No more spoilers though. :)P**


	11. Temper Tantrum

**This chapter takes a little inspiration from the episode where Lucy decides to sneak into Natsu's house as a prank, and sees how dirty it is, before proceeding to clean the place from top to bottom. It showcases just how stupid Natsu can be sometimes…**

 **It's their first actual fight. Or rather, Ciara finally losing her temper. It's meant to showcase exactly how dangerous she can be if she can't control her emotions. "All fired up" doesn't really work for her…**

 **It's also a skip forward (since it would take forever to go through routine day to day activities over the course of seven years), so it's about…a year and a half later. So they're still not quite teenagers yet. And as pointed out by Ciara, the two of them go on jobs together often enough that chaos happens.**

 **I'll be trying to update a few chapters today, since there's one I want to get to in honor of Valentine's Day.**

* * *

February - X780

 **Natsu's P.O.V.**

I stare at the boulder, turning my head in every direction to see if this is gonna work. _Looks like it's big enough…but is it the right shape?_

Happy floats over and sits on my head. "Natsu, what're you doing?"

"Hm…" I knock on the boulder, and it seems pretty solid. "Alright! It's perfect!"

"Perfect for what?"

I grin as I picture the idea in my head. "A super big slide!"

Happy doesn't get the idea at all. "But…that's just a big rock. How are you supposed to slide down it?"

"Simple, I'll get Ciara to make it!" My plan is foolproof. "She's been training her magic to cut boulders up, remember? If she uses magic, it should be no problem! And then, when we come home, instead of using the front door, you can just drop me down the slide! It'll be fun!"

I run off towards the guild hall, with Happy still on my head. "She's not gonna do it…"

"She will! All I have to do is ask her the right way!" I pump my fist in the air eagerly. _I can do this! Besides, it's Ciara, theres no way she'll say no!_

* * *

 **Ciara's P.O.V.**

Five minutes later…inside the guild hall.

I glare at Natsu's eager face and shake my head. "No! Natsu, there is no way in hell that I'm doing it! I am not going to help you dig up that boulder behind the house and carve it up to make a slide!"

"But it'll be fun!"

"No it won't. It will be dangerous and stupid and catastrophic! You're just getting too excited about a bad idea!" His idea is terrible. And even if I could carve up the boulder, I could end up destroying the house in the process.

It's just after lunch time, and once again, my idiotic brother and I are in another nonsensical argument. Usually, they're about what jobs we go on, and what kinds of stuff we can bring back from our jobs. Souvenirs and such. Small arguments, never anything serious.

This time, it's about the ten ton boulder in our backyard that he wants to turn into a huge slide so that when he gets home from missions, he can get Happy to drop him down it. Our little pet has grown a lot stronger in the last year and a half, strong enough to fly Natsu around for a minute or two. And my stupid brother wants to use that to get into the house, regardless of how dumb and dangerous it is.

I fold my arms across my chest angrily. "I am not going to have you wrecking the inside of the house again! Do you have any idea how long it takes to clean up after the two of you?" I growl angrily, still trying to contain myself. "Last time, it took me three days to fix the hammocks and clean up the kitchen. Three Days! When it takes that long to clean up such a small house, something is obviously very wrong!"

After Happy hatched, Natsu and I started going out on jobs together all the time. Happy would carry some medicine for me around in the bag tied around his neck, just in case I had another attack. Since then, we've managed to save up enough money to buy a small shack on the edge of town. After some hard work, we fixed it up enough to make it presentable. And we've been living there for about eight months.

The only problem is that Natsu always makes a complete mess of the place. Sure, I make a mess to, but it's really not so bad. It might be a jacket hanging on a chair, or my shoes flung across the room, while my backpack is in a different corner. And of course we have souvenirs and our own personal collections of stuff lying around. Clutter, I can live with, but it's when he comes home a little too exuberant, or I'm gone longer than he is, that the place ends up turning into a complete disaster. And I don't do disasters.

Natsu looks almost ready to get on his knees and beg me. "Please?! I promise that I'll help clean up!"

"No!" This is one issue that I'm refusing to budge on. "The last time you promised that, you left the mess for a month! I came back from that job with Erza, and the house was like a hurricane had hit it! And I would know, because one of our first jobs was dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane! Or have you forgotten all of the trees and rocks we had to deal with in Thyme?"

Natsu keeps pouting. "That's got nothing to do with it. I don't leave trees and boulders lying around the house."

"That's not the point and you know it! You always leave the house a mess, and adding a slide is only going to make it worse!" I try to calm my temper and I sit down stubbornly at the nearest table. "We are not adding a slide to the house, and that's final. If you want to add a slide, then wait until I've got enough money to get my own place."

"But Ciara-"

"No buts!" I'm finally starting to really lose my temper. "Natsu, do you remember what happened on our last job!? You brought down an entire building! You don't know the meaning of the word careful, and you have no idea when to calm down! Hell, you don't know how to calm down!" I clench my fists and grit my teeth. "It was bad enough that we got called in front of the Magic Council! If you keep this up, it's going to get really bad! I can't keep this up much longer! Either get it together and clean up your act, or find someone else to go on jobs with!"

I make to storm out of the guild, but Natsu grabs my arm. "Ciara, what's going on? You never get this angry."

I glare at Natsu, then try to calm myself down. "I know that you're strong, believe me, I do. But that doesn't mean that you have to prove it each and every time we go on a job. I want to have a good reputation, not a reputation for destroying everything in sight. But your gung-ho attitude isn't helping things!"

But Natsu refuses to stop, he reaches up to my hair and pulls out the two ribbons that hold up my identical ponytails. Vivid scarlet ribbons that Igneel gave to me when I was just a little kid. My hair tumbles down my back, hanging down almost to my waist.

I clench my fists and feel my temper coming to a raging boil. "Give those back, Natsu!"

He grins and waves my ribbons around. "If you want them back, then come get them!" It's hard to believe that he would stoop to this level, since he knows that Igneel was the one who gave those to me.

His teasing is the last straw. Wind swirls around me, spiraling almost out of control. Igneel always told me to always wear those ribbons He said that they would protect me. He said that I would get less sick as long as I wear them.

Now I know why. The wind gets faster and faster, spinning itself into a small hurricane inside the guild hall. Everyone starts running for cover as the tables get slammed against the walls, and the benches go flying. Luckily, lunch time is over, so my hurricane doesn't turn into a full-blown food fight. My body feels lighter, stronger. And I feel more magic inside me than ever before.

Before I can get my temper back under control, I slam my foot into Natsu's stomach and send him flying. He smashes right through the front wall of the guild.

I fly out after him and growl angrily as I land on top of him, pinning him to the ground. I grab hold of his collar and glare fiercely at him. "Why are you always goofing off? You never take anything seriously! You're always making a mess of things, and you just don't care!

Natsu's scared expression bring me back down to earth, an I pull my hands away from him. _What did I just…?_ I jump off him and back away. _I just…attacked Natsu._

* * *

 **Natsu's P.O.V.**

Ciara backs away from me like she's been bitten. She looks really scared, worse than I've ever seen before.

For some reason, I feel a little strange, like there's something heavy sitting on my chest.

From the ground, I look inside the guild and groan. _She really tore this place apart… This must be why Igneel warned her to keep the ribbons on._

She stares at her hands like she's terrified of herself. Then she spins around and runs off so fast that she looks like a blur. So I push myself to my feet and move to follow her.

But Gramps stands in front of me, frowning. "Natsu…why don't you let me calm her down a little first? Come quietly and wait until she's calm. Then you can work things out with her. Alright?"

"But I need to talk to her!"

Gramps shoots me a stern look, and though I feel really bad about this, I nod and watch as Gramps disappears around the back of the guild. I walk along slowly, quietly, waiting for a chance to talk to my little sister.

* * *

 **Ciara's P.O.V.**

I sit out behind the guild, next to the lake. It's where Erza and I always sit to relax after training, or after coming back from a job. Today, it's quiet, which gives me plenty of time alone to think about the chaos I caused today.

A little while later, someone approaches me. I can tell because of the sound of their footsteps on the grass, and the familiar scent, that it's Gramps. "Let me guess…I'm in trouble because I made a hole in the wall? Or is it because I hurt Natsu?"

"Of course not, child…" Gramps stands next to me, looking out over the lake. "Sounds to me like your brother had it coming. And the wall is easily fixed. It's not the first time we've had to repair it, and it won't be the last."

Hearing that doesn't make me feel any better. "Natsu's going to hate me now…"

"Of course not…he might be angry for a little while, but he'll never hate you."

"Are you sure…?" I really wouldn't put it past him to hate me after this disaster. I'm always the one lecturing him. And this time, I even blamed him for everything going wrong. I wouldn't count on even Natsu's kind heart to forgive me this time.

Gramps ruffles my hair and speaks softly. "There may have been a lot of things that you only said because of the heat of the moment, but I think that Natsu recognizes that there's still some truth to what you said. And perhaps you're the one who's been taken for granted."

Despite his reassurances, I still feel terrible. "I didn't mean to lash out like that…I just lost control."

"Yes…so I saw." He sighs a little. "I felt your magic power suddenly rise, and then it started lashing out in a rather uncontrolled manner. Do you know why…?"

I shake my head. "Not exactly… But I think it might have something to do with something that Igneel told me."

"What did he tell you?"

"Those ribbons that I always wear…Igneel is the one who gave them to me. He always used to tell me to only take them out if I needed to retie them. Otherwise, I always have to wear them. He said that it would help stop me from getting sick. He said that they would protect me, and everyone around me too…"

"I see…" Gramps goes quiet for a minute. "Then it stands to reason that those ribbons of yours are enchanted. It would not surprise me if it were true that a dragon could cast some kind of magic on an object to prevent illness. Healing is an ancient magic, lost to history. But something as old as a dragon might be able to practice it. Though we'll never know for sure until the two of you find him."

I nod quietly. _That would make sense… If the ribbons are enchanted to protect me, then that might explain why my power has never lashed out like that before._

A rustling reaches me ears, and it sounds to me like someone is walking across the grass. I turn my head and see Natsu walking over, looking a little ashamed. _Hey…_

I turn my head away from him. _Hi…_

He stands there in silence for a minute, so Gramps clears his throat. "Well, now that Natsu's here and you've calmed down, I'll leave this situation for the two of you to sort out. I have a wall to organize repairs for." Gramps walks off across the grass, and the two of us remain silent until neither of us can hear him anymore.

With Gramps gone, Natsu sits down behind me and starts picking at my hair. _I'm sorry I pulled your ribbons out…_

I pull my knees in against my chest and bury my face in them. _I'm sorry I attacked you._

 _Well, I guess I asked for it. I shouldn't have done that._ He pulls lightly on my hair, and his fingers run through it as he goes about tying my hair back up. Sometimes he'll do that when I don't wanna get out of bed. He'll take my ribbons out and tie my hair back up. He doesn't like to do it in front of people, since he thinks it's a bit girly. But he's good with his hands, and I don't mind it when he fixes my hair.

 _Natsu…did you even see what I did? I nearly destroyed the guild hall._

 _Yeah, but you didn't mean to, right?_

 _Well…no…but I still did it._

He wraps his arms around me and rests his chin on top of my head. _It's okay… And I promise not to make you so mad again. I'll work hard to not destroy stuff while we're out on jobs._

 _Promise?_

 _Promise._

Now if only Natsu could actually keep that promise…

* * *

 **Details:**

 **Between wind and fire, I usually argue that wind is far more destructive. Fire eventually burns out (usually, but let's not get into plate tectonics and volcanic processes), and wind can either build it up, or smother it. On the other hand, it's basically impossible to actually stop the wind. You can create a vacuum, which technically has no wind in it. But as long as you're on a planet that spins and has atmosphere, you're going to have wind.**

 **The danger lies in unstoppable storms like hurricanes, typhoons, tornadoes, and other powerful storms. They rip up trees, destroy buildings, and toss debris every which way. And they can rack up a serious body count that way. So…this is why I usually argue that wind is a far more dangerous ability than fire. Not necessarily more powerful (since Natsu is about as OP as it's possible to get), but definitely more dangerous, as well as versatile in combat. At least fire has useful applications, like keeping people warm, cooking, and cauterizing wounds. But in a world full of magic, wind might not be widely used for practical purposes, such as producing electricity.**

 **Plus, the first wind wizard you meet in the series is Erigor, and he's definitely not using his wind magic for making electricity…**


	12. Diagnosis

**Okay, so this chapter is going to do a little explaining about why Ciara gets so sick. I hadn't really given an explanation yet, because I was waiting till now to start actually explaining it. Plus, a couple of the details just came to me while I was writing this chapter.**

 **And we finally get to see our favorite grumpy healer, Porlyusica.**

* * *

June - X780

Ciara's P.O.V.

While some of the kids in the guild are getting normal summer colds, I end up stuck in bed for a week after a tough job with Erza. Whatever is wrong with me just happened out of the blue. It was unexpected enough that even Natsu was shocked.

After I recover enough to walk around, but not so much that the illness is gone, Natsu decides to do something about it. He runs off to tell Gramps about it, leaving me alone in the house.

Half an hour later, Natsu comes back with the old man. "Ciara! I'm back!"

"I can see that…" I groan and hold my head in my hands. "And could you not be so loud? My head is pounding."

Not only is my head pounding, but all of my muscles ache, ad I feel like I'm going to throw up. Gramps touches my forehead gently. "Seems like a fever to me. I know just what she needs."

"Then I'll leave her to you!" Natsu grins, looking very hopeful. And it's no wonder. He's never really been able to do anything for my illness, so hearing that Gramps can do something must be putting Natsu's happiness and relief through the roof.

After getting me out of the house, Gramps walks me through the town and into the forest outside Magnolia. "I have a friend who should be able to figure out what's wrong with you. Her name is Porlyusica, and she's been a healer for as long as I can remember."

"Okay…" I still feel kind of nervous about this, since I've never actually been to see a healer before. My biggest worry is that she'll tell me something that I really don't want to hear.

About three minutes into the forest, we come across a nice wooden hut with a garden. Gramps marches right up to the front door and knocks on it. "Porlyusica, it's Makarov!"

The door creaks open and I see a tall, pink-haired lady standing in the doorway. "What is it? You know that I hate being visited all of a sudden."

"Yes, I know." He turns to me and motions for me to come closer. "But the girl is sick, and I'd appreciate it if you took a look at her."

The old lady glances at me, then nods. "Fine. Bring her in."

She walks back inside her house, and Gramps pats my shoulder. "Come on Ciara, she's not going to bite."

 _That's not what I'm worried about…_ At his insistence, I walk inside the old lady's hut. But the inside is not quite what I expected. There are herbs hanging from the ceiling, and knitted rugs on the floor, pieces of weaving hanging on the walls, and little odds and ends scattered over tables and shelves.

She points to a chair. "Sit." And without saying a word, I sit down in the chair and wait for her to approach me again.

The old lady feels my forehead, squeezes my arms, and listens to my heartbeat carefully. I have no idea what she's looking for, but whatever it is can't be good, because the look on her face is not a happy one.

Gramps seems just as concerned. "Do you know what's wrong with her?"

The old lady sighs grumpily. "Examinations take time. Don't be so impatient!" That shuts Gramps up, but she frowns at me and shakes her head. "That said, it looks like something that should be impossible."

"Something impossible?" Gramps' tone is starting to scare me now. "Is it something rare?"

She shakes her head. "No. I'm saying that it shouldn't be possible."

I clear my throat, interrupting them. "I've been like this for as long as I can remember…so that means that it's something long-term, right?"

She nods, looking just a little confused. "Yes. The problem is that it shouldn't be possible for this condition to be long term. Frankly, I'm amazed that you're still breathing."

That comes as quite a shock. "You mean that I shouldn't be alive?"

"Exactly." She points at me slowly. "You have all the symptoms of Magic Deficiency Disease. An acute case causes muscle fatigue, fever, and other such symptoms. But to show those symptoms repeatedly would cause strain on the body and result in a complete depletion of magic. For a wizard, that means that they would die."

Gramps now looks even more serious. "Then that begs several questions. Why is she suffering these symptoms? Why has she survived this long? And how is it that she can still use magic, even when showing symptoms of the condition?"

Porlyusica frowns deeply. "From what I can tell, which isn't much, there is something draining her magic from within. And on a similar note, there is also something keeping enough magic inside her so that the illness doesn't kill her. There also seems to be something producing magic inside her body, something that isn't part of her to begin with."

A few things click in my head, and I touch my fingers to my chest. "Something inside me…? You mean like something was put inside me?"

"Exactly. Though I can't tell who, or for what purpose. It could be the work of a dark guild, but I can't be sure."

I shake my head. "No, it's nothing like that." I lift up my shirt a little and show her a small scar right over my heart. "Igneel did that when I was little…he said that I needed help to learn magic, so he asked his friend to give him some lacrima. And then he put it in my body."

Both of them look a little shocked, but the old woman recovers quickly. "I see. And do you have an explanation for why there is something holding magic inside your body as well?"

I swallow nervously and tug a little on one of my ribbons. "I think…that it might be these. Igneel gave them to me about the same time that he put the lacrima in me. He said that they would protect me. They're made of his skin."

The ribbon slips out of my hair and I hand it to Porlyusica, who turns it over in her hands. "Interesting…it seems that this ribbon has a sealing spell on it. It's designed to seal in magic. And from the looks of it, it's a very powerful sealing spell. One of these should be more than enough to seal up the magic of a child."

Gramps scratches his head. "But she has two of them, and she can still use magic just fine."

Porlyusica hands me back my ribbon. "In that case, I think that whatever this Igneel was planning, it has to do with containing her power, as well as lessening the effects of her magic depletion. Because whatever is sucking up her magic is something that I've never seen before. And without knowing what it is, there is nothing I can do about it."

Gramps seems a little disheartened by that. "So, is there nothing that you can do?"

"Well, there is nothing that I can do." She turns and addresses me directly. "However, I believe that there is a simple solution to this problem."

I tie my ribbon back into my hair and look her right in the eyes. "What is it?"

A faint smile crosses her face, something I didn't know this grumpy old woman could do. "If you train yourself, make your body stronger, and increase your store of magic, then the effects of whatever is draining your magic should be gradually reduced, until eventually, you can't feel it anymore."

Hope blooms inside me, as well as a fierce pride. "So, is that why I don't get sick as much as I used to? Because I've been training and getting stronger?"

She nods. "Exactly. But you re still young now, so you still have a lot of growing to do."

Gramps chuckles lightly. "But, I guess you could consider that to be an advantage. If you're getting less sick now, then after you grow some more, you probably won't get sick much."

"Yeah…I can grow out of it." I clench my fists excitedly. "If I train hard, but not too hard, then I can grow out of it! It's like hitting puberty, right?"

Porlyusica sniffs. "Not quite. But when that time comes, your body will grow substantially, and many of these effects might be offset by that growth. However, this is not going to happen overnight. It's going to take time for you to grow, and it's going to take effort for you to improve your magic. So you'll need to be diligent and patient. You won't see results immediately."

"I know." But knowing that it's something that I can do something about is encouraging. I always thought that getting sick all the time was something that would weigh me down forever. But even just a little hope is enough to motivate me.

What this means…is that I need to go find Natsu.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I hang around the guild, waiting for Gramps to come back with Ciara. I always get really worried about her when she gets sick like this. The idea that I might wake up to find her not breathing is scary.

The front doors swing open, and I see a flash of pink before the world turns upside down. "Natsu!"

I flip over onto my back and look up. Ciara is the one who knocked me over. "Ciara? What's going on? Are you feeling better?"

She pouts a little. "Well, no. But I know how to!"

 _She knows how to…what?_ "Uh…can you explain that for me? I'm confused."

She sighs and rolls her eyes. "I know how to get better."

"Oh." That's something good to hear. "So, do you have medicine or something?"

"Nope!" She grins eagerly. "I don't need medicine. I'm not actually sick!"

That makes no sense. "What are you talking about? Of course you're sick. You've been getting sick ever since we were little."

She shakes her head again. "I wasn't actually getting sick. It was Magic Deficiency Disease. I was running out of magic all the time."

"Magic defi-what?" The words are a bit hard for me to understand. "You were running out of magic?"

She nods. "Yeah. I was ending up like that because I was running out of magic a lot. So, Porlyusica told me that the solution is to get stronger. I've got to make my body stronger, and build up a bigger store of magic. That way, I won't get sick anymore."

This is about the best news I've heard since we arrived. "So you just have to train?"

"Yeah!" She jumps to her feet and pulls me up with her. "So, that means that you've got to train with me! I'll ask Erza and Gray as well, but I want you to train with me the most, okay?"

She wants to train with me? The two of us used to train together all the time when Igneel was teaching us. But lately, we haven't trained together at all, because I've been worried that pushing her too hard would make her sick again. But if it's the solution, then I'm more than happy to train with her. "Alright. We can train together whenever you want. All day, if you want."

"Awesome!" She heads straight for the doors, stopping only to look back at me. "Come on, slowpoke! Let's get started!"

A grin spreads across my face as her enthusiasm gets to me as well. "Yeah!" I race towards the doors, following her straight outside.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

An hour later, the two of us are panting like a couple of dogs. We've been sparring non-stop for the last fifteen minutes. And before that, we were trying to knock each other over with magic. But I don't care how rough the training is, and I don't care how many bruises I'm going to have by the time we're done. This is what it's going to take to get stronger, and I'm not going to chicken out just because it's hard.

I clench my fists and wind swirls around me. "Magic again! Give me your best shot!"

Natsu nods and raises his fist. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He comes flying at me with his fist on fire. He's fast, but I'm no slouch.

In an instant, I'm ready. I duck down and put my hands on the ground, swinging my legs up. "Wind Dragon's Talon!" My strike connects with his ribs just as his flaming fist gets a little too close to my face. I feel the heat for a moment, before he goes flying from the force of my kick.

He recovers quickly. Too quickly. "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

I raise my hands to block it, but I'm still getting out of the landing position from the kick I used. The roar hits me straight on, and I'm the one who goes flying this time. I roll across the grass, smoking a little. It's a good thing that I'm not particularly attached to the clothes I'm wearing, because by the time we're finished, they're probably going to be all charred.

The nice thing about the two of us is that thanks to Igneel's training, we can at least keep up this kind of fight for a while. The problem, we've been fighting so long that I'm starting to get really tired. And from the looks of it, Natsu isn't as energetic as he was when we first started.

After exchanging a few more ferocious punches and kicks, the two of us collapse into the grass. But far from being angry about who won and who lost, we're both grinning like idiots. I suppose that it should be no surprise that Natsu managed to score a winning hit. He got me with a punch straight to the stomach and nearly made me puke up whatever was left of my breakfast.

I look up at the clouds and sigh. "Well, I think that was a good first day."

"Yeah! That was fun!" Natsu rubs his head against mine. "Are we gonna do this again tomorrow?"

I nod. "Definitely. Whenever we're not out on jobs, we've gotta be training like this. Okay?"

"I think I can manage that." He starts laughing, until his stomach starts rumbling. "Uh-oh. Looks like all that training made me hungry!"

My stomach grumbles in response. "You're not the only one. Guess we should probably head inside and get something to eat."

Happy comes flying over and lands on the grass right next to our heads. "Hey. Master told me to tell you two that there's a special stew for dinner tonight."

"Stew?" I roll over and look at Natsu. "Race you there?"

He grins back and jumps to his feet. "You're on!"

I let Natsu have a bit of a head start, since as soon as I'm on my feet, I let the wind make me faster, and in less than half a minute, I'm already at the doors to the guild, while Natsu is still trailing behind me.

The two of us sit down to eat, and I listen to Natsu complain the entire time about how unfair it is for me to use my wind magic to win a race. But hey, all is fair in love and war. And with my brother, it's definitely a little of both.

* * *

 **So this chapter was mainly about getting the two of them to start training together, which is going to be important later. And it also provides some insight into the hows and whys of her situation when it comes to magic. And I'm going to make it quite clear, when it come to raw power, she is not Natsu's equal. She makes up for it by applying her skills differently, but in a contest of raw strength, she's no match for her brother. Of course, her magic is mostly sealed up anyway, in order to protect her from magic drainage while her magic is still developing, as well as to protect everyone else from the backlash in case she gets angry.**

 **Next chapter is gonna be interesting. There's another timeskip, and it's going to be a bit vague, but that's because there's gonna be things that she can't talk about. :) Can't let everyone else cheat off your test, right?**


	13. S-Class

**My writing got a little sidetracked today by a call, but I still managed to get out this kind of funny little chapter. Please no hate for a slight break in canon, I explain it at the bottom. I guarantee that most people probably won't notice it.**

 **And the reasons that I don't go into detail about the S-Class exam is for semi-flashback purposes later. Plus, Natsu isn't allowed to know what went on. :)P**

* * *

August - X781

Natsu's P.O.V.

The two of us sit back to back, panting hard. I laugh into the air and glance back at Ciara. "Looks like we've done it. We've finally figured it out."

"Yeah, no kidding." She leans heavily against me, barely able to catch her breath. "That…was a lot more powerful than I thought it would be."

The ground around us is scorched, it looks like a dragon went over the entire area and burned it to a crisp. We've been taking jobs all the time, and whenever we're in town, we train until we drop. I feel stronger, and I can see that Ciara's gotten a lot stronger too. She hasn't gotten sick in three months, which is easily a new record for her. The only problem, as she puts it, is that every time we train together, we completely destroy wherever we're training. It ends up as flat as a pancake. And this place is especially bad. It's a valley outside of Magnolia that we've been using, since it's been too dangerous to get close to the guild with this kind of intense training.

But to me, all this carnage is a good sign. "Might take us a while to make it perfect, but…I'd say that we've got a new secret weapon!" And it's the perfect weapon for us, because it's a move that only we can do.

"Yeah… If we can perfect it, then no one is going to be able to beat us." With a sigh, she breathes in, and I start feeling a little lightheaded. _Must be sucking up the wind, I'm starting to get a little dizzy._ I've gotten use to her sucking up all of the air around us after training. Every time we push it a little too hard, she just refills her magic so that we can go again. Or so that she doesn't collapse from exhaustion.

Once Ciara is done gulping up her fill of wind, she jumps to her feet. I leap up, spin around, and grin at her. "Alright, let's head back to the guild. There's some kind of meeting going on today, and if we stay out here, we're gonna miss it."

Before she can say a word, I grab her arm and drag her back towards the guild hall, where I can already here some cheering going on. _What's going on? I thought there was supposed to be a meeting, not a party._

The two of us walk in, and Gramps looks over at us. "Ah, perfect timing, you two. I assume that you've been out training?"

I nod, grinning. "Yeah! And it was awesome!" Then I notice how serious he looks. "What's up? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing is wrong." His gaze drifts to Ciara. "In fact, now that you're here, I can finish the announcement. Ciara, I want you to participate in this year's S-Class exam."

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

It takes me a minute to register what he's said. And when I do, I'm more than a little shocked. "You want me to what!?" I stare at Gramps, dumbfounded by what I've just heard. _Is he crazy? I'm not ready! Even Laxus was only seventeen when he got this chance, I only just turned fourteen! And Cana is in it again this year, she's already gotten to try once, she's already got an edge over me. I mean, I know that Mira made S-Class last year, and she just fifteen, And Erza made S-Class the year before that. I know that I just turned fourteen, so I'm technically younger than Erza was when she took the exam, but I don't know if I can break her record._

But Gramps nods his head, a slight smile on his face. "I believe that you are ready, child. You have proven your strength, and you have proven your intellect. You have talent, and I think that it would be a shame to waste it on smaller requests. So pack a bag, because we're leaving in a few hours."

Everyone in the hall is staring at me, most of them dumbfounded, but some of them looking proud. An instant later, Natsu picks me up in his arms and whirls me around gleefully. "You're gonna be an S-Class wizard!"

Gray rolls his eyes. "You know, she'll have to pass the exam first. It's not gonna be a walk in the park. She's probably not going to make it to the end."

"Pfft, whatever! She'll pass for sure!" Natsu grins at me and sets me down on the ground, indomitable faith shining in his eyes. "Right!?"

I reel a little from my brother's enthusiasm, but I put an identical smile on my face. "Yeah!"

I'm going to be a participant in this year's S-Class exam. It's my chance to finally make S-Class and prove to Natsu that I'm stronger than he thinks I am. It's not an opportunity that I can afford to waste if I want to be able to go on the hard jobs and get better pay. It'll get me more respect, more perks, and hopefully more confidence. And I don't plan to fail this exam. I'm not going down without a fight.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

One week later…

I laze around the guild hall after getting back from another job with Happy. It's been really quiet with a dozen people and Gramps gone. And I kind of miss going on jobs with my sister. So I've been trying to keep busy and keep my mind off of the fact that she's not around.

Happy flies over and sits on my head. "So…you miss Ciara, huh?"

"Yeah…" I glance at the doors, half expecting her to walk in any minute. She's been too far away for me to sense or smell, and it's been driving me completely nuts. "She's been gone a week, and we haven't heard about the results of the S-Class exam yet. I just want to know if she passed or not. And I want to know if she's okay…there's no way that trial's easy."

"What, you don't think that she'll pass?" Happy smacks me on the head with a raw fish. "What happened to that confidence of yours? Haven't you been prancing around all week, saying that there's no way she's going to fail? Way to keep your faith, Natsu..."

I sigh and rest my head on my arms. "It's not that I don't think she'll pass…it's just that I haven't heard anything, and I'm just a little worried. I mean, I know that she's gotten a lot stronger, but something could still happen to her."

Happy jumps down onto the table and whacks me on the head. "That's no good! You need to stop worrying about her and believe in her! She's going to be just fine! Right!?"

I look up at my little buddy and smile. "Yeah, of course she is." A proud fire burns inside me and I grin. "She's not just gonna be alright, she's going to come back an S-Class wizard! And then we'll go on even tougher jobs and make tons of cash!"

"Right…" Gray walks up, rolling his eyes. "You do realize that there are other people trying to make S-Class too, right? She'll have to be better than all of them if she wants to pass. Gramps only passes one person a year, and sometimes he doesn't pass anyone! Mira made it last year, Erza made it two years ago, and Laxus made it four years ago. There was a year when no one passed. And we still don't even know what happened that year. With all of those odds stacked against her, chances are that she's not gonna make it. Sure, she'll give it her best shot, but I wouldn't bet on her passing."

I turn on Gray, ready to punch his lights out. "She's way better than the rest of them! She's going to be the one to make S-Class! I believe in her!"

Just as Gray opens his mouth, the doors creak open, and everyone turns their heads towards the front of the guild. "Gramps!"

Gramps walks in with all of the candidates for the S-Class exam behind him. "Hey kids! We're home!"

There's no cheering, just a silence as we wait to hear who passed. I see Ciara standing there just behind Gramps, and she looks calm and serious. My heart pounds in my ears as I try to figure out if she passed or not.

She doesn't keep me in suspense any longer. A smile spreads across her face and she waves to me. "Natsu! I did it! I made S-Class!"

Instantly, the whole guild hall erupts into a flood of cheers. And while everyone celebrates her pass, I run up to her and sweep her off her feet, twirling her around excitedly. "I knew it! I knew that you could do it!"

Happy floats over and lands on her head. "This is awesome! I knew that we could believe in you!"

Ciara hugs me tight and whispers in my ear. "I couldn't have done it without you, Natsu."

After I squeeze her in my arms, I turn to Gray with a smirk. "See! I told you that she would pass!"

Gray rolls his eyes. "I'm guessing that she got lucky."

Ciara grins and holds up her hand in a sign of victory. "Yeah, I did. But I like to think that I was just smart enough to pass. I nearly got tripped up a few times, but I made it to the end."

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

As I look around at my guildmates, I can't suppress my smile. I worked hard during the exam, though I'm not supposed to talk about it to anyone, since Gramps wants to keep it all a secret. Something about not letting anyone figure out how to cheat.

But with all of the celebrating, I just feel giddy and a little hyper. That is, until Macao holds up a box. "Alright! The results are in, now come and get your money! Those who bet on Ciara get to split the pot!"

My mouth twitches. _They gambled on the outcome of the exam…?_ I'm not entirely sure whether I'm pissed off about the fact that they used such a serious event as something to gamble on, or the fact that there were people who bet against me and didn't believe that I could pass. It's a bit of a toss up.

Happy runs over to Macao, along with Erza, Lisanna and Elfman. From the looks of it, they're the ones who bet on me to win. _Well…I guess it's okay if they're the ones who won. Even if everyone else is shocked, at least they believed in me._

Then I turn to Natsu. "Why aren't you going over there? Didn't you bet on me to win?"

He shakes his head and grins. "Nah, Happy did, so I didn't need to. Besides, I knew you would win, so it wouldn't have been much of a bet."

Natsu finally puts me down when Happy comes running back over. "Natsu! I won fifty thousand jewel!"

 _Fifty thousand…?_ It seems like an awful lot of money to me. And if the pot was split in four, then it means that there was a total of two hundred thousand jewel put up for bets. "Exactly how many people were in on the bet?"

Happy looks around the guild, counting up the members. "Uh…eighty people, I think? Natsu was one of the only ones who wasn't betting. I bet two and a half thousand on you, so did Erza, Lisanna and Elfman. That's why we got to split the money like that."

 _So that's it…_ I snicker a little and laugh. "Wow, I didn't think you were the gambling type, Happy."

He picks through the stack of money, obviously counting it. "I know a good investment when I see one." He finishes flipping through the paper stack and grins at me. "I knew that you wouldn't let those others beat you!"

I laugh quietly. "Well, I'm glad to see that a few people had confidence in me. When I got there, I didn't have much confidence myself. Actually, it was all so crazy that I thought that there was no way I was going to pass."

That gets Natsu excited. "So where did you go? What happened?"

I press my finger to my lips and smile. "Sorry Natsu, can't tell you. Before we left, Gramps made us all promise not to spoil the contents of the exam. He doesn't want anyone trying to cheat on the next one." And I have to be careful not to think about any of the details, since it wouldn't take Natsu too much effort to push his way into my head to find out what I'm hiding. That's one of the pitfalls of having a telepathic connection with my twin brother.

Happy holds up the money in celebration. "Well, then let's go eat! It's time to celebrate!"

Natsu grins. "That sounds good. And once we're done eating, we can go to the request board and take a job." He nudges me eagerly. "After all, now that one of us is an S-Class wizard, we can go on S-Class jobs."

It's true that the rules say that lower ranked wizards are allowed to accompany S-Class wizards on the most difficult requests, but I've still got my doubts. I think that I need to ease into the harder jobs before I dive into an S-Class request. "Uh…maybe we can just take a really hard job. I don't know if I'm ready to just jump into an S-Class request all of a sudden. I'd like to ease into it, you know?"

Natsu looks a little disappointed, but only for a minute. "Alright, then we'll take a couple of hard jobs first, then we'll go for an S-Class job."

"Yeah…maybe…" But frankly, depending on the request, I'm not too sure about taking Natsu with me. On an S-Class job, the stakes are a whole lot higher. It's not the kind of job that we can afford to screw up.

The three of us quickly grab a bite to eat, splurging a little with the money that Happy won from betting on me during the S-Class exam.

As soon as we're done, though, Natsu drags me over to the request board. "Alright, so which job should we take? It's gotta be a tough one with a big reward, right?"

"Sure…" My eyes scan the board, looking for a job that falls into my brother's selection criteria. There are jobs like monster hunting, a couple of tough looking bandit jobs, and even a few involving lifting curses from objects. _Wow…looks like a lot of new requests came in while we were off taking the exam. No wonder Natsu is so excited._

Just as I think I see a promising one, Natsu pulls a flyer off the board. "Let's take this one!" He waves the flyer in front of my face, so I snatch it from his fingers.

I read over the flyer carefully. "You want to go and hunt down a giant monster that's been wreaking havoc up in the north for…a million jewel?" I shoot him a worried look. "You sure? We've never taken a job this hard before."

He nods eagerly. "We can do it! We're dragon slayers, one monster isn't too hard for us, right?"

I glance back at the request. "I suppose…" I look over to the bar, where Gramps is once again hitting the booze. "Hey Gramps! Natsu and Happy want to go on a job! Is it cool if we go?"

He downs the rest of his drink and nods. "Of course. Just be careful you three. I know that you're excited about taking harder jobs, but don't rush too much. You'll get yourselves into trouble if you do that."

"We know!" I turn to my brother and grin. "Looks like you win. We'll go hunt ourselves a monster."

Natsu leaps into the air, pumping his fists excitedly. "Alright!

I head over to pick up the pack that I dropped there after getting back from the exam. It's kind of funny. I just got back from the exam, and already, I'm heading back to work with Natsu.

The three of us head out, ready to get started on our next job. And this time, there's no way that Natsu can possibly mess it up by destroying something.

* * *

 **For anyone who is a stickler for details, you will notice that I moved around the years that the S-Class mages get picked. Mira goes a year earlier than canon (well, sort of canon, since it doesn't really get an explicit mention in the series, I'm pretty sure it's in the databook instead). But as I don't know precisely what year Erza goes, I just invented it myself.**

 **Oh, and as a warning for the next chapter, there's going to be a different narrator. So look forward to a very interesting (and very long) chapter.**

 **In the next chapter, Ciara has a very unexpected detour during her first S-Class job. And the next chapter is twice as long as this one, so be prepared.**


	14. Ryos

**I assume that some of you have noticed that I put Rogue as one of the characters. Consider this to be something of a teaser for much later (since he and Sting technically don't show up until a lot later in canon). This chapter is a bit longer (okay, a lot longer), and it's done entirely from his point of view, as promised at the end of the last chapter. It's his first meeting with another dragon slayer. It's going to be embarrassing, blush-inducing, and very confusing for the poor little guy. But I have a very good reason for it. It might seem a bit OOC, but remember, this is ten years before the Grand Magic Games. People can change a lot in ten years (especially in a guild like Sabertooth...). But short of his questions, he's still a pretty quiet kid around other people. He's a lot louder in his own head.**

 **Bit too much of an age gap between them for actual fluff, but...here's something sweet at the end of Valentine's Day. And for anyone reading this the day after, I hope that this makes for a good follow up to "Love Day"/"Singles Awareness Day".**

* * *

October - X781

Location: Western Fiore

Ryos' P.O.V.

 _I shouldn't have come this way! I should have gone around the forest instead of trying to cut through it. Shortcuts always have problems. That's why people make long, safe trails around forests. Going straight through them, bad idea. Bad idea! Ryos, you are a complete and total moron!_

I race through the woods, tripping over tree roots. This is a lot more than I bargained for when trying to figure out how to use this shortcut. One or two of these monsters, I could handle, maybe even half a dozen or a whole dozen. I'm a dragon slayer after all, so it's not like I'm too weak to fight. But a whole forest full of them? Not a freaking chance!

 _Vulcans…_

I make it to a shadowed clearing, hoping that I'll be able to fight better there. Until I realize that I'm completely surrounded. _No! Damn it!_ I spin around, looking for some way to escape, but there are vulcans everywhere I look. Moving long distances through the shadows is still hard for me, and I've been traveling non-stop for two weeks. I just can't do it. Despite that, shadows envelops my fists as I get ready to fight to the death. A death match is what I'm probably going to get out of these things.

But just as the vulcans start closing in on me, a familiar, but still foreign smelling breeze wafts through the trees towards me. _Whats that smell…? It's like…a dragon? But…I don't know any dragons that smell like that._

A figure appears from the trees, wind swirling around it. "There's a whole lot of you, aren't there?" The voice is female, and it looks like she's way older than me, as well as a foot taller, easily.

The vulcans start growling all at once, so I sink to the ground and cover my head. And while I hate the idea of needing help, I can't be picking in this kind of situation. _Please let her be here to help. Please…_

An instant later, I feel a hand on my head, and the girl's voice echoes in my ear. "Stay down. It's about to get very windy here."

 _Windy?_ I raise my head just a little and see her stand up. My eyes drift to her hands, and I see sharp bursts of wind circling them like deadly weapons. _She's a wizard!_

"Hope you all weren't trying to make a snack out of this kid! I hate it when creatures like you think it's okay to go after children!" She whips her hands through the air, letting sharp blades of wind explode in every direction. "Now die!"

One after another, the vulcans start dissolving into nothing, obviously from the power of her magic. And I can smell it on the breeze, her magic, it smells so much like a dragon's magic. So much, that if I couldn't see her with my own eyes, I would have thought that a dragon was the one fighting in front of me.

In only a few minutes, the girl stands alone in the middle of the forest, most of the trees within two hundred feet of us mowed down by her magic. She looks winded, but not tired, and her gaze flickers from one spot to the next, scanning the area for more of those monsters.

"Looks like that's the last of them… Jeez…I wasn't expecting there to be that many. And I thought that the swamp's giant poisonous newts were bad…" Her magic calms and the breeze slows until it's nearly gone. She turns to me, walking over and crouching next to me. "Hey…it's alright, they're all gone now."

I raise my head and my voice shakes. "Th-thanks…" _Damn it, why am I still so terrified?_

She smiles gently and pats me on the head. "You're welcome, little one. Now then, what's your name?"

 _Ugh…not now…_ "Ryos…" It's not something I'm really proud of, but it's what I've always been called by Skiadrum.

"Ryos, huh…?" She laughs a bit, which only makes me angrier about it. "So…I've found myself a little lion."

"Don't tease me!" I swat her hand away and glare at her. "I hate it, I hate my name, it's stupid and…" But I can't find the words to express how much I hate it.

She sighs and gets back on her feet. "Come on little one, let's get you out of this forest. It's not a safe place to be, especially for a kid like you." She grabs my hands and pulls me to my feet. Then she raises a hand to my face and rubs under my eyes. "And let's dry those tears, shall we?"

 _Tears?_ I rub my eyes with my sleeves and they come away wet. "I was…crying?" No matter how bad things got, nothing ever made me cry like that before. _Not since Skiadrum died..._ After he died, I'd sworn to myself that I wouldn't cry like that anymore.

She finishes wiping my face and gently strokes my cheeks. "There we go… I'm so sorry, you must have been scared. I smelled you over here, so I tried to get here as quickly as I could. But it was pretty far, so it took me a minute to get through the forest."

I look away from her, embarrassed by my complete uselessness. "I'm fine now…I don't need any help."

"Hm…I dunno about that." She frowns at me and stares at my left hand. "You're bleeding."

I turn my hand over and finally notice the blood. "Weird…I didn't smell it." I sniff the air, and it's strange. _All I can smell is her…?_ "Who are you, anyway?"

"Me?" The girl grins and lets out a high, clear laugh. "You can call me Cia. Seems like you've got a good sense of smell…" She bends down to clean my hand and wrap a bandage around it. And she sniffs a little around my neck. "You smell…like a dragon. Well, blood too, but mostly a dragon."

"What!?" _How does she know what a dragon smells like…?_ "How do you know that?"

She winks at me. "Well, that's because I know what dragons smell like. The nose always knows." She taps her nose and grins. "But you don't smell like Igneel, which means that whatever dragon you've been hanging around isn't the one I've been looking for. So tell me, are you a little dragon slayer?"

 _She knows!? That must mean…_ I look up at her curiously. "Are you a dragon slayer too?"

She nods slowly. "I'm the Wind Dragon Slayer. But I was raised by a fire dragon. His name is Igneel, and I've been looking for him for four years."

 _Four years…? That was when Skiadrum…_ I shake the thought from my mind. Skiadrum's death is not something I like to dwell on. Whenever I do, I feel guilty and alone. "My dragon is gone too…he was a shadow dragon."

"I see, so a Shadow Dragon Slayer?" She laughs again, and it makes me think of birds in springtime. "Looks like we're both the sneaky type. Usually I don't make such a big display of power. I was just looking for a good fight, it's been a while since my last one. And the job out here was a good opportunity to get my hands dirty." She turns around and bends down a bit. "Now, why don't you hop on, and we can get out of here."

I look at her like she's insane. "Are you crazy, lady? I'm nine, I don't need you to give me a piggy back ride."

That gets her laughing again. "I know that you don't need one, but it will go a lot faster like this. I'm planning on flying us out of here. And somehow, I doubt that you can fly."

I really don't want to get on, but we're in the middle of the forest, and it would take too long to get out of it by myself. "Fine…" I climb onto her back, and she picks me up like I weigh nothing.

"Ready?" She glances back at me worriedly. "We're going to go kind of high, so if you're scared of heights, say so now."

I shake my head. "I'm not scared of heights. But I do get motion sickness…"

"I see." She smiles as though she finds that funny. "Well, then hold on tight and just remember that I'm not a vehicle."

 _A vehicle? Wait, does she get motion sick as well?_ "Uh…lady? Do you get motion sick on vehicles as well?"

She shakes her head and crouches low to the ground. "No, but vehicles are the biggest cause of motion sickness, so I figured that your problem is with vehicles."

"Oh…" I curl my fingers into her shirt as I wrap my arms around her neck. "Let's go…I don't wanna stay here anymore…"

"Hold on tight!" She sinks a little lower, stopping abruptly, before gusts of wind swirl around us and she takes off into the air, soaring into the sky with me riding along on her back.

As we fly through the sky, I feel a little sick, but nothing as bad as those times I've been on trains. And once I shove my motion sickness into a place where it can't bother me, I look around to see a lot of nice scenery. The forest, hills, a river, and a lake off in the distance. It's all really pretty.

Cia's two long pink ponytails flutter over my head, a few of the strands brushing against my cheeks. _Soft… Her hair is soft…and it smells good._ Unlike the rest of her, which smells distinctly like a dragon, her hair smells like fruit and flowers.

Finally, I get the courage to ask a question that's been burning me ever since she showed up. "Um…Miss Cia? Why were you in the forest in the first place?"

"Huh?" She seems perplexed by the question. "What do you mean?"

I shift uncomfortably, trying to hide my flushed face. "I mean…why were you there? Were you trying to get somewhere? Or were you there to look for something?"

"Oh…I see." She shifts me higher onto her back, letting me see a little better over her shoulder. "Well, I guess that since you already know that I'm a wizard, I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to tell you that I managed to become an S-Class wizard in my guild about a month ago. Clearing the forest of an infestation of giant poisonous newts in the nearby swamp was my first S-Class job. Finding you in the forest kind of put a bit of a wrench in my plans, and I had to hurry up with the extermination. I smelled you from the swamp, and I figured that you needed some help, so I finished early. But I guess it all worked out for the best. Those vulcans were beyond the scope of my job, but they're gone now, and the surrounding areas are now safe for the villages in this region, as well as the travelers who pass through the forest and marshes when heading south."

"You're an S-Class wizard?" I'm not entirely sure how high of a rank that is, but it sounds like she's at least a pretty good wizard. "So…does that mean that you're strong in your guild?"

"Well, yes. But it means a lot of other things too. It means that my abilities have been recognized by the guild master as top class. I know that I'm just fourteen, which is a pretty young age to be making S-Class at, but Gramps let me take the trial early because I'm smarter than most of the others my age. I passed the test that he gave me, and now I'm allowed to take on the hardest jobs in the guild, the ones that most of the others aren't allowed to go on unless they have an S-Class wizard with them."

 _Wow…so she's really important then…_ "So…you're one of the strongest in your guild?"

She tilts her head and sighs. "Well, no…but that's a little complicated. I'm strong, that's for sure. But I don't just use power, I use my brain as well. Combining the two is how I succeed on jobs. But there are at least five people in the guild who are stronger than I am. Remember, raw power isn't everything. Your intelligence can be as deadly a weapon as any spell. And if you combine the two properly, then no one can beat you. Besides, I'm the youngest member of the S-Class, so I don't have as much experience as the others, and I'm a lot less powerful than they are. But that doesn't mean that I can't do the hard jobs. It just means that I have to be a little extra careful."

"I see…" _So…she's not just strong, she's smart too._ "Are there any ranks above S-Class?"

She nods. "In a guild, there's the guild master, who ranks above the S-Class. And outside of the guild is the Magic Council. They technically rank above the guild masters, but we don't exactly listen to them all that often."

 _You don't listen to the ones in charge…? What kind of guild are you in?_ But I don't ask, since I don't really feel like being complicit in whatever borderline illegal stuff she and her friends must get up to.

But as I look over her shoulder, I notice that the sun is starting to go down. "It's going to get dark soon…" I don't mind the dark, I just don't like traveling much when there's no light.

"Hm…you're right." She glances back at me again, then down towards the ground. "Well, I guess it's better if we head back to my camp for the night. I can fly well enough in the dark, but I would rather not risk dropping you by accident if something were to happen."

"Ok…" I have no problem with landing. Being up this high in the sky isn't something I'm really used to. At least, not since Skiadrum died.

Cia starts slowing down and losing altitude. The descent is smooth, and I don't get too terribly sick from it. And we touch down right in the middle of a small camp, complete with sleeping bag, blanket, backpack,a couple of logs for sitting on, and a firepit right in the middle. A small stack of firewood sits next to the pit.

She points to the sleeping bag next to the fire pit. "You can sleep in that if you like. I'm going to get the fire started back up."

I take one look at the sleeping bag and feel a little weird. "You want me to sleep in your sleeping bag?"

She frowns at me slightly. "Is that a problem? Do you not like sleeping bags?"

I shake my head. "No…it's just…that's your place to sleep." It sounds silly, but I just don't feel comfortable taking away someone else's sleeping place. "And I don't sleep much anyway…"

"Well that's not good!" She finishes putting wood in the fire pit and strikes a flint hard, producing a spark in one try and lighting the dry wood easily. She gets up and brushes the dirt off her clothes. "If you don't sleep properly, you won't grow. No wonder you're so small." She walks over and picks me up like a little kid, before sliding me into the sleeping bag. "Alright, all tucked in. Now, are you hungry at all? I've got some food if you want it."

"No, I'm fi-" But my stomach growls in protest, and I remember that I haven't eaten since yesterday. "…yes please…"

She snickers a little and pulls some bread and a couple of apples out of her bag. "Here, this should make that tummy stop rumbling."

I take the food quietly and bite into it. _It's good…_ The food is a lot tastier than most of the food I usually eat. "Where did you get it…?"

She laughs again. "Well, I made the bread myself, and the apples are from my garden. I got a couple of apple trees a few years ago, and I recently moved them to my new house. It took a lot of effort though, it's hard to move fully grown trees."

 _So she has her own food…that's nice…_ I remember how I always used to beg for scraps when I was younger. And people stayed away from me, probably creeped out by my blood red eyes. "Miss Cia…why are you so nice to me?"

She blinks, seemingly confused. "Why am I so nice? Well, why wouldn't I be? There's no way that I could just ignore a hungry kid out in the middle of the forest, surrounded by a horde of vulcans. Call it nice if you want, but really, it's just how I am. When I was your age, I always had my big brother around to protect me. Now, it's my turn to do the protecting." She pats me on the head again with a smile plastered on her face. "And when you get bigger, it'll be your turn to protect someone too."

I take a few more bites of the food, before stopping again. "Why aren't you scared of me?"

"Scared of you?" Now she looks really confused. "Why would I be scared of you?"

I fiddle with the apple in my hands and turn it over, showing her the vibrant red of the skin. "People see my eyes…and they get scared."

"Your eyes…?" She sits down in front of me and looks me straight in the eyes, completely undaunted by their color. And in exchange, I get to see the depths of her eyes, which are almost as dark as the night itself. She smiles and rubs my cheek with her thumb. "I think you're eyes are really nice. They look like rubies from a pile of treasure."

I feel the heat rise to my face. _No one's ever said that before…not even Skiadrum._ "Thank…you…"

"Hm?" She looks at me quizzically. "You say something?"

I shake my head and bury my face in the sleeping bag. "No…"

There's a shuffling sound, and I feel a hand touching my head. "Alright, well I've got something to check on, so I'll be back in a little while. Half an hour, tops. I'll set a few enchantments around the camp to keep animals and people away. You'll be safe here."

I nod and huddle deeper in the sleeping bag, listening to her as she walks around in a circle, chanting spells in some language that sounds like a bunch of gibberish to me. But from where I'm peeking out of the sleeping bag, I can faintly see flashes of light as she sets the enchantments around the camp.

After a few minutes, she goes quiet, and I hear her walk away from the camp. I listen to her until she's too far away for me to hear anymore. _I wonder where she's going…? Maybe she didn't finish her job because she was too busy rescuing me…_

I try to fall asleep, but for some reason, I just can't calm down enough to close my eyes. _What's wrong with me? I've never had problems with sleeping alone before… Even if I don't sleep well, I'm never had any trouble with the idea of sleeping alone._ But for some reason, it becomes impossible to fall asleep with her gone.

Tossing and turning, I try to clear my mind and fall asleep. But I just can't, no matter how hard I try. So I lie awake, listening to the sounds of nature, stirring just outside the bounds of the enchantments.

* * *

When the half hour she promised is up, I hear footsteps striding through the grass towards the camp. _Must be her…smells like it. I guess she was right about how long it would take._

I turn over as she comes closer. "Oh, you're not asleep yet?" She sounds surprised, as though she actually expected me to be asleep by the time she got back. "Is there something wrong? Are you too cold? Or are you still hungry?"

I shake my head, moving the sleeping bag. "No…I just can't sleep."

"I see…that's not good." She sits down next to me and hums a little. "I wonder what it'll take to get you to sleep…"

 _If it were as simple as just thinking about a solution, I would have done it already…_ I haven't gotten a full night's sleep since Skiadrum died.

She rubs my back gently, soothingly. "Do you want me to sing you a song? It might help you get to sleep."

I think about it quietly for a minute. _I guess it's worth a try…I mean it can't exactly make things worse._ "Okay…" But I just can't look at her face, because I'm sure that mine is burning.

She quietly clears her throat, and her voice is almost like a whisper on the wind.

 _ **Hey Fairy, where are you going?**_  
 _ **I'm trying to assemble all this light.**_  
 _ **I'll shine it down and make tomorrow bright!**_

I poke my head out as I listen, enchanted by the sound of her voice. _She sings really well…_

 ** _Now do you hear the voices calling out your name?_**  
 ** _Because I lost my voice while doing the same._**  
 ** _I'll never quit until I feel your beating heart._**

 ** _The sun and moon have joined in celebration._**  
 ** _Have you forgotten their affiliation?_**  
 ** _When you're not here to share your laughter with me,_**  
 ** _I just can't find my inspiration!_**  
 ** _Now it's snowing, keep going, be honest, keep smiling cause we're approaching, the clock keeps on ticking, and it never stops!_**

 ** _Hey Fairy, where are you going?_**  
 ** _I'm trying to assemble all this light._**  
 ** _I'll shine it down and make tomorrow bright…!_**

 ** _Don't say goodbye…_**

The song ends on a higher note, before fading into the night. I sit up, staring at the fire instead of her. "…you have a nice voice…" Then I get a little embarrassed. "…who was the song for?"

She glances at me, then smiles. "My brother. The two of us made it up about a year ago. We thought it was funny at first. But now, I sing it whenever I'm away from home. It's…a song for family."

"Oh…" _So it's for her brother…_ "What does the song mean…?"

"What does it mean?" She seems surprised by the question. "Well…I guess it's something to make us feel better. To say that we're thinking about each other, even when we're not together. It's something to keep us inspired to do our best, and to support us when we're sad. It's saying that even if we're far apart, we'll see each other again soon."

"You miss him…huh?"

She nods slowly, but she smiles instead of looking sad. "I've been gone for three weeks this time, longer than any of my past jobs. Clearing poisonous newts out of an entire swamp takes a while, because I've been taking the eggs and relocating them as well. The problem is that the adults are impossible to move because they're very aggressive, and the slime on their skin is poisonous. So I had no choice but to destroy them. The newts are an invasive species, so they're not even native to this region. And they've been polluting the environment and attacking travelers. So something had to be done. That's why I had to leave for a bit. I as making sure that I didn't leave any eggs behind. I would have brought my brother with me, but knowing him, he would have destroyed the eggs as well, and that wasn't part of my plan."

"Oh…" It sounds like a hard job to me. _If she's been moving the eggs by hand while avoiding the giant newts, then she's probably been doing a lot of flying lately._ Guilt surges up inside me as I realize that I really caused her problems. "Sorry…if you hadn't rescued me, you wouldn't have had to go back and search the area again…"

She laughs lightly and pats me on the head. "It's fine. A few extra hours isn't going to make a difference at this point. I've been out here long enough that a little rescue at the end of a job is just a good way to end an unpleasant job. Now get to sleep, it's late."

I snuggle back into the big sleeping bag and try to go to sleep. But I end up tossing and turning again. "…I can't…"

"Hm… Can't sleep?" She touches the sleeping bag and peels it open. "In that case, maybe this will help." She slides into the sleeping bag with me and closes it back up. Her jacket and boots are gone, and I feel her cheek brush the top of my head. "If you're used to sleeping with a dragon, then maybe you just need a sleeping buddy."

My face nearly catches fire, and I try to hide it from her. "I'm not a baby, I don't need you to sleep with me."

"Baby, no. But you're still just a kid, and you're out in the middle of nowhere. It's normal to be scared. And even if you're not, you might still be too anxious to sleep." I see a hint of her smile as she wraps her arms around me. "Don't worry. I'll be here till morning. So sleep tight."

My heart pounds in my chest and my face flushes with embarrassment. _She's treating me like a little kid! But… she's warm…and she smells good._ And despite my pride stinging a little, I give in and snuggle closer to her. _I guess maybe it's not so bad…_

* * *

After a string of dreams about dragons, I open my eyes and see strands of pink hair in front of my face. It's light out, and as I shuffle slowly out of her grip, I can see her face a little. _Her skin is all tanned…she must spend a lot of time in the sun…_

Her eyes open slowly, and she smiles at me. "Looks like you're finally awake."

I suck in my breath. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up…"

She shakes her head. "I woke up a while ago. I just wanted to let you wake up before I started moving around. I figured that you're probably a light sleeper, so I wanted to let you sleep as long as possible."

After opening up the sleeping bag, she slips out and gets to her feet, putting her boots and jacket back on while I crawl out of the mass of fabric. "So…will you go home now?"

She nods slowly. "Yeah. My job is finished, so I'll just report in to the client, then head home to the guild." A smile crosses her face as she folds up the blanket and sleeping bag. "If you want, I can take you with me. I'm just going to Oak Town."

 _Oak Town?_ That's the town I was headed to before this whole mess started. "…Okay. I was headed there anyway…" I'd heard rumors of a dragon slayer there, and I wanted to check them out. Though I never expected to run into one on the way. _Maybe she's with the guild there… She might be the one I'm looking for._

She carries the pack in one hand and crouches down in front of me. "Come on. We'll get there in ten minutes if we fly."

For the second time, I climb onto her back, holding on tightly as she takes off into the sky. _I wonder how she got used to this… It's like she has no fear of falling out of the sky._

We fly over the marshes, and I can see some of the aftermath of a battle, probably hers. There are trees and rocks thrown everywhere, and more than a few pockets of pure carnage. But most of the marshes look untouched. _She must have worked really hard to make sure that she didn't completely destroy the place._

She chuckles a little. "Wondering what I did down there?"

I nod slightly. "Looks like you really tried to destroy the place."

Another laugh, and she picks up a little speed. "Well I am a dragon slayer. It would be weird if I didn't destroy at least a couple of things. And those newts were gigantic, at least four times my size! I'm actually amazed that there's still that much of the place still intact."

 _Ugh…I really wish I didn't understand her joke…_ While I often wish that I could say that I've never destroyed anything I wasn't supposed to, that would be lying. The landscape just ends up destroyed around me. Not as bad as the marshes, but enough to be visible.

A few minutes later, we land in the town, and Cia walks up to a building. "I'll be a couple of minutes inside. I need to report in and collect my money before I leave."

"Okay." I wait outside while she goes in to talk to her client. _So…where do I go now? If she's the dragon slayer that I'm looking for, then maybe I can find her guild if I follow her._ Getting some wizard work is my best chance at making some money. Because I really don't feel like living out in the middle of nowhere anymore.

A couple of minutes later, Cia comes back out with a smile. "Alright. I guess it's time for me to head home." She turns to me and crouches down in front of me. "I guess this is where we say goodbye Ryos. I've got to head home."

I fidget a little, before plucking up my courage. "Are you…a member of the guild here?"

She looks surprised. "You know about the guild here?"

I nod. "Yeah…I'd heard about a dragon slayer here…so I came to join."

A painful frown crosses her face for an instant. "Well, I'm not part of the guild here. My guild is a little further away from here." Pursing her lips, she closes her eyes. "Hm…" Then she reaches around to the back of her neck and pulls a delicate chain over her head, being careful not to catch it on her hair. She holds up a silver necklace, shaped like a dragon. "Well, if you want to join the guild here, then I wish you luck. And this charm should help you get there." She smiles and presses it into my hand. "Consider that my wish. From an older dragon slayer to you, I wish for you to grow up and become strong. Alright?"

I'm a bit shocked, but I just nod quietly. "Alright."

She pats me on the head and stands up straight, taking off her jacket and stuffing it into her pack, before sliding the straps over her shoulders. "Take care, Ryos. And I hope that we see each other again when you're a big and powerful wizard."

As she turns away, I notice a silver emblem on her left shoulder, but the sun is shining off it, making it hard to make out the proper shape of it. _What emblem is that…?_

But before I have the chance to ask, a couple of people come walking down the street. And they're not the quiet type. "Oh, is that a Fairy I see?"

Cia turns around, a glare blooming on her otherwise pretty face. "You have got to be kidding me…"

The two wander up, looking rather cocky. "Well, looky here. I've been wanting to pluck a couple of fairy wings and hang them on my wall."

At first, it looks like she's going to fight them, but she just shakes her head. "I'm not going to break the inter-guild treaty just to deal with you two. Try picking a fight with someone else, Phantoms."

Completely ignoring the two wizards, she turns away and spares me a single glance, before wind swirls violently around her, forming two gigantic wings, made of nearly transparent silver wind.

"How beautiful…" And old man pokes his head out of the building she came out of earlier. "A dragon slayer's wings…"

I stare in amazement as she takes off and flies away. _No…those aren't the wings of a dragon slayer. Those are the wings of a dragon. Who is she…?_ I rub the necklace between my fingers, they feel like they're burning from contact with her necklace. Turning it over in my hand, I find a set of runes on the back. Runes that I can read.

 _Roar with the heart of a dragon._

And that's precisely what's burning inside me right now.

 **For those of you who recognize the song lyrics (which should frankly be most of you), they're the translation of "Snow Fairy" by Funkist, done by Nathan Sharp. He's got a few youtube channels, and he does a lot of english covers for anime theme songs. I highly recommend giving him a listen. He's got several of the Fairy Tail theme songs on his channel. And if you look up his covers on I-Tunes, you might be able to find them there as well. I used them instead of the direct translation, since they seem more like the kind of words that a couple of teenagers would use, and the song was a good choice since I feel that it really embodies Fairy Tail. And because I really like listening to his singing…he's awesome.**

 **Also, I tried to keep Rogue in character, but I still wanted to make him just a little bit of a crybaby when he was little (teasing material for later). He's got this adorable soft side, but a typically quiet and kind of obstinate outside. Though I imagined it to be a little less before joining Sabertooth. Anyway…these two aren't going to see each other again for a long time, but it's going to make their dynamic a little rough at first. Personal history tends to do that after years of not seeing each other.**

 **But that's a tale for another time…**

 **Loke's arrival is up next. But it's going to take a little longer, since I've got mid-terms at the end of the week that I've got to study for. Anthropology, Geography, and English. So if anyone wants to make a suggestion for how Loke shows up at Fairy Tail, feel free.**


	15. Loke

**Alright, so here's the chapter I promised. It took longer than I thought it would, but since I'm done my mid-terms and I'm on spring break, I've actually got time now to be writing all of my fanfic chapters. Of course, it helps if I'm inspired to write, and it took listening to a lot of music in order to get inspired. And I've been working on several writing projects over the weekend, so it's been a little hectic. Plus, I've been trying to catch up on all of the sleep I've been missing studying and stressing out over exams and homework.**

 **Anyway, here's Loke's arrival! And a little bit of Gildarts leaving on his century quest.**

* * *

I netted four million jewel from that S-Class job, which is the biggest haul I've ever had. Especially considering that it only took me three weeks. That works out to over a million a week. And I've never made this much in a single month before. I mean, sure it was the lowest paying of the S-Class jobs, but it still pays a whole lot.

And with this kind of money, I might finally have saved up enough to get a house of my own. It doesn't have to be anything special, I don't need a whole lot of room. I just need a place separate from my brother's. Besides, I kind of like the idea of getting a small house, then adding on new parts as I need them. There are plenty of tradesmen and artisans in the city who would gladly renovate my house if I offered to pay them. They love all of the business they get from the wizards at the guild. If all of us weren't around, they would lose over half of their business. So that's probably why they tolerate it when some of our members tear up the town on a regular basis.

I also think that it would be nice to have a small library. I've got several magic books that I've acquired while out on jobs, some of them rather cheaply, since some antique book dealers can't read some of the languages that the books were written in, and don't know how to price the books. It's a little underhanded of me to get books that way, but it's not as though there are that many people who could read them. And rather than antique value, their real value is for the spells inside that only a few people can read. Because I've long since realized that my ability to learn ancient languages is not a common one. So whenever I come across a book that I know is a rare one, I make sure to take a look and see if I can get it for a good price.

But I think back to the kid that I met in the forest. He worries me a little. _Maybe I shouldn't have left him there in Oak Town… I could have brought him to Fairy Tail with me. I'm sure that Gramps would welcome another dragon slayer, especially a kid. I know that he wanted to join the guild in Oak Town…but that's Phantom Lord. I wonder if he'll be alright there…_

* * *

While I mull over that course of events, I nearly run right into a crowd of girls. _What's going on…?_ I peer through the crowd, and spot a person in the middle with bright orange hair. _Is that who they're crowding around?_

Since trying to see through a crowd isn't working very well, I float upwards into the air, and hover over the crowd, granting me a perfect view into their midst. They are all crowded around the guy with the orange hair. But I can't really figure out why. They're all just shouting and screaming and squealing like idiots.

I hover there for about a minute, before the guy spots me. He smiles a friendly smile at me. "Well now, aren't you a cutie? Why don't you come down here so we can get better acquainted?"

Since he asked, I float down into the circle. _He smells funny…_ Since this is a good chance to investigate, I take it. "Hi, my name is Ciara. What's yours?"

"Loke." He has a radiant smile, what Erza calls a playboy smile. Though I have no idea why or how she knows what one of those is. But no matter what it's called, it looks kind of fake to me. "So what's a cute girl like you doing here? I haven't seen you around, so you must not be local."

I nod slightly. "You're right. I live a couple of towns over. I'm just in this area for work."

"Work?" He looks me over carefully. "And what kind of work do you do, sweetheart? Let me guess, you're a model?"

Before I can answer, one of the girls starts pouting. "Loke…what happened to playing with us today? Why are you talking to a kid?"

I scoff and roll my eyes. "You know, this kid just so happens to be a wizard on her way home from a job. And if I'm a kid, then that makes you an old lady." Frankly, they all look like they're two to five years older than me, so they're in no position to be calling me a kid. Gramps and Gildarts are another story.

The girl huffs at me, but doesn't say anything back, probably because she's scared of what I could do to her if she were to make me angry. And I can get pretty damn scary when I'm angry.

Loke, on the other hand, just gets even more interested. "A wizard, huh? I'm a wizard too."

"I see…" I glance at his hands and notice the magic rings on his fingers. But something about him still smells kind of off. And I can sense more magic coming from him than I should if all he uses is ring magic. "Then what guild are you from?"

He shrugs. "I'm not in one yet. I was looking around to see if I could find a good one though, any recommendations?" His grin seems a little forced, though, and I can't help thinking that something seems very off about him. But, it's not my business, so it's not for me to pry into whatever it is that he's hiding.

So I drop my smile into a more serious expression, and lower my voice so that the entire crowd of girls dowsn't hear me. "I won't ask what kind of pain you're trying to hide with that fake smile of yours. But if you need a place to go, then you're welcome to come to my guild with me. I'm a member of Fairy Tail." I brush my hair back over my shoulder and show him my guild mark. "I'm actually one of their S-Class, and I'm heading back to Magnolia to report in and relax before heading out on another job."

His eyes go wide and he seems to forget about the girls for a minute. "Fairy Tail…huh? I've heard of that guild. Aren't Erza, Mirajane, and Laxus members?"

I nod slowly. "They're other S-Class wizards, like me, though they've been S-Class longer than I have. I have some respect for them, Erza more than the others."

The look of awe on his face is apparent. "Huh…then maybe I could ask if I could join."

I turn towards the train station and wave my hand. "Well, if you want to join, then come on. You can travel there with me. But you'll have to ditch the girls."

While there's a chance that he might not take my invitation, I don't stop to wait for him. If he wants to join, then following me is his best chance. And if he would rather play with the girls, then I'm definitely not waiting for him to finish.

But less than thirty seconds later, he jogs up to me and starts walking beside me. "So how do I join Fairy Tail?"

I shrug. "Seems like most of us either just show up at the guild by accident and end up joining, or a member finds us and brings us to the guild. But again, most members end up joining by coincidence. Right place, right time and all that."

"Oh…" His smile gets a little wider. "Then I guess it's lucky for me that you were passing through this town on your way home, then."

Nodding slowly, I lead him up the steps to the train station. "Lucky for you that I was here to buy a book from one of the antique stores. That's the only reason that I got off the train from Oak Town. Looks like I picked up a lot more than just a book here, huh?"

Loke snickers beside me. "You could definitely use that as a pick-up line."

"Yeah right…" I roll my eyes as we head to the platform. "Although I should warn you now, if you hit on Mira or Erza, they'll kill you."

"Consider me warned."

* * *

After getting off the train in Magnolia, I walk down the main street with Loke, and his eyes are flashing back and forth from one side to the other, taking in the sight of all the shops around here.

A quiet laugh escapes me. "You've never been to Magnolia before, have you?"

"No, I haven't." He almost looks like he's trying to eat up the scenery with his eyes. "But I've heard about this place. Apparently you guys have a hell of a festival here every year."

"Yeah, the Fantasia Parade." My excitement starts to rise a little. But I can't help it, it's our biggest event of the year. "I haven't gotten to be in it yet, but from the sounds of it, Gramps is going to let me participate in it next year. The guild puts it on every year, and it brings people in from all over the country. It's really good for the businesses in the city, and it's a whole lot of fun too."

"Hm…maybe I'll get a chance to participate." Loke grins eagerly, but it still looks to me like he's trying to force himself to be happy. It's like there's something haunting him.

But as the two of us head towards the guild, a familiar figure comes walking down the street towards us. And in my excitement, I forget all about Loke and plow into the older man's arms. "Gildarts!"

Gildarts returns my hug and lifts me high into the air. "Well now, looks like you've grown, haven't you, Ciara?"

I grin at him happily. "Sure have! Oh! And guess what happened!"

He screws his face up, pretending to concentrate. "Let's see… Did you pass this year's S-Class exam?"

I give him a thumbs up and laugh. "I sure did! Oh, and I just got back from my first S-Class job too! It was awesome!"

"Oh…sounds like you're doing a good job then." He puts me down and pats me on the head. "So, who's this?"

I notice that he's looking behind me, and I suddenly remember why I'm walking to the guild in the first place. "Oh yeah, this is Loke. He's here to join Fairy Tail."

"That so…?" Gildarts peers at him, frowning a little, before grinning at him. "Well then, it's nice to meet you. I'm Gildarts, an S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail."

Suddenly, Loke gets all respectful. "Uh..it's nice to meet you, sir." Obviously, he's a little intimidated by Gildarts. I don't blame him, since Gildarts can be an intimidating person when he's not smiling.

But instead of being mean to Loke, he just pats the boy in the head. "Well, I hope that you like Fairy Tail."

I pout a little at the lack of attention, before noticing Gidarts' traveling bag. "Hey, where are you going, anyway?"

He grins at me and waves as he starts walking away. "Off on a job! See you when I get back!"

And with that cryptic farewell he disappears from sight as he leaves the city. So, the two of us continue down the road to the guild, and I push the doors open so that we can walk right in, though Loke stays half-hidden behind me. I quickly wave to Gramps over at the bar. "Hey Gramps! I brought something back from a couple towns over!"

"Did you now…?" Gramps looks over curiously, since it's not every day that one of us drags in a new recruit.

"Come on. No one is going to bite you." I give Loke a firm tug, and pull him inside the guild so that Gramps can have a look at him.

He rubs the back of his head nervously. "Uh…hi."

Gramps raises an eyebrow, as though he recognizes Loke or something. But the look fades quickly. "Well now…so you've brought us a new member, have you?"

I nod with a smile. "Yeah. Oh, and I finished up that job. The client was really happy about it. And I saved a kid on the way back too."

"I see…good." Gramps nods approvingly. "By the way, Ciara, Natsu has been looking for you."

"Yeah…" I expected that much. I disappeared to go on a job for three weeks without telling him. There's no way he wouldn't be pissed about that. Especially seeing as it was an S-Class job, and he's been pretty adamant about not letting me go on such a hard job all by myself. Well, the joke's on him, because I managed it all by myself, and managed to rescue a kid at the same time. I'd say that it was a job well done.

But Natsu won't see it that way. He'll tell me that I was stupid to go on the job all by myself, and then he'll complain about me not telling him and letting him come with me.

First things first, I drag Loke over to the bar, since he seems to be getting a little shy. It's weird, since with those girls earlier, he wasn't shy at all. _Guys are so weird…_

Once we're over at the bar, I grin at Loke while Gramps rummages around for the guild stamp. "So, you really wanna be a member?" I gesture around to the room. "We're a bit of a rowdy bunch."

But that warning just makes him smile. "Rowdy is fine…" Then his smile suddenly brightens. "Actually, rowdy kind of sounds like fun."

"Well, then if you're looking for fun, you're definitely in the right place." Gramps chuckles and hols up the stamp. "So, young man. You want to join Fairy Tail?"

Loke looks around again and nods. "Yeah. I want to join Fairy Tail."

As Gramps and Loke discuss where he wants the guild mark to be, as well as what color he prefers, I watch the orange haired wizard proudly. Well, looks like I've brought in one new member. That ties me up with Natsu. After he brought in Happy, I was feeling a little put out that he added a new member to the family without much help from me.

Now, I've got a recruit to watch over and help to find their feet. _So long as he doesn't hit on me, that is…_

But as I watch Loke getting the green guild mark on his back, all does not remain quiet and peaceful. The front doors burst open, and I definitely recognize the voice. "We're back!"

I groan silently and look over towards the doors. And just as I spot him, he spots me as well. _Oh crap..._

And just as expected, Natsu storms over to me, his happy and excited expression quickly turning into a ghastly frown. "Ciara! Where the hell have you been!? You disappeared for almost a month!"

I sigh and look away from him. "I was on a job, what else?"

"For three weeks!?"

I turn on Natsu and get right up in his face. "Yes, for three weeks. It was an S-Class job!"

And just like I expect, his frown turns right into a pout. "And S-Class job!? Why didn't you take me with you!?"

I hold my head in my hands and try to contain my exasperation. "Because I knew that if I brought you along, you would mess it up. I was dealing with giant poisonous newts in a marsh, and I was trying to relocate their eggs. Knowing you, instead of moving the eggs, you would have ended up smashing them instead."

But that explanation far from placates my brother. "I could have helped! Besides, I could have fought those giant lizards while you moved the eggs! What if you got hurt!?"

"Natsu!" I get up from my seat, my temper lost. "I'm not a helpless kid anymore! I'm an S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail! No matter how much you think of me as your cute little sister, you've got to realize that I can take care of myself!"

"But-!"

"No buts, Natsu!" I growl at him and poke him right between the eyes. "You should be happy for me! I'm finally strong enough to do things on my own, this last job proved that! So please, just..." I almost loose my train of thought for a second. "Can't you please just be happy for me?"

Everyone in the guild hall is staring at us, including our newest member, Loke. Natsu just looks a bit bewildered now. "Ciara..." He gulps and looks down. "Sure, I'm happy that you made S-Class, and that you're not getting sick anymore, but you're still my little sister. I just get worried about you."

His honest feelings calm me down a little, but there's still one thing I have left to say.

"Natsu...I'm moving out."

* * *

 **Sorry about ending on a bit of a sour note, but I wanted to get to the part where Ciara finally decides to move out and get a place of her own. You know, getting her independence and all that.**

 **Alright, so the only chapters I've really got left for this part of the story are about Ciara setting up her new house, matchmaking, a big argument in the middle of the guild hall between Natsu, Ciara, and Gray, and… Lisanna biting it (not looking forward to that chapter). If there's anything in the flashback sections that I'm forgetting about that can fit into the three year period while Gildarts is gone, I'm all ears. If not, then I'll just get back to writing the evil little chapter where I sort of hook up Ciara and Gray for a short stint.**

 **If you ship Gray and Juvia, don't worry. Gray and Ciara is more of a gag than anything else, because I want to see Natsu play the overprotective big brother. Besides, it'll be funny as hell. Promise.**


	16. Independance Comes With a New House

**I feel like I've had the two of them arguing too much lately, despite the fact that siblings do that. So, let's see what happens when Ciara DOES move out, and Natsu helps her to pick out a house. Minus all the wanton destruction that he's so well known for. It's a bit shorter than I'd like, so forgive me.**

 **Now, time for a little of that sweetness that he's known for. Because cute Natsu is the best Natsu. You know, apart from badass Natsu. But he can go from one to the other in like half a second, so let's see some cute instead. Once we get past some of Natsu's annoying whining.**

 **Also, important notes at the bottom.**

* * *

I groan a little as I look at another of the houses for sale in the city. It's a nice place, just like the last few houses, but it's hard to give any of them some serious consideration when my annoying older brother is following me around constantly.

"Ciara, I'm sorry! Please don't move out!" His plea has been the exact same for the last week. He's managed to annoy everyone at the guild so much that I can't even go there until this is resolved, since I have to spare everyone his whining. He won't even go on a job until this is over, because he's scared that I'll move out while he's out of town. And right now, he looks exactly like a kicked puppy instead of a raging dragon. And I haven't even kicked him yet. Yet.

Not that it matter, since he's not stopping me, no matter how hard he tries, and no matter how many times he shoots me the puppy eyes. "Natsu, for the last time, I've been thinking about this for a while, it's not something sudden. I've finally got enough money saved up for it, so I really just want to get a house of my own." _I want some independence, dammit! Is that really so hard to understand?_

"If it's because our house is too dirty, I promise that I'll clean it up!" He really doesn't want me to leave. But he's such a numbskull, it's not as though I'm leaving the city, or heavens forbid, leaving the guild. I just want my own damn house. Is that so wrong?

Happy flies over and plops down on my head. "I don't see what the problem is. Isn't it okay for her to want her own house? I mean, sharing a room with a boy is a little weird, isn't it? I mean, it's okay for you two, since you're twins, but it's not that weird that she'd want her own house." Leave it to Happy to come to all of the wrong conclusions.

I shake the silly blue cat off my head and turn around to give my brother a hug. "Natsu, I'm not moving because I hate you, I promise. I just want to have a house to myself where I can decorate it however I want, shove books wherever I like, and have as much peace and quiet away from people as I need when I'm studying ancient magic. Okay? Our little house is getting a bit cramped for the three of us, so it's better to do this now while I've got money saved up."

Natsu pouts, but he doesn't look quite so sad now. "Okay…" Then he perks up a little. "But it's going to be near the guild, right? You aren't going to move far away, right?"

I sigh. "Of course I'm not moving far. I was planning on finding something near the guild hall. It's not like I'm looking for a house outside the city. Now…" And here we come to the only reason I've even allowed Natsu to stick around. "Are you going to help me pick a house or not? Because if you're not, the leave me alone so that I can concentrate on finding a house that's within my budget, close to the guild, and the right size for me. Okay?"

Finally, his signature bright grin spreads across that silly face of his. "Okay! I'll help you find the best house ever!"

"Just make sure that you don't destroy anything, especially one of the houses. I don't want you burning down what might end up being my dream house." _Jeez, he goes from upset to excited in a split second..._ I'm pretty used to his almost bi-polar antics, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. All I get is a little bot of advance warning.

"Fine…" He sounds a little put out, but if that's what it takes to put his fire out before he starts something, then I'm perfectly fine with bursting his bubble. It's not as though I haven't done it before.

The three of us walk around town, looking for any place that's for sale. And while there are plenty of them, most of them are too big, too expensive, or too far away from the guild for my liking.

* * *

A few hours later, with most of the options in the city exhausted, we finally get over to street right next to the lakefront, off to the west of the guild hall. The houses here are small, but they've got decently sized yards, and they're all pretty close to the guild. Even without magic, I could probably sprint to the guild in less than a minute from one of these houses.

And luckily, one of them has a For Sale sign in the front yard. It's a quaint little place, painted light blue, with a couple of trees in the yard and an elbow-high fence around it. It looks like the perfect place for me. Except that the house has a man outside looking dejected while taking down the sign advertising it as for sale. Has it already been sold…? Might as well take a look anyway…

I approach the house and call out to him. "Hey! Is this house sold yet?"

He glances at me and shakes his head. "No. I'm afraid that no one will take it because it's old and fragile. And it's so close to Fairy Tail that it might get destroyed."

I cringe at the thought of someone accidentally destroying the houses in this area, but I have to smile at the opportunity that this presents. "Well, how much are you asking for it?"

"Four and a half million jewel. It's a modest price, and I hope that it will help me to open up a shop near my new apartment." He starts to head back inside. "But it's no use, no one will buy it."

I jump over the fence and grab him by the arm. "Wait! I'll take it! I've got the money with me right now, and I'll totally take this place off your hands." I would be an idiot not to jump on the opportunity in front of me, and I'm definitely no idiot.

He looks at me hopefully. "Really?"

"Of course." I grin and show him my guild mark. "I've been looking for something this close to the guild and within my price range. So this place is perfect. Besides, I wasn't looking for a big house, just something big enough for me that I can add on to later."

The dejected expression on his face vanishes, replaces by a wide smile. "Oh thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He drops the sign and shakes my hand. "Would you like a tour of the inside!? I promise that it's very clean, and much more spacious than it looks!" It almost sounds like he's trying to sell it to me even though I've pretty much already decided that it's the house I want. The man skips inside the house giddily, with me at his heels. And as soon as he lets the three of us inside, I know that this place is perfect.

"This house has a kitchen and study on the first floor, and two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor." The man claps his hands eagerly. "The windows are all good quality glass, and open both ways for optimal air circulation. And the height of the house promotes the warming of the top floor, while cooling the bottom."

He's not kidding. The inside of this place is easily twenty feet high. The angled roof conceals the malleability of the house. If I were to replace the roof with a flat one, I could add a third story to this place easily.

I take a look over in the kitchen, and it's quite spacious, though not very well equipped. But I can outfit it better once the shops start to stock the latest in home renovation equipment. They start doing that in about March, which is only a few months away. It should also give me a good chance to make some more money before my huge shopping spree.

Walking into what looks like the study, I can already see it as my new library. All it needs are bookshelves along all of the walls, and it'll be perfect. And if I knock out the ceiling of the study, then I can put in twice as many shelves. Height is no problem when you can fly.

Natsu snickers as we head upstairs. "You're really excited, you know! I can see everything going through your head!"

I blush bright pink and resist the urge to whack Natsu on the head. "Hey! I'm trying to focus on making a purchase here!"

The man rubs his hands together eagerly. "Would you like to see the upstairs?"

I shake my head and reach into my bag. "No, I'm sure that it's as well kept as the first floor." I start counting money from the stack in my bag. "You said four and a half million, right?" I flick through until I come to nearly the end of the pile. I brought five million jewel with me, so this will leave me with five hundred thousand after the purchase. "I have the money here, if you would like it all at once."

His jaw drops as he stares at the pile. "You have all of the money with you now? But how?"

I laugh and smile. "Well, I got back from a job a few days ago, and I was paid four million jewel for completing it. And I've got a million more in savings from the other jobs I've been taking in the past year. So it's pure luck that I happened to have it all on hand today."

He quietly takes the stack of money from me and gives me a short bow. "In that case, the house is now yours. I have long since moved everything I own to my new apartment. Consider anything remaining in this house yours." He presses a roll of paper into my hands. "Here is the deed."

I roll open the paper, and it looks as official as the one that Natsu got when we bought the other house. And from the smell of it, the deed has been in this man's possession for a long time, it's got no other smells on it. And I'm one to trust my nose.

With a satisfied smile, I turn to the man. "Then I suppose this transaction is complete."

He bows again and scurries out of the house, a bright smile on his face that wasn't there earlier. Looks like we both got something we wanted today…

Natsu spins around and laughs. "Well, looks like you got the house you wanted!" But his grin softens and relaxes a little. "I guess my little sister really is growing up…"

Rolling my eyes, I wrap my arms around him and rest my forehead against his. "I'll always be your little sister, that's never going to change. But I couldn't stay little forever, right?"

Identical onyx eyes stare back at me, happiness and a little sadness glittering in them. "Yeah…I know." He pats me on the head and his grin returns. "Now, let's look around some more! We need to figure out what stuff we need to move over here, right?"

"Right!" I'd left all of my stuff at his house while searching for a place for me, so it's about time to figure out how much stuff I need right now, and how much stuff can wait. Neither of us really wants to do a whole lot of heavy lifting today, so today, it's just the necessities.

But as the two of us head upstairs, Natsu starts whining again. "So are you gonna take me on your next S-Class job?"

And we're back to this again… "I'll think about it!" He probably thinks that I'm going to ditch him again and run off on another hard job. And to be honest, it's tempting.

As we take another look in the kitchen, Natsu pokes around the small oven. "Are you going to invite us over for dinner? You know that I don't cook!"

I groan at my brother's inability to cook anything that doesn't require an open fire. "Fine… But if you start coming over every day, I'm going to tell Erza." She's one of the only people that can scare Natsu into behaving. And sometimes, I just don't have the heart to torture my poor brother.

Though the one time that Natsu tried to cook inside the house, he ended up nearly burning it to the ground. That's the day that I decided that I would be the one doing all of the cooking. And I spent weeks getting Elfman to teach me how to cook, I even went to Mira for help, and it took a lot of convincing there to get her to teach me anything. But that incident is also why Natsu goes to the guild for food whenever I'm out of town. Seriously, he's completely hopeless whenever it doesn't involve flame-grilling the food. And even then…he's dangerous.

* * *

Two hours later, the three of us have moved everything that I need from Natsu's house to my new place. My hammock can go upstairs in the bedroom until I can get a real bed. All of my cooking stuff goes straight up into the cupboards, thank to Happy. And Natsu manages to get my clothes into my room without accidentally charring anything. And I can get my closet organized without too much hassle.

The only problem is that I'm a little nervous about sleeping in a new place. It's the same problem that I had when we first came to Fairy Tail. I had trouble sleeping in a brand new place with nothing familiar around.

Natsu surprises me by draping an arm over my shoulder. "Alright! To celebrate you getting your own house, tonight is going to be a sleepover!"

At first, I want to act like a big girl and protest, until I remember that Natsu can read every emotion coursing through me. He must have sensed how nervous I am… That's why he's doing this. Forgetting our mental link is something that I have a bad habit of doing at the most inconvenient times.

Natsu swings himself up into the hammock and sits down. "Come on, it'll be fine." He stretches out his hand, offering it to me.

"I dunno…" I'm still a little unsure about this. I know that the hammock is strong, but to hold both of us seems a little optimistic. We're not little kids anymore, we could get away with one hammock then, but I'm not sure about now.

But Natsu won't take no for an answer. "Come on!" He grabs my arm and pulls me up into the hammock with one hand. "See, it'll support our weight."

His optimism is contagious, and I settle down a little. "Looks like it will…" It creaks a little, but the bolts hold steady, and the hammock bounces up and down lightly. _I just hope this doesn't break in the middle of the night..._

It's a little cramped, lying together in the same hammock, especially with Happy climbing in as well. But it reminds me of when we were little, and that's not a bad thing. Natsu is as warm as ever, and he still smells so much like Igneel. Even though we haven't seen that old dragon in years, Natsu still smells like Dad. It's all that I think about as I close my eyes after a tiring day.

 _I wonder why…?_

* * *

 ** _For those who are up to date with the manga or anime, I hope you saw what I did there (hehehe). If not, then just enjoy it for the sweetness._**

 ** _Also...I'm trying to figure out a situation that gets Natsu the nickname Salamander in the first place. Yes, I know that it's because of his magic, but I'm trying to think up something that gets someone to actually call him that, so it can catch on later._**

 ** _Last up, I'm planning an interview chapter, where Jason from Sorcerer Weekly shows up out of the blue and catches Natsu and Ciara during a break between jobs. Natsu is going to love the interview, Ciara is going to think it's a hassle. So if anyone wants to suggest questions that Jason can ask them, go ahead and post them._**


	17. Natsu and the Salamander

**This took forever to write, but considering how badly I do with battle scenes, I think this one turned out all right. Warning, long chapter ahead.**

* * *

January - X782

It's been a couple of months since the last time I went on a job. After that S-Class job, I needed a break. And it worked out well enough, since it gave me time to start furnishing my house, and spend my free time studying some of the old magic books I've collected.

Which means that as soon as I walk into the guild, Natsu pops up right in front of me with a grin on his face. "Hey! I found an awesome job! You coming?"

I raise an eyebrow, since I've never seen him this excited before. "What's the job?"

He shoves the flyer in my face, making it impossible for me to actually read the thing. "There's a fire-breathing lizard out east that's causing trouble for a village. And apparently, it's huge!"

The lizard isn't the only thing that's huge. His voice is way too loud. I back up a little and get a good look at the eight hundred thousand jewel reward, a pretty hefty sum considering that he found it on the downstairs board. "Okay…so why exactly are you extra excited?" _Though extra excited is probably putting it lightly._

He lowers the flyer, pouting at me. "It's a lizard that breathes fire! It might be a lead to Igneel!"

Now I understand his enthusiasm. I temper my own enthusiasm, since if it were Igneel, he probably wouldn't be running around wreaking havoc, and the description would probably be of a dragon, instead of just a fire-breathing lizard.

But, on the other hand, it wouldn't hurt to take a look. Worst case scenario, we defeat the lizard and collect the pay. Best case scenario, we do get a lead on Igneel. It's a win either way. "Okay, so when do we leave?"

"Right now!" Natsu holds up my pack, which I'd noticed earlier had gone missing from my room. "Come on! If we hurry, we can get there by this afternoon!"

With his enthusiasm getting the better of him, I realize that he's left out an important detail. "So, how are we getting there?"

His expression goes from ecstatic to horrified in half a second. "Uh…" He swallows nervously. "Can we walk there?"

I snort with laughter and shake my head. "Are you serious? Are you planning to walk to all of your jobs?" I know very well that Natsu has an incurable case of motion sickness, but sometimes I wonder if maybe his paranoia is making it worse than it actually is.

* * *

Well, paranoia aside, as soon as we're on the train, Natsu has his head in his hands, and looks like he's going to puke all over the place. And that's not a mess that I'm looking forward to.

The waves of nausea coming from him almost make me sick as well. Well, mostly because I just can't handle seeing other people puke. I have a strong stomach when it comes to gross things, dead things, and weird smells. But as soon as it comes to gross food, or someone puking, I just can't handle it. I found that out the first time that Natsu puked all over the floor of the train during our fourth job together.

"Natsu, why don't you go to sleep? You'll feel better if you do." It really hurts to see him like this. Plus it's gross and creepy.

"I'm…fine…promise…" He can't even string half a sentence together in his condition. Fortunately, I speak Nauseous Natsu. And there is no way that this idiot is fine.

I sigh and shake my head. "Natsu, no matter what you try to say, you're not fine. You really need to go to sleep. This trip will be much less painful for you if you just take my advice and sleep through it."

Thankfully, Happy takes my side in this pitiful, rather one-sided argument. "Natsu, Ciara's right! If you don't sleep, then you're going to puke all over the place again. Remember what happened last time?"

Frankly, I don't want to know what happened last time, since it can't possibly be good. These two get into all sorts of trouble as soon as I take my eyes off of them, and whenever they go off on jobs without me. I do appreciate Happy making the point and backing me up, no matter how gross a point it is. Natsu would never listen to one of us alone, proven by his tendency to charge ahead and not do as he's told. But being told by both of us, well, he might be inclined to listen at least.

He glances at me wearily. "Fine…" And without another word of protest, he plops down across his chair and turns over a few times, eventually calming down enough to finally fall asleep.

Happy snuggles up in my lap for the long ride, and I make myself content with gazing out the window. _Hm… I wonder if there's any magic I could learn to make these trips easier on Natsu…? Maybe doing that would make them easier on me as well._

Though the trip gets no easier when we have to switch from riding a train to riding in a cart. The village is so out in the middle of nowhere that it would take forever to walk there. And Happy isn't strong enough to fly that far yet.

* * *

Finally arriving in the village is by far the best part of the trip, because as soon as we're on solid, unmoving ground, Natsu's energy is revived. "Woohoo! We're here!"

"Yeah, yeah, now let's find the client. The sooner we find this lizard, the sooner we can find out whether or not it has some connection to Igneel." I know that playing this card is a bit of a low blow, but mentioning Igneel is the surest way to get Natsu to focus on the task at hand. "Yeah!" And without any warning, or any sense of direction, Natsu starts running away, heading for who knows where.

I glance at Happy and sigh. "Looks like he's off to find trouble again."

"Aye…" I'm not sure if it's because of me, but Happy has managed to grow up without catching Natsu's contagious enthusiasm. Though he's got a pretty cynical approach to things for a magic flying cat who's not even four years old yet.

So the two of us follow along behind him, and I'm hoping the whole way that we'll manage to find the client before the sun goes down. Because if this lizard really does breath fire, then the chances of us being able to find it during the night are higher.

"Wait there!" A voice calls out behind me, and I spin around quickly, immediately on my guard. Natsu hears it to and stops in his tracks, looking back at the source of the voice.

But what we see is an elderly man with a cane and a cape of animal fur over some traditional looking robes. He looks like a local to me, but I need to be sure. "And you are?"

The old man hobbles towards us slowly. "I am Tibun, the village chief. Are the two of you the wizards who came to help us?"

I relax a bit. "We are. The three of us are from Fairy Tail. I'm Ciara, and these two are my brother, Natsu, and our flying cat, Happy."

Happy waves to the chief, who nods in return. "My apologies, the three of you. You have come to slay the salamander?"

Natsu obviously doesn't like the idea of slaying it right off the bat. "Hey, it might be Igneel!"

I shoot Natsu a stern look. "Natsu, that's enough. We investigate first. If it is Igneel, then the problem is solved right there, we can just ask him to stop rampaging. If it isn't Igneel, then we'll deal with it. Right?"

His eyes widen a little, then they narrow slightly. "Yeah. But we gotta make sure that it isn't Igneel if we're gonna fight it."

"Igneel?" The chief looks bewildered. "Are the two of you searching for a pet salamander?"

That has got to be the oddest question I have ever been asked. "Uh…no. We're looking for a talking fire dragon named Igneel. Natsu saw this request on the board and thought that it might be a good idea to check this place out. If the creature causing trouble here isn't the one we're looking for, then we'll deal with it when the time comes."

"A fire dragon?" He looks even more bewildered now. "What could the two of you possibly want with a dragon?"

I glance at Natsu, who grins spectacularly. "We're looking for our dad, Igneel! We're dragon slayers!"

"Your father is a dragon…?" It seems incomprehensible to him, but that's fine. I'm used to getting weird looks over the fact that Natsu and I were raised by a dragon. It's a pretty weird story even by Fairy Tail standards.

"Anyway…is there anything that you can tell us about this salamander before we go out to find it?" Its best to get down to business before Natsu can start something.

"Yes…" The chief's worried expression is what worried me. "The salamander has lived in marsh for decades, and not once has it come to the village before. But about a month ago, it started venturing out of the marsh and rampaging through the surrounding areas. It's already burned down a dozen buildings, and we've had to move families from the edges of the villages towards the center. They've had to abandon their homes for fear of being turned to ash by the anger of the salamander."

"Hmmm…" _That definitely doesn't sound like Igneel. He likes humans too much to be going around and destroying their homes and putting their lives in danger. Then again, this really didn't sound like Igneel's style from the start. And you'd think that they would be able to tell the difference between a salamander and a dragon. If it really was a dragon, they'd have said so on the flyer, and it would be in the S-Class section._

 _You're right about that_. While I'm feeling a little apprehensive about this, Natsu's excitement continues to rise. He turns to the chief confidently. "Don't worry! We'll take care of this salamander for you!"

 _Great…_ With Natsu acting all confidant and his tone promising that we'll get the job done, that leaves us with no choice but to see this thing through. _Well, time to get to work._

* * *

But just when all seems quiet, a huge blast of fire comes out of nowhere, erupting on the other side of the village. The chief's eyes widen in fear. "It's returned? But it's only been a day! It's too soon!"

 _Great, another unexpected surprise._ "Where in the village is it right now?" Finding out what's going on and where the beast is rampaging is crucial to dealing with it.

"Th-the marketplace."

Natsu and I lock eyes for only a second, and it's all we need to come up with a plan. One that he might actually follow for once.

I jump into the air, landing on one of the rooftops. From there, I can get a good look at this fiery lizard that we've been called here about. There's a lot of fire, so it's hard to see anything through it, and blowing the fire away would just set the entire market on fire, which is something I would really rather avoid. So I peer through the flames, and see a large, writhing shape deep in the heart of the fire.

But Natsu is on the ground, and with his immunity to fire, he can get in nice and close to the thing. "So! You wanna play with fire!?"

 _Natsu…be careful…_ It seems to me like he's trying to egg the thing on. And a flaming lizard is bad enough. The one thing we need to avoid doing is making it an angry flaming lizard. If Igneel is any indication, raging just makes the fire worse. A fiery rampage is the last thing we need on our hands.

 _Natsu! Try sucking up the fire! I can't get a good look at it with all of the flames around it!_

 _Got it!_ And Natsu, with his insatiable appetite for flames, starts sucking up the fire that this giant lizard is spewing all over the place.

 _Jeez…and I thought that those poisonous newts were bad. This is ten times worse! Why did this thing have to wander into the village? What's so great about small villages anyway?_

But this is neither the time nor the place to be worrying about why a giant salamander would wander straight into the middle of the village. All we need to do now is take this sucker down. Enough of the fire around it disappears that I can finally get a good look at it. And it's terrifying.

Twenty-five feet long, colored red and black like some kind of lizard from the depths of hell, with glowing yellow eyes, and an expression of bestial ferocity. But it's wingless, and its legs are thin and spindly. It's hard to see how this lizard can even hold up its own body weight, which must be at least a couple of tons. In short, this creature is nothing like a dragon.

It snorts unhappily and turns around, running off down the street much more quickly than I thought it could even move. _Damn it! That's one fast lizard!_

 _You chase it through the air, I'll chase it from the ground. Kay!?_

 _Yeah, I got it!_ Once in a while, Natsu will make a good suggestion like this. Though usually it falls to me to come up with a plan.

Not that Natsu ever actually follows a plan.

As I run along the rooftops, following the giant lizard, I shoot off blasts of wind, keeping it going in the right direction, and keeping it away from the sides of the street. Dealing with burning buildings will take away from our ability to fight this thing, and that's not something we can afford here. This situation is more than dangerous enough to result in casualties if we handle it badly.

 _Natsu! We need to drive it out of the village, now!_

 _Working on it!_ He races up behind the salamander and delivers a vicious kick to its scaly butt. "Fire Dragon's Talon!"

That sure pisses the thing off, thankfully, the attack scared it enough to send it almost sprinting out of the village. Which means that our mission is changing from driving it off to pursuing it. And pursuit is something that we're quite well-equipped for.

Happy zooms down and grabs Natsu by the shirt, lifting him into the air to join me in chasing down the salamander. "I've got a minute on my transformation guys!"

"Good, that should be enough time to get us in close!" I swoop down beside them, giving them a good current to ride. "Once we have it in the marsh, we can go all out! Ready Natsu!"

"Of course I am!" Natsu grins as his hands light up with flames. "Let's kick this lizard's ass!"

The red and black mountain of flames disappears into the marsh, which I've only just noticed is burning in places, and giving off a vile smell. "Oh man, what is that smell?"

"Wasn't me!" Natsu throws up his hands with a grin. But when I don't respond to his joke, he looks down into the marsh. "Smells like burning mud, and fireworks."

 _Burning mud and fireworks?_ I stare down at the marsh and a horrible thought occurs to me. "What if it's a peat bog?"

"A what?"

Leave it to Natsu to not know what a peat bog is. "It's kind of like a swamp, except that it's got a bunch of stuff buried in it that can catch fire really easy. It would explain why a giant salamander would make its home here. It probably likes the noxious fumes."

"You mean it likes the smell?" Natsu holds his nose as we get closer, finally getting a nose full of the putrid smell. "Why would anything want to live in a place that smells like this?"

"Let's find out." I leave my brother hanging and fly down towards the foul-smelling bog. _I'm really starting to hate swamps…_

But there's no time to waste, and if we're going to take down this salamander, then were going to need to be careful not to set the entire place on fire. If I'm right and there's peat in the ground, then one wrong fireball, and the whole place is going to go up in flames. And the smell is going to be worse than Natsu going without having a bath for three months.

I land in the trees above the muddy ground, and the smell is just getting worse. Natsu and Happy join me in the trees, and its a good thing too, because Happy's transformation time is up, and he'll need some time to recharge his magic before getting those wings of his out again.

"So, where do you think it went?" I look around for the salamander, but the strong smell of the bog is interfering with my tracking.

Natsu looks around as well. "Well, there's one way of smoking it out." He breathes in deeply and spits out a glowing hunk of molten saliva. How he manages to make that stuff is a mystery to me, but I always make sure to duck anyway. I don't want that getting in my hair. Or anywhere else near me for that matter.

The molten glob bounces across the ground. Yes, bounces. Natsu shot a ball of flaming, bouncing spit down there. And it's lighting little fires all along the ground.

 _Oh yeah…there's definitely peat down there._

While that complicates things a little, all it really means is that I'm going to be on clean up again. So it's time to get this party started. I take a deep breath and exhale sharply, blowing a gust of wind down at the fires, and coaxing the flames higher.

The flames rise higher and higher, adding to the already stifling heat and terrible smell. I cover my nose and try not to gag. _Ugh, I've never smelled anything this bad before._

Then, just when it looks like this salamander is going to be too stubborn to lure out of hiding, a huge burst of fire rockets through the bog, and the scaly red lizard appears in front of us.

Natsu, the idiot, starts eating up all of the fire immediately, quickly putting out the fire. Then he starts gagging. "Ugh…worst flames ever…"

"That's what you get for eating the flames of a salamander living in a peat bog." But now, it's my turn. I jump out of the tree and right down on top of the lizard. "Wind Dragon's Claw!" Silver light flashes around my hand, and sharp blades of wind erupt from my fingers, striking the salamander in the back.

But that doesn't do nearly as much damage as I'd like. And I get the tail straight to the stomach, hurling me a hundred feet, right through the trees. And of course, since I've trained hard to have a durable body, I take half a dozen of those trees down with me.

"Ow…" I groan and pick myself up out of the mud, blowing the wet, slimy stuff off my clothes. "Well, that was fun…"

"Ciara! You okay!?" Natsu's voice comes flying through the tree towards me."

"Yeah! I'm good!" _Better to not let him worry._ I jump out of the mud and float through the air, dodging trees, some of which are falling from the chaos of this sudden battle.

I leap through the trees, trying to make my way back to Natsu and Happy as quickly as possible. But I soon wish I'd stayed away. I stop just in time to see the start of the carnage.

Over in another tree, Natsu takes a deep breath, and my heart nearly stops. "Fire Dragon's ROAR!"

 _That idiot…_ I watch with a sense of exhilaration mixed with fear as Natsu bathes the entire area in his flames. The fallen trees quickly catch fire, and the ground catches fire as well, the flames shooting out in all directions as they follow the trails of flammable earth.

And as though nature itself is trying to make this impossible, a rumble shakes the whole bog. _Oh no…_

Trees go flying, and a fireball as big as the guild hall erupts all around us. I would have gotten roasted if it weren't for the ball of wind enveloping me. A habit that I've developed after years of fighting with Natsu.

 _The bog has exploded. Nice going Natsu…_

"Natsu! Stop setting everything on fire!" But it's a little too late to be warning him. And the explosion, while disturbing the salamander to be sure, obviously didn't manage to put it down. So I take a deep breath, ignoring the terrible smell and excruciating heat. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!"

The wind that bursts from my mouth slams into the salamander, sending it flying about thirty feet, as well as smothering half of the fires that Natsu lit, and taking care of the aftermath of the explosion.

Natsu finally pulls himself together after being shot sixty feet across the bog and straight into the mud after his gigantic peat bomb went off. And he starts jumping into the few still intact trees, landing right above the writhing salamander. "Come on!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" I can't believe you're still standing after all that, you moron. In one leap, I join him in the branches. "Alright, this thing is one tough lizard. What do you say we double team it?" _I just want to end this now…before you've got another chance to blow this place up._

 _Yeah…sure…_ "On three?" Natsu grins, already knowing what I'm going to say.

No hesitation. "Three!" Our voices echo through the bog as the two of us flip through the air, gaining some serious speed, before bringing our heels down on the salamander's head in a combined effort to bring the beast down. And in that instant, I feel its skull crack and give way, finally ending this fight.

I slide off the salamander and into the stinky mud, swirling wind all over the place to smother the many fires left over from our battle. And once the bog is no longer in danger of exploding, I turn back to the task at hand.

I frown at the giant, unmoving lizard carcass. "Well, what do we do with this salamander? It's way too big to take home as a trophy. Plus, it would start rotting and stink up the whole guild. We could leave it here, but again, it would start rotting. And it smells bad enough here already."

Natsu grins and jumps off of the giant fire-breather. "Then why don't we grill it up and eat it?"

The very thought of eating this thing makes me sick to my stomach. "Please tell me that you're joking. If you light a fire right here, you'll cause another explosion! Besides, what kind of creature would eat a giant salamander?"

"A dragon! Duh!" He says it like it should be obvious. But that's just not the kind of conclusion anyone in their right mind would come to.

I groan and tap my foot against the scorched ground, trying to come up with a solution. But as I examine the carcass, an idea blossoms in my head. "Wait…why don't we just drag it back into the village? I'm sure that their apothecaries, healers, or alchemists could do something with it. Plus, they'll probably want to see it so that they know that we finished the job."

Natsu pouts again. "Aw…that's no fun. We could totally eat this thing."

"Natsu, we are not eating it! And that's final!" I don't even want to imagine what this lizard would taste like, especially after being subjected to my brother's infamous grilling skills.

* * *

The two of us drag the giant salamander carcass back into the village, drawing quite a lot of attention from the villagers. Though I'm not sure if it's because of the salamander itself, or because of the sight of two teenagers dragging something that huge into the village.

"Is that the creature?"

"How terrifying."

"How did they defeat it?"

"Why did they bring it back?"

 _These villagers sure are noisy… Beating this kind of creature is no sweat for us, at least, not once we get going. We are the dragon slayers from Fairy Tail after all. And this thing doesn't even come close to a dragon._

The village chief meets us in the middle of the village, his eyes wide at the sight of the lizard. "You have defeated it?"

"Yep!" Natsu drops the salamander's head on the ground carelessly. "It was no match for me!"

"You mean us…" I roll my eyes and sigh. "Are you drunk on salamander fire or something? You're acting even weirder than usual."

But he just laughs and climbs on top of the carcass. "We beat the fire-breathing lizard!"

 _Great…now his ego is completely out of control._ "Hey Natsu! Get down from there!" But the fool refuses to listen to a word I say, and he makes the whole situation worse by getting so excited that he starts breathing fire. Somehow, he seems to think that anything gets better with fire. And the more fire, the better.

The villagers, on the other hand, are watching my brother with a combination of fear and awe. And it's no wonder, they've been terrorized by a fire-breathing lizard lately, and now my brother is breathing fire all over the place as well.

"He's breathing fire just like the salamander."

"A human salamander?"

"He's a salamander?"

"He ate that salamander's fire, so why not?"

Already, the gossip is racing through the crowd, and the notions just keep getting stranger. Now they're calling him a salamander, just like this big scaly lizard. They must have seen the first part of the battle, before we chased it into the bog.

But there's not a whole lot of time to waste, so I get down to business and address the chief. "We brought the salamander's carcass back because I thought that maybe some of your people could use it for alchemy or in medicine. It's obviously got some pretty serious magical properties, so I think that it would be a waste not to use it."

"I see…" He gazes in wonder at the giant carcass. "I am versed in some alchemy, so I may be able to put some of it to use. Our healers may also have some use for the creature's scales. And we may be able to sell what parts we cannot use."

"Good plan." I turn to Natsu, who is still dancing around on the carcass and breathing fire into the air. "Hey! I said to get down from there!" But he just ignores me and keeps messing around on the lizard's back.

The chief stares at Natsu in wonder. "He is quite something, isn't he?"

"You're telling me…I'm the one who has to deal with him." A sigh escapes me. "Sometimes, it's hard to believe that this idiot is my brother."

The chief crinkles his nose a little as the wind changes. "Although…before you go, would you like to take a bath?"

I sniff my clothes and cringe. "Yeah…I think cleaning up would be a good idea." I wave over to Natsu, since he's probably smelling even worse than I am. "Hey Natsu! Happy! It's bath time!"

I can hear his groan all the way from here, but he should know very well that I'm not going to give him a choice. I doubt that he wants a repeat of those times that Erza and I forced him and Gray into the bathtub whenever they refused to clean up. Happy, on the other hand, loves his baths. And it would be nice if Natsu would learn a thing or two from our favorite blue pet.

But for now, baths first, pay second, and then we can finally head home. We didn't find any leads on Igneel, but that's okay. We did a good job, and we can go home proud.

* * *

 **I wonder if it's just me, but it seems to me that Natsu isn't shy about telling people that he's looking for a dragon, or about telling them that he was raised by said dragon. He tells Lucy like ten minutes after first meeting her. And he tells Gajeel immediately after the two of them try to beat the crap out of each other. And all of Fairy Tail found out basically as soon as he arrived at the guild. So it's not like his upbringing is some big secret. I wouldn't be surprised at this point if it turned out that it got put into an article in Sorcerer Weekly.**

 **Speaking of Sorcerer Weekly, I'm still making a question list for the interview chapter.**

 **BTW: Mystogan makes an appearance next chapter.**


	18. Sleep Magic

**I feel sorry for Natsu, I really do. I remember when I was really little, I used to get carsick and airsick so easy. And even now, I have trouble flying in airplanes. Thought that might actually be more of a phobia than motion sickness. I grew out of the carsickness quite a few years ago. Either way, I can feel his pain, as I'm sure some of you can as well. Motion sickness is not fun.**

 **Plus, it's just really annoying to listen to Natsu's whining/almost barfing noises whenever he gets all nauseous on a vehicle. And hanging out of a window is dangerous.**

 **So, out of sympathy for poor helpless Natsu, I'm giving Ciara a little…trick up her sleeve. It's not quite as good as Wendy's Troia trick, but it's just as effective. So a new little piece of magic, courtesy of Fairy Tail's resident mysterious S-Class wizard, Mystogan.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

After the hellish train ride back from dealing with that overgrown lizard, Natsu and I head back to the guild to report in. And like usual, Natsu kicks in the doors. "Hey everybody! We're home!"

But instead of the usual wave of noise that greets us, there's nothing but silence, and the sound of a single set of footsteps approaching us. And there's a scent here that I've never smelled before. _There's someone else here…_

While I expect Natsu to immediately step up to protect me, as the fool so often insists on doing, he doesn't. Instead, as a gentle wave of magic washes over us, he drops to the floor like a rock.

 _What!?_ I panic as I start feeling the effects of whatever spell has been cast. _Not good!_ I skim through the spells in my mind as quickly as possible, keeping my consciousness from fading all the while. Then, I find the one that I need. It's a spell from one of the magic books that I keep stashed in my growing library.

My hand glows, and a barrier comes up around me, washing away the effects of whatever magic has been cast over the rest of the guild. _Now…who is the one casting this magic? I've never felt it before… Is it sleep magic?_

The footsteps come closer, and from the stairs leading up to the second floor, reserved only for those of us who've made S-Class, comes someone dressed in an elaborate white and blue outfit, with a mask over their face. He, at least I think it's a he, judging by the build and stride, approaches me.

When he reaches me, it sounds like he's frowning. "You're not asleep…"

 _So it is sleep magic._ "I cast a barrier around myself as soon as Natsu collapsed. It keeps out most spells that have lingering effects."

"I see…" He stuffs a job flyer into his bag. "I must be going…"

But as he moves to walk past me, I grab his cloak and hold him back. "Wait! Who are you?"

He glances back at me, letting me see part of a red tattoo around his right eye. His dark eyes move over me warily. "Mystogan."

The name rings a bell, though it takes me a few seconds to place it. "Mystogan? Then…you're that S-Class wizard that I hadn't met yet…"

His eyes narrow slightly. "You must be Ciara Dragneel…"

I nod eagerly. "I am."

He inclines his head and moves to continue leaving. "I must go. The sleep magic will wear off soon."

I let go of him, letting him walk out of the guild, but this isn't over. I'm not going to just let him get away from me so easily. Because he might just be able to teach me something that I've been wanting to learn for a while.

Since he seems to value discretion, I decide to follow him right out of the city, instead of trying to get his attention again while still inside Magnolia.

About five minutes into the forest, he stops in his tracks. "I know you're there."

 _Figures…_ With his abilities, I hadn't really expected to stay undetected for long, if at all. So I drop out of the trees and approach him. "Hey."

He faces me calmly. "Is there something that you want?"

"Yes." I figure that I might as well come right out and say it. "You used sleep magic back in the guild to put everyone to sleep. Why?"

"I do not like to be seen…" It's a strange answer, and it makes me feel a little guilty for following him all the way out here.

But I'm on a mission. "Can you teach me to use sleep magic?"

"Why?" He throws my question right back at me. But it's not like I've got anything to hide about my motives. In fact, telling him my motives might make him more willing to help me.

I cross my arms and frown. "Natsu keeps getting motion sickness every time we get on any kind of vehicle. Half the time, I have to punch him and knock him out in order to relieve his discomfort. But If I knew a spell to put him to sleep, it would make trips a whole lot easier on him."

Mystogan is silent for a moment. Then he nods. "Very well."

I do my best to contain my excitement, but I can't stop a smile from spreading across my lips. "So should I wait for you to get back from your job?"

"No." He rummages in his pack for something, taking out a piece of paper and a pen. "Come here."

I skip over to him and glance at the piece of paper as he writes on it. And instantly, I can see what he's writing. "Those are incantations and magic formula."

He nods. "I use a different kind of sleep magic. But I've seen these sleep spells and remembered them. I'm sure that there is one that will suit you."

As he scrawls the various spells down, I glance at his face. "Isn't it hard to talk through that mask? It must get all hot and humid in there. That's not good for air circulation, you know."

"Mmmm…" His eyebrows furrow a little. "I suppose you're right."

And shockingly, the masked man actually loosens his mask a little, and it slips down enough for me to see most of his face, and even some of his blue hair peeking out from under a cloth wrap. And my surprise probably shows on my face. "Wow…you're really good-looking."

He blinks and stares at me for a few seconds. "Thank you…"

There's a moment of silence, then I slap myself in the forehead. "Oh jeez, I'm sorry. Sometimes I just state my opinions too frankly. It's a bad habit that I picked up from Natsu."

"It's fine." He brushes off my idiocy easily and goes back to writing up the spells. "These are all powerful enough to do what you want. Do any of them appeal to you?"

He shows me the entire paper so that I can look at the various forms of the spells. Some are lengthy incantations, some are short, some require a magic circle.

Then one of them catches my eye. He must have copied this one straight out of an old magic book…this is an ancient script. I point to the ancient sleep spell, requiring a magic circle that I should be able to produce easily. "That one."

He glances at it and frowns. "That one seems difficult."

"It's not." I grin and take a few steps back. "It'll just take a little practice." Looking around, I find a small squirrel snacking on an acorn. "Watch me so that I don't screw this up, okay?"

Nodding slightly, he watches as I conjure the magic circle and focus on the small animal. The magic circle glows for an instant before vanishing. At first, nothing happens, and I wonder if maybe I cast the spell wrong.

"Just wait, sleep magic can have a delayed effect." He focuses on the squirrel carefully, never letting his gaze leave it.

And just like he said, the squirrel seems to become drowsy for a moment, though only for a moment. And my frustration starts to show. "What did I do wrong?" Usually, spells like this prove no challenge for me. _Maybe I'm just not cut out for sleep magic…_

"You need to put a little more power and focus into the spell. Some animals have more energy than humans. They are less suggestible." He motions to the squirrel. "Try again."

"Okay." I raise my hand again, focusing a little more magic into it this time. "Sleep."

This time, the squirrel drops its acorn and wobbles. But it still doesn't fall asleep. But Mystogan seems pleased. "You're doing well. Sleep magic is difficult. Practice, and you'll master it."

As he replaces his mask and turns away from me, I grin. "I'll have it mastered by the time you get back!"

And without another word, he disappears into the trees, leaving me alone with the squirrel that's acting half drunk because of my sleeping spell. _Now…I've got to get practicing._

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I wake up right in front of the guild's doors with Happy lying on my face. "Happy get off me!"

My blue cat yawns and rolls off my face and onto the floor. "Ouch!"

I sit up, rubbing the back of my head, which I must have hit on the floor when I fell. "What happened?"

"Mystogan happened." Macao walks over and pulls me to my feet. "Whenever he shows up to take a job, he puts the entire guild hall to sleep."

"What! Why?" That makes no sense to me. "What's the point of putting a whole guild to sleep whenever you come to take a dumb job off the board?"

"Dunno, but he's done it every time he's come to take a job. Anyway…" He looks around like he's looking for something. "Where's your sister? Didn't the two of you go off on that salamander job together?"

"Yeah, we did." I look around and notice that he's right, Ciara is nowhere to be seen. "Huh? Where did she…?" _Wait…maybe she didn't fall asleep. Maybe she followed Mystogan out! It's definitely something she could do. She's always obsessing over all of those old books, so she can cast spells I've never even heard of. She always was the magic prodigy._

I sniff the air, looking for her scent. Found it! She's definitely not inside the guild, so I spin around and race back outside, heading straight for the outskirts of Magnolia.

Happy follows behind me, flying through the air. "Natsu, where are you going?"

"To find Ciara! She's outside the city right now!" And now I'm sure of it, because her scent just keeps getting stronger. And it feels like she's out there practicing magic.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I try the spell again, this time succeeding in putting a small bird to sleep. So far, the spell hasn't lasted longer than a couple of minutes, but the time limit has gotten a lot longer than what it was when I started.

Unfortunately, the bird wakes up again after the two minute mark. And I'm starting to get really tired. Looks like two minutes is my limit. _Damn it! That's not good enough._ _I need to be able to put someone to sleep for hours. At least long enough for an entire train ride._

But that's not the only problem I'll have to face. Once I get my spell up to the time limit I need it to be, I'll need to work out a counter spell that will wake someone up if I accidentally make the spell last longer than the ride.

I double over, panting after exerting so much effort on a single spell. Sleep magic is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Usually, I can get simple spells like this quickly and with spectacular results. But not today, it seems.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps behind me, and I spring into action before even identifying my target. I lunge at the presence, before having my arm caught in a strong grip and being quickly put on the ground by someone much stronger than me.

And looking up, I see those all too familiar onyx eyes, and a rather surprised smile on my big brother's face. "Hi."

I breathe hard, still a little shocked, but doing my best to calm down. "Natsu…what are you doing out here?"

"Looking for you." He grins sheepishly at me. "Though I didn't expect you to attack me right off the bat."

I take one deep, calming breath, then smile apologetically back at Natsu. "Sorry about that. I didn't know who it was. I guess I didn't take enough time to figure out who was sneaking up on me."

"No kidding." He laughs and gets off me, pulling me to my feet. "Good thing it was me. I'm fast enough to put you on the ground if I have to."

"Yeah…" I rub the back of my head as it starts throbbing a little. "That kind of hurt, actually. But I guess I more than deserved it."

Natsu pats me on the head, which aggravates the throbbing a little. "So what were you practicing out here?"

I look over my shoulder to see that the little animals I was practicing the sleep magic on have fled. "Well, until you showed up and scared the animals away, I was practicing a new spell I learned."

"New spell?" Now his curiosity is starting to get the better of him. "What kind of spell are you learning this time?"

I grin, a little proud of myself now. "I chased Mystogan out here and got him to teach me a spell for sleep magic. I've been practicing it ever since he left." I look up at the sky and it's already turning pink and gold. "Which was a few hours ago by the looks of it. Wow, I didn't realize how long I'd been out here." Now it suddenly feels like I accomplished even less than I thought.

"Well, then let's head back." Natsu grabs my hand and starts dragging me back towards the guild. "You can practice more tomorrow. I'll let you practice on me!"

"Really?" That's encouraging, since he's the one I was planning to use the sleeping spell on anyway. I laugh at the thought of getting the chance to practice on my intended target early. "That would be a huge help!"

He shrugs. "Well, I have been wanting to get some extra sleep lately, so I'm perfect for practicing on!"

Happy gets excited about that as well. "Tomorrow is gonna be nap day!"

"Nap day!"

I shake my head wryly. _These two… They've really got one track minds haven't they?_

But on the bright side, I'm going to get to practice on Natsu. And it might just be easier to put my lazy brother to sleep than all of those hyperactive animals. Then again, my brother is basically an animal, so maybe it won't matter anyway.

* * *

 **As a side note, yes I know that Mystogan uses staffs for his magic spells, hence the rather roundabout way he used to teach her how to use sleep magic. I mean, obviously he's going to be able to read stuff, so it's not that weird to think that he might have remembered a few ways to cast sleep spells considering that it's a magic he uses every time he shows up for a job.**

 **It also stands to reason that Natsu, who can fall asleep basically anywhere and anytime, would be affected by the sleep spell faster than Ciara. So she had a moment of warning before she would have fallen asleep. Good thing she's a fast caster.**


	19. Interview With the Dragonslayer Twins

**I think I almost ruptured something with the way I was laughing trying to write this chapter. Jason is quite the character. So it's been impossible for me to keep a straight face while trying to phrase the questions and responses.**

 **I tried to think up as many questions as I could, and used the ones from the reviews too. But ultimately, this chapter was going to end up weird no matter how I tried to write it. Jason is just freaking weird. I even re-watched the episode where he shows up, the fateful encounter one. And man is his voice annoying...**

 **But before we get to the interview, let's see a little of Lisanna playing mini matchmaker. Because we all know that Lisanna and Mirajane love playing matchmaker with just about everybody. And so does Bickslow for some reason. Someone explain that one to me...because I just don't get it.**

* * *

February - X782

I sip my drink at one of the guild's many tables, waiting for Natsu to finally decide what he wants to eat. I don't know why he insisted that we eat at the guild today, but I'm not going to complain, since I didn't really feel like cooking today. But still, he was strangely insistent. He even threatened to storm into my house and drag me out of bed if I didn't show up at the guild hall for lunch.

 _What's he up to…?_ Usually, he's either being an idiot, or he's got something sneaky up his sleeve. His intentions are a toss-up.

On the other hand, Lisanna's intentions scare me a little as she approaches me with a grin on her face. "Hay Ciara…what's up?"

My instincts scream at me that this is a trap. I'm not sure what kind of trap, but it's a trap. "Just waiting for Natsu. He told me to be here today, so I came along. What about you?"

"Oh…not much." She sidles towards me on the bench, her mischievous smile not leaving her face. "So…I noticed that you and Gray have gotten pretty close."

What…? Now I'm sufficiently confused. "Of course we're close. We do go on jobs together once in a while. You need to be pretty close to have good teamwork."

She elbows me gently. "That's not what I'm talking about." She points over to another of the tables, and I follow her gaze to see Gray staring at me. Our eyes lock for a second. A very long second. Too long.

I quickly avert my eyes, and try to ignore the heat in my cheeks. "You had better not let Natsu hear you say any of that. You know how much he and Gray hate each other."

To be fair, the two of them don't actually hate each other. They just really like to get on each other's nerves, and they have a hard time seeing eye to eye. It's almost impossible to make them get along. But when push comes to shove, they'll have each other's backs, no matter what.

Lisanna smirks and grabs my hands. "Oh come on…you two obviously like each other! You're nicer to Gray than to any of the other guys. And whenever you walk in, he just stares at you. It's so dreamy!"

I'm more than a little uncertain about her view on things. Especially since it's about me. "Lisanna…you do realize that Natsu would kill me for it. Or worse, he might kill Gray for it. And I don't think that cleaning blood off the floor of the guild is something you guys wanna do."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll help you two out." Lisanna gives me a thumbs-up. "With you two, it's gotta be a happy ending!"

I glance back at Gray, and he snaps his gaze away immediately. _Me and Gray, huh…?_ I'd be lying if I said I'd never imagined the possibility. But my brother is just so overprotective, and so fond of sticking his nose into everything, that I never really considered it a viable possibility before. _I wonder…_

But my wondering is brought to an abrupt end when Natsu slams his food down on the table with a grin. "Alright! Time to eat!"

* * *

After watching my brother shovel down more food than any human should be able to eat, I finally get bored enough to ask. "So…why exactly did you want me to come here today? Because even you wouldn't be stupid enough to call me here just to watch you eat like a pig."

"Hey…" And he hits me with his signature pout, again. "I don't eat like a pig." He shovels down the last of his food and grins. "I eat like a dragon!"

My palm meets my forehead once again. "And you say that like it's better…"

"It is better!" Natsu looks ready to go on a big rant about how he doesn't eat like a pig, but eats like a dragon, and about how awesome it is to eat like a dragon. And frankly, I don't want to hear it.

But before either of us can start yelling at each other, a loud and rather obnoxious sounding voice echoes through the guild hall. "SO COOOOOOOOL!"

Heads turn towards a blond guy with a pink shirt, standing in the entrance of the guild. And immediately, I know that this guy is trouble. Not the kind of trouble that warrants some dragon slayer magic, just trouble that I don't feel like dealing with today.

He runs inside the guild and approaches the first person he sees, who just so happens to be Erza. "SO COOOOOOOL! Erza Titania!"

 _Ah…here we go…_ Obviously this guy is someone who keeps up with the latest news in wizardry. That's how he knows about Erza's newly acquired nickname. Erza 'Titania' Scarlet, Queen of the Fairies.

Natsu turns to me with a grin. "That's why! Erza told me yesterday that a reporter would be coming from Sorcerer Weekly. So I wanted to be here for the interviews!"

I groan and slam my head down on the table. "Interviews…? Pleas don't tell me that you want that reporter to interview the two of us…"

"Huh? Why not? Wouldn't it be awesome to become famous?" He's got that boundless enthusiasm for this that I just don't have.

I can get plenty worked up about exciting things, I really can. But the idea of having a reporter pry into the details of my life, and then splash it all over a magazine for the whole world to see. That is much less appealing.

But it seems that the reporter isn't here for Erza this time, because she points him in a different direction. "The two of them are over there. They've got the matching pink hair." She's pointing at the two of us. "Fairy Tail's Dragonslayer Twins."

My eyes widen as the reporter comes sprinting over. But I cringe a little as the guy crashes into a table in his excitement. But he gets right back up like nothing happened. "SO COOOOOOOL!"

 _Is he mental?_ I shake my head and keep my eyes on this guy. Well, whatever. I guess I'll get this over with as quickly as possible.

And of course, even at this close distance, he's no quieter. "The Dragonslayer Twins! SO COOOOOOOL! Matching hair! SO COOOOOOOL!" _Of course we have matching hair...we're twins!_

 _So cool must be this guy's catch phrase. Theres no other possible reason that he would say it this much._ I sigh and sit up straight, with my elbow leaning on the table. "So…you wanted to talk to us?"

Natsu grins at me. "See! I told you this would be a good day to be here!"

But despite Natsu's assertion, the reporter is quickly right in my face. "So, why exactly are you two called the Dragonslayer Twins? How old are the two of you?"

His sudden professional demeanor catches me a little off guard. "Well, the name would be because we both use dragon slayer magic, and because Natsu and I are brother and sister, fraternal twins. We're…almost fifteen."

His eyes start glistening. "COOOOOL! What kind of dragon slayer magic do you two use?"

Natsu lights his hand on fire, and fire starts dripping out of his mouth. "I'm the Fire Dragon Slayer! I breathe fire!"

"COOOOL! So you must be the one called Salamander, right?" He scribbles furiously in his notebook, glancing quickly between the pages and my brother's face.

I try not to freeze up at his question for Natsu. Since when has he been called… Then I remember what those people on our last job were saying, calling Natsu a salamander. _Oh…he must have heard about our last job._

Natsu scratches his head, so I elbow him. "He's talking about our last job. You know, the one where you out-competed a giant salamander in a fire-breathing contest."

"Oh yeah!" His grin pops right back onto his face. "Yeah! Those villagers did call me a salamander!"

"COOOOL!" And just when I think he's going to hound Natsu, he turns on me instead. "So what about you? Are you a fire wizard as well?"

I back away a little and shake my head. "No…I'm a Wind Dragon Slayer. I use wind instead of fire. So…I can fly."

I had hoped that it would be enough to calm him down, but he gets hyped back up. "COOOOL! So do you have wings like a dragon?"

"Uh…" Now, I'm not sure whether this is safe to say or not. "Well, not ones covered in scales. But I can make dragon wings out of wind and wear them on my back to protect myself. It's one of my best defensive spells, and good for protecting my blind spots."

"COOOL!" He looks from me to Natsu, then back again. "Salamander and Dragon Wing, the Dragonslayer Twins!"

 _Dragon Wing?_

 _Salamander?_

Natsu and I look at each other, then burst out laughing. "Natsu the Salamander and Ciara the Dragon Wing, huh?"

"Sound perfect for us, huh little sis?" Natsu is definitely waring up to the idea of having nicknames like Erza the Queen of the Fairies, and Mirajane, the She-Devil.

"Totally!" I actually hold my stomach, since I really do think I'll hurt myself by laughing this much. I'm not against the idea of having nicknames. It just seems so preposterous that it's hard to imagine it without bursting into laughter.

But the reporter is far from finished with us. And he's already warming up to the nicknames. "So, Dragon Wing, what's it like having Salamander as a big brother? He's pretty powerful, isn't he?"

I glance at Natsu and frown. "Well, sure he's powerful, but he destroys half the stuff he sees. Like on our last job, he went and blew up a swamp!" I can still smell the bog in my nose. And it was even worse after he lit the whole place on fire. And that's without adding in the smell of the salamander.

"Blew up a swamp!? SO COOOOL!" Then he turns to Natsu. "So, you're the older sibling right, are you the stronger of the two of you?"

That little question goes straight to Natsu's head. And there's no way he's going to look at it objectively. "Of course I am! And I'm gonna be the strongest wizard ever!"

"COOOOL! So when are you planning on making S-Class!?"

"Pretty soon! But that doesn't matter, I can kick all their butts anyway!"

I sigh and watch as Natsu preens himself, the interview quickly losing the interest that it gained from me during the part about the nicknames. _Yeah…kick all their butts, huh? Have you forgotten that I'm the one who made S-Class during last year's exam? You may have more raw power than me, but I've got a much bigger bag of tricks than you do._

"So, I've heard that the two of you were raised by a dragon! Is that true?" He looks so eager for an answer that he doesn't realize what a sensitive topic he's stumbled onto.

But Natsu's good mood refuses to die down. "You bet we were! Our dragon taught us our magic!"

I roll my eyes. "What he means to say is that the dragon who raised us is the one who taught us magic in the first place. He's why we use dragon slayer magic." _And he's why I can even use magic at all…_

The reporter obviously has no idea that his questions have started to make my mood go south. "SO COOOOL! How did you meet the dragon?"

I freeze up. "Uh…" I glance at Natsu, who looks just as confused as I am. "Well…we don't know, actually. We were with him ever since we were really young. So I can't really remember anything before that."

Suddenly, this whole situation has gotten very uncomfortable for me. So Natsu takes over. "Anyway, he raised us since we were really little."

The glittering eyes return in an instant. "SO COOOOL!" He scratches all of the new notes in the notebook that he's been working on ever since he arrived. "This is going to make an awesome article!"

I clear my throat pointedly. "Are we the only ones you came to interview? Because if not, then you might want to get started on the others. You've been talking to us for over fifteen minutes."

He makes a comically surprised face. "I almost forgot! I have to interview the She-Devil next!" And he just runs right off to find Mirajane. Though he's asking for trouble if he really wants to interview her. He's more likely to end up on the floor than on the front page.

I shift my gaze to Natsu. "I am never doing that again."

"Aw… But I thought it was kinda fun!" His happy-go-lucky attitude is really starting to wear on me.

So I smush my forehead against his and look him right in the eyes. "A job, fine. Training, sure. Hell, I will even go on an adventure to another continent with you. But I am never sitting down for that crazy reporter ever again." And with the finality of that promise, I walk away to finally have some peace and quiet. And maybe a bit of space from Natsu.

* * *

After that hell of an interview, I manage to escape to the far corner of the guild, more than happy to disappear from sight. _I can't believe that Natsu went and dragged me through that entire interview… He knows that I hate telling my life's story to people…_ He's always been far more comfortable telling people personal details about us than I have. Then again, I've got an extra secret that he doesn't. The lacrima inside my heart.

I bang my head down on a table and hide my face from the world. But obviously I don't do a very good job, because someone sits down right next to me. And the smell matches the voice perfectly. "Rough interview, huh?"

Glancing up, I see Gray sitting next to me. _Of course… It just had to be him, didn't it?_ I flush bright red as I remember everything that Lisanna said earlier. "What do you want, Gray?"

He smiles nervously, but at least he's wearing clothes. For now. "So…uh… There's this new cafe that opened up on the other side of town. And according to Erza, they've got some really good cake there."

"And…?" I'm all for sweets, I really am, especially if it's cake. But if he wants me to go and fetch him some, then he's got another thing coming.

"And I was wondering if you wanted to go check it out with me." A slight blush covers his cheeks, which is actually really cute.

Then it dawns on me, because unlike so many air-headed girls, I'm not an idiot. _Ah…he's asking me out._ I blush even more furiously than him, but I mask it thanks to my pink hair. "Uh, sure! I like cake…"

That puts a smile on his face, and he laughs brightly for me. "Awesome! Then how about this afternoon? Apparently they've got an afternoon dessert buffet on Fridays. You can eat as much as you want."

I smile coyly at him. "But if I eat too much, I'll get fat."

He snorts with laughter. "You'll get fat? How is that possible? You'd burn off an afternoon of cake in one fight!"

"Is that supposed to be a compliment, and insult, or just a reassurance?" Knowing Gray, it could be any of them, or all of them at once. This one is a toss up.

He chuckles weakly. "Uh..let's go with the third. So how about it? Wanna go?"

I tap my finger to my lip, pretending to think about it. "Well…" But I can't stop a smile from spreading across my face. "Alright, let's go."

He grins, looking very proud of himself. Then his expression changes into a mischievous smirk. "By the way…"

I raise an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"They've got carrot cake." Right then, the whole world seems to fall away at his words.

Then my brain suddenly goes into overdrive. "Screw later, we're leaving NOW!" I pause for a moment. "But first...put on some clothes, Gray."

"AH!"

* * *

 **I just had to end with the running joke. So I'm sorry if you hate it. It's just that this chapter was supposed to be funny, and I figured that after a cute but slightly serious conversation, it would just be good to wrap up with a little something funny.**

 **In other news, the whole carrot cake thing. I LOVE carrot cake. It's basically the greatest dessert in the world. Carrot cake is to me what strawberry shortcake is to Erza. I think that paints a clear enough picture.**

 **So anyway...just a reminder for those of you who ship Gruvia, don't worry, I'm in the same boat. This is more just a...hook up with the childhood friend, just because we can, and because of a little crush kind of situation. And because of Lisanna the evil matchmaker.**

 **On that note, if anyone has a burning desire to see Ciara on a particular kind of job, say so. I'm thinking a disenchanting job for a minor cursed object. But if someone's got something better, I'm all ears. Because next chapter is a job chapter, before I put up the last couple of chapters for this pre-canon arc. Yes, the pre-canon arc is coming to an end, and I've written three times as many chapters for it than I was originally planning to. On the bright side, the last two chapters are nearly finished already, so I should be able to finish the pre-canon arc by tomorrow afternoon.**


	20. Walking Wardrobe

**This chapter took a bit longer than expected because I ended up giving one of my roommates an impromptu lesson on how to cook pancakes without burning them while I was getting myself some breakfast. After the lesson, the quality of her pancakes had vastly improved. And then I felt sick and took a nap, okay, many naps. But I got inspired afterwards, hence the chapter. And why it's a day later than I expected.**

 **Okay, so I had this idea a long time back, when I first started writing the fanfic (so a couple of years ago actually, wow, I can't believe it's been that long since I started writing it, it sure took me a while to finally start rewriting and posting it). The idea centers around Ciara having to make up for the lack of raw power she has. Because let's face it, not many people can compare to Natsu in raw power. Gildarts is one. And maybe Gajeel… Most others are either kinda weak, or more skill oriented (like Erza, though yes, I acknowledge her raw power in her ability to use the Nakagami armor, but in the end, she's still exhibits more skill than sheer magic power).**

 **Since there's obviously some dark magic still around, who deals with it? Sure there's seal-breakers like Kageyama (who yes, is in a dark guild, but that's not the point), but no one has ever said a thing about anyone specializing in breaking curses, at least not to my knowledge. What are the chances that all dark guilds end up that way just because of the kinds of jobs they take? Some of them probably went dark because they dabbled in dark magic.**

 **Ciara is a dragon slayer by training, and it's definitely her specialty and her go-to in a bad situation, but she studies a vast range of magic from her magic books, so it stands to reason that she can do a wider variety of jobs than most people. So, I'm gonna let her deal with dispelling a curse. A minor curse, of course.**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

I've been staring at the job board for ten minutes, looking for the perfect job. It's a habit that I've probably picked up from my brother, who always stares hard at all of the jobs before picking one. Lately, it's all been about fighting monsters and running all over the place with Natsu. I want a different job this time. Something a little more technically challenging, but with less fighting involved. Fighting is just too easy.

I love a good fight, I really do. A one on one spar that lasts for an hour, with no clear winner by the end. Something that gets the heart pounding and the blood pumping. It's an amazing feeling, a total rush. But on the other hand, I don't want to be fighting all the time. That's bad for your body. And it's bad for your brain too, considering that Natsu only ever shows any brains when a fight goes so south that he can't win through brute force anymore.

Then, a job catches my eyes that seems interesting enough. _Help us…our house is haunted and cursed… Cursed?_ Now that's an unusual job. I've never seen a job involving a curse before. Well, apart from that cursed island job upstairs. But it seems like no one is crazy enough to take that S-Class job. And frankly, I don't know if anyone else in our guild is even equipped to deal with curses.

But this new job on the board should give me a good chance to try out some of the new magic I've been learning lately. And at a hefty reward of a million jewel, it must be some rich person making the request. So I pull the flyer off the board and head over to the bar, where I find Gramps with his mug of booze again. "Hey Gramps, I found a job that I wanna take!"

He raises an eyebrow and peers at the job flyer. "So…you wanna go take care of a curse, huh? You sure about that? Those aren't the easiest jobs to complete, you know."

"Yep!" I grin eagerly. "I got this book a few months back while I was on a job, and it details incantations and rituals used in curse-breaking. So this job sounds like a good chance for me to try out some of the stuff I learned."

"Hm…well alright, if you think that you can use this as an opportunity to practice your magic, then I don't see why not." He glances behind me. "Will you be taking anyone with you?"

"Taking anyone with me?" I hadn't really thought about it, since I don't know if there's anyone else in the guild who does any reading about curses. "I don't know…"

Since I would rather not take Natsu along on a job that's going to require a certain level of delicacy, I search around the guild hall, preferably for Erza or…

 _There he is…_ I'm as quiet as a mouse as I sneak up behind him. But not so when I jump on his back and nearly make him face-plant on the table. "Hey Gray! Wanna go on a job with me?"

"Ciara?" He pushes against the table with his arms, lifting himself back up. "Jeez, you don't have to scare me like that."

"Sorry." I pout mockingly. "I just wanted to surprise you. Anyway, I'm going on a job. Wanna come?"

I think he forgives me as soon as he hears that I'm going on a job. "Huh, where to?"

"Uh…looks like Hargeon. There's someone who says their house is haunted and or cursed." I read the job flyer again. "I've been studying how to break curses lately, so I thought that this would be a good chance for me to get some practical experience. You know, assuming that it's actually cursed. If it turns out to be an actual haunting…well that might complicate things."

"That so…?" He glances at the job flyer. "That's a lot of money for a place that's haunted."

"So, wanna go?" I dangle the flyer in front of him teasingly. "I've already got the go ahead from Gramps."

He chuckles brightly. "Alright, let's go then."

The thing I like most about going on jobs with Gray…

No motion sick partner to take care of.

* * *

We get off the train in the port town of Hargeon. And I check the flyer again for the address of the client. "Okay…so according to the map…" I cross check the address with the map. "The client's home should be in the west end of Hargeon."

The west part of Hargeon is home to some of the larger estates, which explains the reward money for the job. But even knowing that, nothing could have prepared us for this.

Gray gapes up at the mansion. "It's huge…"

"No kidding…" This place is at least three times the size of our guild hall. "I guess it's impossible to miss."

Gray glances at me warily. "You sure this is the right place?"

"Yep." I check the address one more time. "1852 Wisteria Way. This is the address on the flyer."

I raise my hand to buzz them to open the gate, but a voice comes through the voice box first. "Are the two of you wizards?"

I'm not sure where the surveillance lacrima is, but they must have one if they can see that there's two of us. "Yes, we're from Fairy Tail. We got a request about a haunting, or some kind of curse."

"Very well. I see the crest on your shoulder. You may enter." And just like that, the gates swing open for us.

"Well, I guess we aren't getting a better invitation than that." Gray walks right in the gate without hesitation.

But I find myself distracted while walking towards the main house. _I wonder where they were watching us from… I can't see their surveillance system._ Usually, I have no problem figuring out where a surveillance system is, but this one must be hidden pretty well. _Good security…you don't even know it's there._

The mansion's front doors open, revealing a bowing butler. "Welcome. The master is expecting you."

The butler leads the two of us inside the mansion. And it's just as big on the inside as it is on the outside. Honestly, it's hard to imagine that anyone could need this much space.

The butler leads us to what looks like a sitting room, and opens the door for us. "Master, the wizards from Fairy Tail have arrived."

"Come in."

And on cue, the two of us enter the sitting room to see a middle-aged couple sitting together on a couch. The man looks at us and beckons. "Please, sit."

We sit opposite them, and I take out the job flyer. "It says here that you think your house is cursed or haunted. Is that correct?"

He nods. "I am Hanzo Shizu, and this is my wife Tatiana. We moved here about a year ago, after my business took off. I run one of the shipping companies here in Hargeon."

Some background information on the situation is no doubt going to be helpful. "I see. So when did you start to think that this place was having problems?"

Mrs. Shizu looks like she is about to cry. "It started about half a year ago. At first, it seemed like it was just careless staff, forgetting to put things where they needed to be. But lately, there have been strange noises at night, as though someone is creeping about the house. Books will topple off shelves, and the statuettes are constantly switching places. The maids are scared half to death… It's as though there is a curse on the house."

"Hm…so you came to the conclusion that it was either a ghost, or a curse?" Gray sounds a bit skeptical.

And to be frank, I'm skeptical on the ghost idea as well. On the curse idea, however, I'm feeling a little more confident. "Have you purchased anything in in the last six or seven months that seemed a little suspicious? Like…maybe someone was selling it rather cheaply, or it didn't have extensive documentation? Or maybe something handmade?"

Mr. Shizu looks at me questioningly. "What are you saying? Is one of our belongings cursed?"

"Maybe…" I reach into my pack, dig around a little, and pull out my book on curses. I flip through a few of the pages. "What I gathered from my research is that it's harder to curse a place, since it involves a huge amount of magic power, and quite a lot of preparation. And that kind of curse strengthens over time, instead of popping up suddenly. Cursing an object, however, seems to be much easier. And the effects can seem to pop up out of nowhere, or with a certain trigger."

Mrs. Shizu appears horrified. "But we just moved here! Most of the furnishings are new! How are we supposed to know where the curse is?"

I snap my book closed and turn to Gray. "Well, if they don't know, then I guess we'll just have to walk around the house until we sense where the magic is coming from. Between the two of us, we should be able to narrow down the location, then search by hand."

Gray nods and gets to his feet. "Well, seems like it's time to get to work."

Mr. Shizu gets to his feet as well. "If you like, I can have the maids show you around."

"No, it's fine." I stuff my book away and stand up. "All we need is full access to the house. The two of us can search faster if we split up."

"Ah…very well then. Feel free to search wherever you like." Mr. Shizu seems rather calm about having his house searched. Then again, if he's got as much surveillance on the inside as he does on the outside, I can see why he wouldn't be worried about anyone stealing something.

"In that case, I'll take the bottom floor." Gray cracks his knuckles eagerly. "If I find anything, you'll know."

I snicker a little. "Just make sure not to break anything. The only thing we're here to break is the curse."

"Or the ghosts." He smirks at me, as though he really thinks that I should believe that this place is haunted.

"Ugh…" I roll my eyes. "This place isn't haunted, Gray."

"Alright, I'll tell the ghosts you said hello." Gray waves to me, before heading out into the hall.

That leaves me to search upstairs. And it looks like that's where most of the bedrooms are. So the chances are high that I'll be the one to run into the source of the sinister magic hanging about this place.

Leaving the distraught couple behind in the sitting room, I walk into the hall and climb the stairs to start my search. I start by walking up and down the corridors, stretching out my senses to pinpoint the location of the magic.

It's a long, slow process, because magic shifts and moves, like a living and breathing being. And this magic is no exception. It doesn't feel like it's changing location, just like it's changing the direction in which the magic flows.

After an hour of searching, I finally make my third round of the corridors, and I feel it. The magical energy of the curse, and this definitely feels like something rather sinister. Not too powerful, but sinister nonetheless.

I stare at the large wooden door, trying to make a pretty simple decision. _Do I open the door? Or do I call Gray up here first?_

One of the maids comes walking down the hall, and seems startled when she sees me. "Oh, you're one of the wizards, right?"

I nod. "Yes."

She walks up to me and stares at the door. "Is there something wrong with the dressing room?"

I turn my head back to stare at the door. "There is. Do you think that you could find my partner and tell him to come up here? I've found the source of the magic."

She gasps and spins around, quickly fleeing the corridor. _Well…that was helpful._

I deliberate on a course of action for a couple more minutes. _Well, no point in putting it off any longer._ I reach for the handle of the door, before hearing footsteps coming towards me from down the hall.

Turning my head, I see Gray racing towards me, the maid leading him here. _Ah, looks like she ran off to find him, not because she was scared._

"Did you really find the source?" Gray skids to a stop next to me, then cringes. "Oh boy…I can feel the magic now. Makes sense, since it felt strongest to me just downstairs."

"Well, this room is definitely where it's coming from." I turn the handle carefully. "Miss, you might want to clear this floor. I can't guarantee anyone's safety if they get too close."

She nods and runs off again, clearly not one to want to waste any time. And as soon as she's out of sight, I push the door open and take a step inside.

The room is dark, so I reach to the wall and flick on the lights. They turn on, and everything looks normal enough. But I can definitely feel the magic coming from this room. We've found the problem. And I'm not sure if that's a good thing.

The wardrobe in the corner catches my eye. It's a fine piece, very well crafted. "Well that sure looks expensive."

"No kidding." Gray eyes it suspiciously. "It looks like it might be one of the most expensive pieces of furniture in this whole place."

I laugh nervously. "In that case, let's be sure not to break it."

Suddenly, everything in the room starts to rattle, and the sinister magic flares. It's as though it's reacting to our presence. Like it's reacting to our magic. And it's reacting very violently as small objects, hand mirrors, perfume bottles, and boxes of make up start flying around the room like a tornado.

I feel a hand on my back, and in an instant, Gray is on top of me, pushing me to the floor. "Stay down!"

The temperature drops in an instant, and all of the flying objects are encased in ice as Gray's magic goes to work. They all fall to the floor, some of the mirrors smashing on impact.

 _Well…there goes my hope of finishing this job without breaking anything…_

But that's not the worst of it. With all of its ammunition gone, the curse seems to be getting angry, if that's possible. And it pulls off the impossible. The big oak wardrobe with the fancy designs and old lettering starts to move. _Of course…it just had to be the big, expensive looking wardrobe…_

It starts coming straight for us.

"Come on!" I don't know when Gray got up, but he pulls me to my feet, out the door and into a run. "Jeez, what the hell? What kind of curse is this?"

"My guess…a bad one." I'm going to need time to prepare a spell to deal with it, and I'm going to need room, and ceaseless concentration. "Gray, we need to get it into a big open space!"

"Got it! I know just the place! Downstairs and to the left, there should be plenty of room!" I have no idea where he's directing me to, but I'm going to have to trust him on this.

We run, Gray bringing up the rear as the demented, walking wardrobe chases us through the house. _Chased by a cursed wardrobe, huh? Never thought something like this would happen to me on a job._

I jump down the stairs and take a left, just like Gray told me to. There's a pair of big wooden doors, quite nicely decorated. So I blow them open carefully and sprint inside.

 _Well, Gray sure wasn't kidding about this place. There's plenty of room._ It looks like he's led me right into the library.

Unfortunately, it looks like we aren't the only ones in here. And as the wardrobe comes crashing into the library, somehow completely unharmed by the trip here, the maids cleaning the library all scream and run towards the back of the room.

 _Awesome, now we've got people to protect as well…_ I spin around to face the wardrobe, pulling my book from my bag. "Gray! Buy me as much time as you can, I need to find the right spell and get it ready!"

He grimaces and turns his back to me. "Alright, but hurry! This thing doesn't look friendly!"

Without another word, I sit down on the floor and open the book up on my lap, flipping through the pages as fast as I can. _Alright…I need to find a haunting curse for use on objects. Something that resembles what people call a poltergeist._

"Ciara! Have you found the spell yet?"

"Not yet! I need more time!" I flip through the pages faster, until I find a section for curses used on objects. "Okay! I think I've got it!"

But as I read through the counter-curse section, books start flying off the shelves, and several of them shoot straight towards my head. I duck, and they fly right over me, but this situation is clearly becoming more dangerous than I anticipated.

"Hurry up!" And for a moment, I look up to see Gray trying to hold off the wardrobe, without breaking it. And he's clearly having a hard time resisting the urge to smash it.

So I focus on the book, and I find the spell. Here it is! And luckily for me, it's fairly short. On the other hand, this looks like fairly high level magic. That's not going to be easy to pull off.

I take a light pen out of my bag, something that I brought along, just in case I needed to write a spell out. I copy the magic circle in the book onto the floor, dodging the flying books the whole time. _Almost there…just a few more characters._ It's some pretty old magic, but I'm versed in these letters, so it's not too hard to make sure that I've made no mistakes. One mistake, and this won't work.

As books spin themselves into a whirlwind, and the wardrobe dances around like it's in a ballet, I sit perfectly still in the middle of the magic circle, concentrating on the spell. This incantation is difficult for me, especially at my current skill level. But I have to pull it off, it's the only one that will work.

Gray runs around the room, protecting me from the very hostile flying books. "Ice-Make: Wall!"

Walls of ice appear on either side of me, and I head the dull thunk of books hitting them and falling to the floor. _Well, at least the curse hasn't decided to throw anything particularly fragile at us yet._

The magic circle around me starts to glow, which means that I've actually pulled off writing the spell down. I hate to think what would have happened if I hadn't. Now, I just need to conjure the power to apply it. "Gray! Bring the wardrobe over here! I'm ready!"

"Alright!" He skids across the floor and starts sprinting towards me, the wardrobe following closely behind him. "You sure about this!?"

"Yeah!" The magic circle glows brighter, and the characters from the circle project themselves into the air. _It's now or never!_ "Gray! Get out of the way!"

Trusting me to do my thing, Gray dives out of the way and rolls across the floor as the wardrobe heads straight for me. The characters start to shimmer, and as soon as the wardrobe reaches the circle, it freezes. The characters swirl around the rather aggressive piece of furniture, slamming into the wooden frame before disappearing.

As the last of the characters disappears, the wardrobe stops shaking. It stops moving at all. And all of the sinister magic that once surrounded it is gone.

I slump to the floor and breathe a sigh of relief. "Jeez…that was hard."

"You doing alright?" Gray stands over me, bending down to look at my face. "You look a bit tired."

I smile and give him a thumbs up. "Yeah, I'm good." I close my eyes and yawn. "But I think that I'm going to sleep on the train ride home."

"That sounds like a plan. But you might want to get up, otherwise I'll have to carry you there." The muted laughter in his voice tells me that he's only half joking. He really would carry me there if he had to.

So I open my eyes and sit up, giving the stupid wardrobe another look. "Well, I guess this thing won't be giving anyone any trouble from now on." I roll onto my knees, picking myself up off the ground and dusting myself off. "I guess it's time to tell them that we finished the job."

"We are already aware." I snap my gaze towards the door, peering around the wardrobe to see Mr. Shizu and his wife. "We just arrived. The maids told us that they had seen a wardrobe chasing the two of you through the house and into the library."

"So that's it…" From the looks of the two of them, they aren't too pleased with the mess, but their relief about the issue being resolved seems to be their main focus. "Well, I used a pretty powerful spell to deal with the curse, so there shouldn't be any more problems with this wardrobe. But please, take my advice. Be careful what you buy."

"Yes, I will take that into consideration." He approaches us, handing us a package containing the reward money. Mr. Shizu then bows appreciatively. "Thank you for lifting the curse. I don't know what we would have done if this chaos had continued."

"Probably waited another month or two for another wizard to come along and try to break the curse." No point in me sugar-coating it. "It's not a common skill to have. Most wizards I've met specialize in combat or elemental magic. It's easier to take on jobs that way."

"No joke. We're used to dealing with monsters, not curses." Gray smiles wryly. "Anyway, we should probably head back. If we get to the station soon, we should be able to catch the last train home."

"Good idea." With another stretch of my arms, I sling my bag over my shoulder and stuff the money inside it. "I sure hope I never have to see cursed furniture again…"

Gray laughs at my slight annoyance. "You and me both…"

* * *

After being respectfully escorted from the grounds by the butler, the two of us head for the train station. Luckily for us, we make it half an hour before the last train leaves. Although it means that we probably won't arrive in Magnolia until early in the morning.

Once we're safely in our seats, I stretch my arms, then try to stifle a yawn. "Alright, time to sleep. That spell took a lot out of me."

"Hm…" Gray frowns, then scoots over to the other side of his seat, patting the place beside him. "Come here."

I raise an eyebrow, but don't question it. I leave my bag in its spot and sit beside Gray. "What's this about?"

Gray smiles and tosses his bag into the seat I just vacated, turning his back to the window. "Come on, you need to sleep." His cheeks turn a little red, and he opens his arms wide. "It should be more comfortable like this."

I realize what he's getting at immediately, and my face heats up like a firework. "Uh…okay." I hesitantly lean over and rest my head on his chest. And I can hear his heart beating a little faster than usual. "Guess I'll sleep here then."

"I'll wake you up when we get there…"

I close my eyes nice and tight. _Ugh…how am I supposed to sleep like this!?_

But I must be pretty tired. Because one way or another, I drift slowly off to sleep.

* * *

 **Okay, now I know that it might seem like Gray is kinda OOC. But in my defense, Gray is actually a lot more caring and considerate than he seems at first, though mostly when Natsu isn't around and picking a fight with him. So this is stuff that I can actually see him doing. (And again, I do ship Gruvia, so please be patient). Let's just say that these two get busted by the worst person possible.**

 **On another note, I've only got two chapters left for this part, and they're just about finished, so I'll be posting them up as well today, then getting back to writing up the introductory and Lullaby arcs.**

 **Yes, Lucy is coming soon, very soon. Oh, and she's going to get some P.O.V. moments. I just don't quite know when yet. You'll know when I figure it out.**


	21. Overprotective

**So, you know those moments when Natsu gets overly protective (of basically anyone, but he seems to get particularly protective of Lucy…hehehe), or gets pissed off for no reason (but it's totally a legitimate reason to him)? Yeah, me too, they happen all the freaking time. So…what do you think happens when a highly protective big brother walks in on his little sister (who he's been protecting forever) and his biggest rival/frenemy in the guild?**

 **Nothing good.**

 **Plus it doesn't help that *cough* *cough* a certain parental figure *cough* *cough* is hanging out right where he can see this going down. Hey give me some props, I'm trying to avoid spoiling for people who take their sweet time reading or watching, and haven't gotten caught up yet.**

 **So, this is what I figure would happen. Kinda OOC, but...it happens two years before the canon, so give me a little leeway here.**

 **Gruvia shippers, you're welcome. Everyone else, I'm sorry.**

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

Happy and I just got back from another job, and I'm still feeling a little nauseous from the train ride. _Damn it…I hate trains… I hate all vehicles… At least I got back early this time, managed to skip a whole train ride too._ But as I'm walking into the guild hall, I freeze, almost literally. Normally, I would loudly announce my return to the entire guild, then go looking for my sister.

Not today…

I see straight through the guild's regulars and into one of the corners, to a table that's been pushed almost out of sight, and see something I really wish I hadn't. Because it sends my protective instincts into overdrive in two seconds flat.

 _Gray is so…dead._

I storm into the hall and Lisanna catches sight of me, grabbing onto my arm quickly and pulling me over to the bar and out of earshot. "Hey Natsu! I didn't hear you come back… How did your job go?"

"Let go of me, Lisanna…" I try to suppress the growl in my voice, and fail miserably. "I'm going to kill him."

"Ah…please don't…" Lisanna gives me her friendliest smile, while tugging insistently on my arm. "Come on…it wouldn't be nice to make someone clean up the blood you know."

Happy tries to calm me down as well, but it's not working at all. "Come on Natsu…is it really that bad for her to love Gray?"

"Yeah it is!" Happy just doesn't get that protecting Ciara from perverts is part of my job as her big brother. And Gray most definitely qualifies as a pervert, the biggest pervert I've ever met. He'll strip anywhere, anytime, and feel no shame. "I don't care if I get blood everywhere. That bastard is going to pay for this." _He's wrong for her, I know it._

Lisanna keeps holding me back. "But Natsu…it's her choice. You really shouldn't interfere. Besides, the two of them look really good together. They seem happy."

"Like hell! I don't care if they look good together or not! I am not letting him take advantage of my sister like that!" I tear my arm from her grasp and storm over to where Gray is sitting. He and Ciara are in a serious lip-lock.

He's got my sister in his lap, and his hands are in just about every place that they shouldn't be. "Hey pervert! If you get your hands off my sister in the next three seconds, I won't charcoal your ass!" Flames envelop my right fist as my anger spikes. "One…two…"

The pervert glares at me and stops kissing my sister. "What do you want, flame-brain? Can't you see we're busy?" He may have stopped kissing her, but his hands are still all over her. And I don't like that one bit.

"Oh, I can see that. And that's the problem!" I grab Ciara's arm and yank her off Gray's lap and into my arms, protecting her from him. "What the hell do you think you're doing!? I never said that you could touch her!"

"Natsu, what the hell?" Ciara beats her fists against my shoulders and pushes herself out of my grip, backing away from me as though I'm the problem here. "He wasn't doing anything wrong! If he was, I would have punched him through the floor."

 _Wasn't doing anything wrong!?_ I try to contain my anger, but it's all spilling out like a wildfire. "How long has this been going on?"

Ciara glares at me, obviously unhappy with how I barged in on their alone time. "Three months. Is that a problem?"

 _Three months!? She's been doing this without telling me for three whole months? How the hell did she hide it?_ "Are you stupid or something!? Of everyone in the guild, why did it have to be that pervert!? And how could you not tell me!?" I should have been able to find out about this. Our emotions and thoughts are linked, so even if we're not trying to send thoughts to each other, they can leak over the connection anyway. The only way that she could have hidden this is if she was hiding her thoughts from me. And she never hides her thoughts from me!

But instead of giving me the answers I want, she just gets even angrier. "Natsu! Who I decide to spend time with is none of your business! And neither is what I decide to do during that time! So back the hell off and stop sticking your nose where it isn't wanted!"

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I am livid. Enraged. Furious.

Not only has Natsu barged in on a moment between me and Gray, but he did it in front of the entire guild. Though I guess that I shouldn't have expected any less of him, considering his personality, but he could have at least had the decency to argue with me about this when there was no one around. Instead, he's gotten into this whole mess in front of everyone. He's never embarrassed me like this before. His usual antics, I can handle. But this? This has crossed the line.

A reaction like this is exactly why I insisted that we keep it quiet for a while. I was going to break it to Natsu gently, and in private. But Natsu wasn't supposed to be back for another two days. I never expected him to walk in on this. Especially since we were hidden well enough that no one else noticed us. And it couldn't have happened at a worse time. It's taken this long for us to even get properly comfortable with each other. Thanks to Natsu, all of that progress has been thrown out the window.

I grab Natsu by the scarf. Yes, the scarf. The one thing that no one is allowed to touch, ever, and I use it to drag his face right in front of mine. "What the hell do you think you're playing at? I never asked you to interfere in my private life! So why do you insist on trying to protect me when I don't need you to protect me!? I keep telling you that I'm not a kid anymore, so stop treating me like one!"

Natsu's eyebrows scrunch together in confusion, then he looks over my shoulder and glares at Gray. "Why him?"

His question astonishes me more than anything else. "Why him?" My fist tightens on his scarf and my glare goes icy cold. _Damn it! Why is he so immature!?_

I unclench my fist and push Natsu away from me, shaking my head painfully. "Natsu, you just don't get it…"

"Then how about you explain it to me!? Why him!?"

I growl at Natsu, something I rarely do, even when I'm angry with him. "Why not him!? He pays attention to me! He cares about me!"

Natsu grits his teeth, his gaze becoming harsher. "He's not right for you! Especially if you're just mad that you don't get enough attention."

 _Why you…_ "I'm not mad over something stupid like not getting enough attention! And who are you to decide what or who is right for me!?" And here's the one thing that I've never wanted to say. The one thing I've never resorted to saying. "You're not Igneel, so stop trying to play the father!"

Natsu's eyes go wide and he doesn't say a thing. His shock and surprise wash over me like the waves on a beach. But these waves are cold, and they come crashing down on my head mercilessly. No mercy, just like this damn mouth of mine.

"Ciara…"

"No!" I've had more than enough of this shit. "I don't care what you want to say! I've had it with your overprotective instincts!" I turn my back on him, seething with anger. "I don't need you hovering over me, judging my every decision. So the next time you feel like making a comment on what I do, keep it to yourself."

I storm away from him without looking back, finding a quiet part of the guild so that I can sit down and calm myself. _Why does that idiot always have to ruin everything!?_

I sit there for what seems like forever, until a pair of footsteps have me glancing over at that head of dark hair that I know so well. "Gray…"

"Hey." He stands there a little awkwardly. "So…that was…interesting."

"Don't you mean aggravating? Infuriating? Embarrassing, maybe?" Considering the situation, it could be any of them. I'm certainly feeling a whole whirlwind of emotions right now.

"Well, it was embarrassing for sure…" He seems to be trying to keep a steady gaze, but he's failing miserably. "Natsu sure gets protective of you, huh… I can see why you two argue so much."

"Get to the point, Gray." I know that hes dancing around. Only an idiot wouldn't be able to see that. And if there's one thing I pride myself on, it's not being an idiot. "You know that I hate it when people just beat around the bush like that."

He rubs the back of his head awkwardly. "Sorry… I just… I don't know if I can handle being in the middle of your issues with your brother." He deliberately avoids my gaze, as if that would make this situation even more awkward. "Maybe we should call it quits."

I bite my lip, before forcing out a smile. "Yeah, I guess that would be for the best. After all, we're not just going to stop being friends over this."

"Yeah." He finally smiles, and stops avoiding my eyes. "We're family, right? Besides, we could try again after you sort out your issues with Natsu…" He says that, but he sounds a little less than hopeful about it. And none too enthusiastic either.

 _So…it takes a hothead like Natsu to cool down the flames of an ice wizard. Ironic…_ But I can't be the one to bring this conversation down. My pride won't allow it. "Yeah!" I give him the happiest, most bubbly reply that I can, hoping that it's convincing enough to fool even the most astute observer. "Maybe later then."

"Cool. Then I guess I'll see you around." Obviously he still feels a little awkward, but he's calm enough to walk away without making himself look like an idiot.

I hate leaving it like this, and I feel like crying. But I push down my emotions and smirk at his back. "And Gray, put on some damn clothes!"

"Ahhh!" He freaks out when he realizes that he's gone and stripped down to his boxers again. "Oh man!"

I sigh and turn to leave. But as I glance towards the bar, I can see Lisanna sitting there with Natsu, and neither of them look very happy. Then again, neither am I. _Guess your intuition was off, Lisanna. There's no happy ending here…_

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I'm not sure if I feel bad for my sister, or mad at her. I'm just trying to protect her, and she went and blew up in my face.

"You know…you really didn't have to do that." Lisanna frowns at me with that look of disapproval that I really don't like. "You really hurt her this time."

I stare down at the plate of food in front of me, my fists clenched tightly. "I just don't want anyone taking advantage of her."

Lisanna purses her lips and shakes her head. "She's not going to let anyone take advantage of her. She's smarter than that, you know? And I can't believe that you tore into them like that. After all of my hard work…"

My mouth drops open and I stare at her. "You're the one who set them up!?"

"Of course!" She has the nerve to go and look all proud of herself. "I thought that they would make a great couple! But now you've gone and ruined it."

"S-" I quickly shut my mouth. _No, I won't say that. I'm not sorry. I did what I had to._ I did what I could to protect her.

But Lisanna isn't having any of that, and she whacks me right on top of my head. "Natsu! You have to go apologize to her!"

"What!? Why?" I dig my heels in and refuse to budge. "Why should I have to apologize for being right!?"

"Natsu!" She whacks me again. "She's your sister, and you hurt her feelings!"

"But Lisanna…"

"Go!" She points over to the other side of the guild, commanding me to do as she says. "If she's crying, then you need to do something about it!"

"Fine…" I highly doubt that she's crying, but I drag myself away from the bar and head towards the corner where I saw her run off to. The problem is, she's not there. Where did she…? I sniff the air, and I find a weak trail of her scent headed outside. _Did she go home? I didn't see her leave, but…_

I walk towards the doors, following the traces of her scent carried around on the breeze. She's nowhere in sight, which means that she must have left the guild hall and gone home. _Great…_

That leaves me with no choice but to pay her a visit at home. I head down the street to her house, jump over the gate and knock on the front door. "Ciara! Open up!"

There's no answer from inside, but I can smell her in there, so I know that she's home. "Ciara! Come on, it's me! Let me in!"

"Go away, Natsu!" Her voice is muffled by the door. "I don't want to see your stupid face!"

There's a sinking feeling in my stomach, and I don't like it. "Come on, just let me in!"

"No! Now go away, or I'll throw you into the lake!"

That stops me cold. _Maybe I should wait a few days…I really don't want to get thrown into the lake again._ The first time she threw me into the lake, Happy had to drag me out, and I caught a cold that lasted for a week. After that day, I made sure to learn how to swim. I haven't had any problem with getting out of the lake since then, but I still don't like it when she gets mad enough to hurl me in there. It's cold.

"Ciara…?"

"GO AWAY!" The house shakes a bit, making the windows rattle. And I know all too well what that means.

 _I'll try again in a few days…_

* * *

 **So, that's what I imagine Natsu would be like if he caught Gray with his sister. Pissed as hell.**

 **Holy shit…pardon my French (fun fact, I actually do speak French, have for the last…well, since I was in kindergarten, so a very long time) but I just realized that my story is going to end up being massively long… The pre-canon arc alone is going to end up around 70-72k words. Then I've got to finish all of the canon arcs, plus the extra stuff.**

 **Well, I hope you guys are in for the long haul, because this is gonna take a while.**


	22. Gone

**I'm sorry about last chapter, it was a little weird, and hard to write. I'm also sorry about this chapter, but it's because I'm about to send you all on a feels trip. So go on youtube and find the Kizuna (I personally like this one better) or Shukumei tracks for Fairy Tail. And loop the music while you read this chapter.**

 **If you do that and don't feel sad. Well, that's impressive as hell. Or scary. Maybe both. You might be a psychopathic serial killer. Or just really stoic.**

 **I woke up from a nap, felt inspired, wrote this chapter…and cried. A lot.**

* * *

May - X782

After the shit that Natsu pulled, I've been staying away from the guild for the past week. The last thing I need to see right now is Natsu or Gray. Or anyone else for that matter, since I'd bet half a million jewel that pretty much everyone has heard about what happened.

That day was complete and utter humiliation. And I don't know if I'll ever live it down. Natsu stormed and raged right through the guild hall. As if I didn't already have enough to deal with, he went and pulled a stunt like that. He could have confronted me about it calmly, behind closed doors, but instead, he did it out in the open where anyone could see.

On the other hand, having a whole week to myself has let me mull over a few things. Honestly, if that little incident is all it took to break us up, then I guess Natsu had a point after all, just not the one he was trying to make. But whether he was right or wrong doesn't matter at the moment, because I still feel awkward about showing my face at the guild. And maybe I'm still too young to be bothering with boys.

 _To hell with boys. I don't need a boyfriend if it's just going to end like this._

I know that I have to show my face there eventually, and putting it off is only going to make it even more awkward. So I drag myself out of my house and make the short trip over to the guild hall.

But as I push the doors open, an eerie atmosphere greets me. It sends chills up and down my spine, but I don't know why. It feels tense and sad, and it's incredibly quiet, like someone's been hurt. It makes my skin tingle, my nose itch, and my ears twitch. And some of the lights aren't turned on, making a dark scene even darker. It's all a little weird.

That is, until I hear the crying. The heart-wrenching sobs of the brokenhearted. And the whispers that form an ode to something terrible.

 _What the hell happened?_

I walk into the guild and look around. And my eyes find Mirajane and Elfman, heavily bandaged and sitting on the floor. Wait…did they go on a job? And… I look around, but I can't see Lisanna. I sniff the air, but I still cant smell her. Where is she?

Mirajane looks up as I walk over, tears in her reddened eyes, and sniffling like a child. And her eyes widen when she sees me. "Ciara…"

"Mira…?" I search her face, looking for answers, wondering where Lisanna is. And what I find is a guild full of sad faces, some crying, some simply looking like the world has been drained of color. It's an atmosphere that I never knew our happy go lucky guild was capable of producing. It's heavy and dark, like storm clouds.

But when Mira breaks down into a fresh round of sobbing, glistening tears trickling down her face, I know that there's no need to ask anymore. Without hearing a word, I already know what's happened. It's something that we all have to face at one point or another. It's the risk that we take as wizards, to do the work we do, the work that is more dangerous than people seem to think. And it's the bitter reality of the way we live. And the way that we die.

The job was too much for them. A fight went bad. And Lisanna is gone.

I would probably break down and cry as well, but honestly, I'm too shocked to do anything. Last week, Lisanna was trying to hold Natsu back, trying to get him to give me and Gray some space. Three months ago, she was setting the two of us up together. But now… Now, she's gone for good.

I was feeling sad and awkward on my way here, wondering how I would handle seeing everyone. But now, it doesn't matter anymore. Who cares about some stupid crush, and an even stupider break-up… No one cares about that now. And I guess it's a bit of a relief. No one will remember what happened last week. The pain from that is lost in this new pain. But it's a pain I never would have wished on anyone.

So I sit down next to Mira, whose arm is broken, splinted and bandaged, and I wrap my arms around her, leaning her head against my shoulder. And even though she usually hates being shown affection and being touched or hugged, she just cries and cries into my shoulder. She's so broken that she doesn't even have the will to fight anymore.

I know what it's like to lose someone. Natsu and I haven't seen Igneel in years. He could be dead for all we know, or maybe he just abandoned us. I'm honestly not sure which is worse; losing him forever, or losing him forever because he hated us. Either way, it's not a warm and fuzzy feeling.

"She's gone…she's gone…my little sister is gone…" Her sobs become hysterical. I never thought that I'd ever see Mira like this. She's always been a cocky, rude, self-centered and proud girl. But now, that part of her is nowhere to be found.

But it looks like I'm not the only late arrival to this sobering news. Natsu walks in the open doors and freezes on the threshold. He sees all of the tears, and his eyes fall to where I'm holding Mira in my arms. _What happened…?_

I shake my head softly. _Natsu… The job went bad…_

Elfman bawls right next to us. "I can't believe she's gone."

Mira looks up at Natsu, her little sister's best friend in this whole place. "There was nothing left of her to bring back."

Elfman starts sobbing even harder. "I wish she could have had a proper burial…" I would offer a hug to Elfman, but with Mira already sobbing in my arms, there's just no room in my tiny embrace for the big sad teddy bear.

 _Lisanna is…?_

A few tiny tears trickle down my cheeks. Tears for my friend. No matter how annoying she may have been at times, and no matter how much she egged Natsu on in his stupid schemes, she was always our friend. She was always there for anyone who needed it.

Not anymore.

* * *

The atmosphere at the guild doesn't improve at all over the next few days. In fact, it's become so suffocating that it's hard to even show up there. Without Lisanna, it's so much quieter than it used to be. And there's a brightness missing.

Mira and Elfman have been visiting Kardia Cathedral every day, arranging for a gravestone for Lisanna. It's not something that a couple of teenagers should have to do. They've already been through so much, that it seems cruel to make them go picking out a headstone for their little sister.

I haven't talked to Natsu in days. He's been spending all of his time out at the little house that he and Lisanna made for hatching Happy. And from the looks of it, he's making her a headstone himself. Far away from the graveyard, and far away from prying eyes. It's in a place that he and Lisanna shared so many happy memories in.

But it's been long enough, and I go to see Natsu. First, I watch him as he sits in front of the headstone, just staring at it. It's strange, seeing my brother so subdued and quiet. Usually he's incapable of being quiet for more than half a second, but lately, it's like he isn't even there.

I catch another scent on the breeze, and I see Happy sitting in a tree, watching Natsu. He looks as despondent as the rest of the guild.

Small gusts of wind circle around me, carrying me up to the branch where Happy is sitting. "Happy's not so happy, huh…"

Happy turns to me, the fur on his face soaked and matted by tears. "Cia…" It's been a long time since he last called me that. And back then, he was just a little crybaby. Just like he is right now. He bursts into a fresh round of tears and leaps at me, burying his small face in my chest. "Why? Why is she gone!? It's not fair!"

The sound of his sadness rings in my ears, and I slowly stroke his soft blue fur. "Because it was her time to go…" I take a deep breath, calming myself enough to keep my head on straight. "Because nothing lasts forever. Which means that we have to make the most of it while we have the chance. Right?"

"Aye…" He nearly chokes on his sobs, so I squeeze him against my chest and just let him cry his little heart out. A tiny little heart…with no end to its depth. Our little bluebird of happiness…with the purest heart of any of us, crying that pure little hear out in my arms.

I float slowly down to the ground, cradling Happy in my arms as I approach Natsu. He's as still as a statue, and it doesn't even look like he can hear me. Usually, his ears twitch a little if he hears someone coming up on him from behind. But not today. Not a twitch to be seen.

Natsu… The thought floats towards him, and I wait in silence for an answer.

"This was her favorite spot, you know." His voice is quiet, much too quiet for my loud and obnoxious big brother.

"She liked to watch the sunset from here, right?" I remember him once telling me about how great the view of the sunset was from here. I even came out here a few times to watch it with them. But I was never as diligent as the two of them, and especially not as diligent as Lisanna.

The answer is slow in coming. "Yeah. Now she can watch it every day."

"That's really sweet of you, you know. I'm sure that she appreciates it."

"Yeah. I hope she does."

I'm close enough now to crouch down next to him. And I see an expression on his face that I hope I never see again. It's blank, empty, hollow. It's like a part of him has been ripped out. It's like his heart has been ripped out.

Happy's sobs have quieted down now, and the poor little guy is asleep in my arms. He cried himself right to sleep, something I haven't seen in a very long time. And something I had hoped I would never have to see again. There are many things I I had hoped to never see again.

Natsu doesn't even spare us a glance. "How's Happy?"

"He's fine. He's gone and cried himself to sleep."

"I see…" Natsu's voice is as hollow as his eyes. And even though I started this past week off angry with him, there's no anger in me now. I can't be angry at him when he's got this expression on his face. My anger just seems so stupid now. Pointless.

"Natsu…do you want me to get you something to eat? Something to drink?" I just need to make sure that he's going to be okay.

"No…can you just…stay here with me?" The emptiness is starting to be filled with a dark, heartbroken sound.

I nod and reach out my hand to his, setting Happy down in my lap. "I'll stay as long as you want."

I expect him to continue sitting there in silence, as he's been doing for days. But instead of sitting quietly. A tear trickles down his face, and he turns to me, his eyes now full of despair. He lets go of my hand, and wraps his arms around me, pressing his head against my chest, blocking out all light from his vision.

He hasn't cried since we got the news, not once. He's made himself be strong for everyone else, reassuring them and trying to give them a measure of peace and hope by telling them what Lisanna would have wanted. Smiles, happiness, and no tears.

But as I hold him in my arms, he breaks down. Sobbing uncontrollably, tears coursing down his cheeks. It's the tears that no one else is allowed to see. And he must have been holding back all of his emotions, not letting me feel them. Because it feels like a dam breaks, and all of his sadness and despair wash over me like a giant wave, plunging me into a bottomless ocean.

I've kept it together this long. But tears start dripping into his hair, flowing freely from my eyes, silent, unlike his noisy tears. There's nothing I can possibly say to make him feel any better, and there's nothing I can do to make any of this right. All I can do is stroke his hair and let him cry it out. Because even someone as hardheaded as Natsu needs a time to cry.

Even if he's a pain in the ass, and never listens to anyone. Even though he destroys half the stuff he touches, and sets way too much stuff on fire. And even though he's always in the mood to pick a fight. Natsu has the biggest heart of anyone I know. And he feels the pain and loneliness and sadness of everyone around him, no matter if he likes them or not.

He cries and cries for what seems like forever. He's not the type to cry, but it looks like today, he's making an exception. And poor Happy must be so exhausted that the crying doesn't even wake him up.

When his sobs finally die down to sniffles, he rubs his face against my shirt. "I'm sorry…"

"It's okay…"

"I'm sorry that I made you sad." My eyes widen and his sniffles die down as well, his voice tight and hoarse. "I won't make you sad like that again…"

"Natsu…" _This idiot. It's hardly the time for that now…_ "It's okay Natsu…I'm not angry anymore. And that's not what I'm sad about. So forget about it."

He sniffs a couple more times, and it seems like his tears have finally stopped. "Lisanna…she told me not to make you cry. Before she left, she told me not to make you cry again. So I won't. I won't make you cry, or make you sad ever again. Okay?"

I stop stroking his hair and plant a kiss in the bright pink locks. "Okay. It's a promise."

And this is a promise that I know he'll keep. No matter what.

 _Lisanna, I know you tried, but without you here, I think I'm swearing off boys. No more of that matchmaking crap for me._

 _We'll never forget you._

* * *

 **Okay…that hurt to write. Seriously, that was probably the second most painful thing I've ever written. And of course, to get in the mood for writing it, I listened to Kizuna over and over again. I'm surprised that I didn't get a dehydration headache. Then again, I might have, I'm not sure. I wrote most of this while I had a fever and a splitting headache.**

 **Okay, since there's only so many feels I can bear putting into a single chapter, I'm gonna stop that one right there.**

 **Though on a happier note, this marks the end of the pre-canon arc. We're skipping ahead a couple of years now, since there's no more major events that happen between Lisanna's "death" and the main story. Unless there's one that I'm missing. If so, please enlighten me.**


	23. New Arrival

**Okay, I promised the start of the canon arcs, and here it is. Lucy comes to Fairy Tail. Since I'm sure everyone has seen the first episode, I'm skipping right ahead to Lucy's actual arrival at the guild. And pardon me if she seems like a little fangirl. Let's be honest, at the start, she pretty much is.**

 **Lucy gets a P.O.V. But just a short one.**

* * *

X784

Ciara's P.O.V.

I've been hanging around for the guild for a few days, waiting for a good job to come in. We get new jobs on the board pretty much every day, so it's only a matter of time before I find one that I like. But I've been going on so many jobs lately that I've been spending maybe five days a month at the guild. Sometimes, it's good to just sit back and relax for a little while. So until a really tempting job comes in, that's precisely what I'll do. It's not like I have to pay rent or anything.

But my relaxation time doesn't last long when my brother comes bursting back into the guild hall, kicking the door open with his usual gusto. "We made it back alive!"

I scoff silently. _Yeah, you're back alive. But I heard about what you did in Hargeon, you moron. Don't look so proud of yourself after destroying half the port._

Natsu glances in my direction and pouts. _Hey! There was a guy pretending to be from Fairy Tail, called himself Salamander, and was using a charm spell to kidnap girls! And then he picked a fight with me!_

 _Of course he did... But you still destroyed half the port…_

Natsu quiets down a bit, but Happy flutters up and down excitedly. "We're home!" And this time, the two of them have brought a girl with them.

Krov grins at Natsu as my brother storms into the guild hall."So I heard you went all out in Hargeon, Natsu! Had to go starting troub-"

But Natsu doesn't let him finish that sentence, and he kicks the poor fool across the room."You lied about that salamander! I'm gonna kick your butt!"

"Don't get mad at me, I'm not the one to blame here! I just passed along a rumor I heard!"

"It was just a rumor!?" Ah…now it makes sense. Natsu was chasing down another potential lead on Igneel…and he's mad because it turned out to be a dead end. Another dead end. And true to his boisterous personality, Natsu is not taking this quietly.

That said, Krov isn't taking this lying down either."You wanna fight!?" And in true Fairy Tail style, I can already see where this is going. The same place all of the other arguments go. Straight into a full-blown brawl that tears apart the guild hall.

While the girl stands there dumbfounded, Natsu and Krov start kicking stuff around, quickly getting a slew of innocent bystanders involved. And by involved, I mean sending them flying through the air, along with their drinks, their food, and the tables.

Happy waves his paw, trying to get Natsu's attention. "Now, now, Natsu. I think you need to calm dow-" But Happy quickly gets sent flying by another flying guild member, smacking right into the wall next to me.

The girl, on the other hand, is looking around with glazed eyes. "Oh wow, I'm actually standing inside the Fairy Tail guild hall."

I shake my head and go back to my food. _Starry eyed newbie huh…? Figures that she doesn't seem to get the idea that she should be hiding under a table right about now. She'll either learn it, or end up with brain damage sooner or later._

Gray gets up from his table, obviously itching for a fight. "So Natsu made it back, huh?" And his own usual style, he's stripped down to his boxers. Again. _He really needs to work on that stripping habit of his…_ He heads towards the brawl, not caring that he's almost nude. "It's time we settled things once and for all!"

"Gray, your clothes…" As dutifully as ever, Cana points out our ice mage's unfortunate perverted habit.

"I don't have time for that!" He takes only a second to answer her before plunging into the brawl as well.

Cana turns to me and sighs. "You see? I don't date the men here because they have no class."

"I'll agree with you on that one…" I glance away as she starts downing her barrel of booze. _Not making that mistake again._

Gray kicks over a table and approaches my brother. "Come over here and fight me, Natsu!"

"Not until you put some clothes on!" _Well, it's good to see that my brother has some semblance of decency..._

"It's only noon and already you guys are whining like spoiled babies!" And just like that, our giant gets riled up as well. "I'm a real man, want me to prove it to ya!?" But I see the next move coming a mile away, Natsu and Gray both punch his lights out.

After getting his time with the ladies interrupted by a flying mug, Loke joins in on the brawling. After I brought that idiot here, he's gotten mixed up in more than a few of our daily brawls. But I guess that just makes him part of the family.

I turn to Cana and sigh. "You know, I wish they would stop throwing tables around. It's annoying to have to clean up after them, especially Natsu."

Cana pulls her face out of her barrel long enough to frown."I thought that you stopped cleaning up after Natsu years ago."

"That's what I thought too…" And yet somehow, I still end up cleaning up his messes. "Tell me about it…"

The fight start seriously picking up, even sending Elfman flying across the room to land right on Mira. So far, the only ones left untouched are me, Cana, and the blond girl. And somehow, if this keeps going, I get the feeling that I'm the only one who's going to escape unscathed.

Though my poor eyes get a whole lot more than they bargained for when Natsu steals Gray's underwear and waves it around like a trophy. I immediately cover my eyes and look as far away from him as physically possible. A nude Gray is not a sight I need or want to see. _Scratch that, all decency has flown out the window._

Cana groans and holds her head. "Ugh, it's so loud. So much for having a drink to relax."

"Cana, if that's your definition of relaxing, then maybe you should start working instead." Her drinking habits are going to get her in way over her head one of these days. I guarantee it. It's either gonna be a bet or a drinking contest, and it's going to end badly.

But she draws out one of her magic cards and holds it out, ready to attack. "That's enough you guys, I suggest that you knock it off."

But her actions just get everyone even more riled up, and magic starts being activated in every corner. With the fight escalating, Cana joins in to try and stop everyone, but fails and instead leaves the bar in order to join the fray.

With the entire hall erupting into fist fights, I finally get fed up with it all. "Honestly, why don't all of you go and take a nap." I gather magic in my mouth, and I blow everyone against walls and to the floor, flattening my brother in the process. There's no need to be gentle with these idiots.

Then Makarov walks in, the master of our guild, applauding my efforts at maintaining order. "Well done Ciara. I can always count on you to whip these troublemakers into shape." He comes in as a shadowy giant, totally freaking out the new girl, Lucy. The rest of us are completely unfazed by his appearance.

I raise my hand in his direction and wave it lazily. "They were getting on my nerves, so I shut them all up. Just doing my thing, like usual."

Mira approaches him, having recovered from having her brother thrown on top of her. She recovers quickly… "I didn't realize you were still here, Master."

"Did you say Master!?" The new girl totally freaks out, and I don't really blame her. I was more than a little shocked myself when I first saw Gramps use this form.

He looks at her carefully."Well, seems we've a new recruit."

She shakes like a leaf in a storm at the sudden introduction. "Yes sir!"

But with all of the fighting over, he shrinks down to his usual tiny size and holds his hand up to the girl. "Nice to meet'cha." Unfortunately, he was so loud and showy about it that I swear he nearly made the poor girl pee herself.

Now that she's regained her wits, she points dramatically at him. "He's tiny! This little guy's really in charge here!?"

Mira beams proudly. "Of course he is! Allow me to introduce the Fairy Tail guild master, Makarov!" I know that it's been two years since the incident, but it's still weird to see Mira so…happy. I almost liked her better when she was picking fights with everyone. But at least now, her happiness is sometimes genuine.

Gramps flips through the air, nearly breaking his back on the railing of the second floor as he gets up to make an announcement. He clears his throat, and I know we're in for a lecture. "You've gone and done it again you bunch of clods! Just take a look at how much paperwork the Magic Council sent me this time!" He waves a stack of paperwork in the air, and even I have to admit that it's thicker than usual. This is the biggest pile of complaints yet!"

I roll my eyes and glance at Natsu. _Nope…you got plenty of complaints during the years before I made S-Class. Natsu and I usually ended our jobs in chaos. And it was mostly Natsu's damn fault. He's the reason that we got called in front of the magic council, twice. You even got some after I made S-Class…_

Gramps gets even louder. "Have you lost your minds!? All you kids are good for is getting the higher-ups mad at me!" But his anger cools quickly. "However…" The papers catch fire in his hand and he grins. "I say to heck with the Magic Council." He tosses the flaming pile of paper into the air for my brother to munch on. "Now listen up. Any power that surpasses reason still comes from reason, right? Magic isn't some kind of miraculous power. It is a talent that only works when the flow of energy inside of us, and the flow of energy in the natural world are in perfect synchronization. To perform magic, one must have a strong mind, and the ability to focus. It should take over your being and come pouring out of your soul!" Now, his speech finally starts picking up. "If all we do is worry about following rules, then our magic will never progress! Don't let those blowhards on the council scare you! Follow the path you believe in! Cause that's what makes the Fairy Tail guild number one!"

Cheers erupt around the hall as Gramps finishes his motivational speech. He's always been good at that, all for calming everyone down, getting us united, and riling up our emotions. It's why I prefer his speeches to his lectures. And even his lectures aren't so bad, since he can't stay mad at any of us for long. But his speeches always make me smile.

Gramps finally comes down to sit at the bar and get something to eat and drink. He turns and smiles at me gently. "Are you here for a break between jobs? You've been gone for quite a while this time, I haven't seen you in nearly a month."

I nod. "I'll be heading out as soon as I find another job that suits my…particular talents."

"I see." He gulps down a little booze and slams his mug on the counter. "Well, be careful not to overwork yourself. We wouldn't want you to get sick."

I laugh irritably. "I haven't gotten sick in years…you know that. And Porlyusica did say that it was just chronic Magic Deficiency Disease. I've got more magic now, so it's not an issue. I guess you could say that I grew out of it."

"So you have… You've become much stronger. You've grown up quite a bit during your time here." He smiles and goes back to his mug of booze.

I sigh happily and glance over to where the new girl is getting her hand stamped by Mirajane, since she's been approved for entry by Gramps. It's not like he actually turns anyone away, but the way that he greeted her made it obvious that he approves of her. Of course, hearing that Natsu brought her along probably helped her case.

Once her pink emblem is successfully stamped on her hand, she walks over and sits down next to me, staring at me a little. "So what was that magic you used earlier? I didn't quite catch the name of your spell."

I glance at her, then sigh. "Breath of the Wind Dragon. That's what I call it. It's kind of like a gentle offshoot of my Wind Dragon Roar."

She stares at me even more. "Oh, what kind of magic is that? Is it like Natsu's Dragon Slayer Magic?"

I blink at her, slightly confused. "Did Natsu say nothing about me? Weird, he usually can't stop running his mouth." I turn to face her and smirk. "My magic is like Natsu's, you're right. But that's only natural, seeing as he's my older brother."

That shocks her pretty good. "Wait a second, you're his sister? I didn't know that he had a…" She trails off, then something occurs to her. "Wait a minute, I remember reading an article about him, it was from a few years back. It said that Salamander has a sister, Dragon Wing."

I nod. "I am Ciara 'Dragon Wing' Dragneel, Natsu's younger twin sister. I am the Wind Dragon Slayer, just like how Natsu is the Fire Dragon Slayer."

"You're Fairy Tail's Dragonslayer Twins!" She points at me like a rabid fan. "I'm a huge fan of you guys! My name is Lucy! It's so nice to meet you!"

I roll my eyes and sigh exasperatedly. "That's not really a name that we use anymore, since I tend to take different jobs than Natsu now. We haven't really worked together since we were about fourteen. Except for a random job here and there. Before that is another story, but nowadays, I'm not at the guild much. I'm usually off on jobs."

"Huh…" She seems very curious to me. "Well, I hope that we become good friends, Ciara."

I nod, then notice that Romeo is up at the bar. "How come my dad hasn't come back yet?"

Gramps puts down his mug and frowns. "You're starting to work my nerves, Romeo. You're a wizard's son! Have faith in your father and wait patiently for him."

"But sir, he told me he'd be back in three days." Romeo is starting to look rather frantic. "And he's been gone for over a week now!"

"If I remember correctly, he took the job on Mt. Hakobe." I remember seeing that job on the board the last time I was here, but it was gone when I got back. But slaying vulcans isn't something I really do anymore, it's too easy for me, so I leave it to the lower ranked members.

Romeo gets even more vocal. "That's right! And it's not that far from here, so why won't somebody go look for him!?"

And getting loud is exactly what gets Gramps angry. "Listen kid, your old man's a wizard! And like every other wizard in this guild, he can take care of himself! Now go home, have some milk and cookies, and wait!"

But Romeo isn't going quietly, not that I expected him to. He pulls his fist back and socks Gramps right in the face."Jerk! I hate you all!" Then he runs out of the guild, crying his poor eyes out.

Lucy looks out the door at Romeo's disappearing form. "That's gotta be tough…"

Mira goes back to taking down a few bottles from the shelves. "I know it sounds like the master doesn't care, but he really is worried."

Natsu, on the other hand, is furious. And from my seat at the bar, I watch him punch the request board so hard that he cracks it, nearly breaking it right in half. He's seething, and I know why. _Natsu…don't do anything reckless…_

"What do you think you're doing?" Nab points at the cracked board. "You almost broke the board, Natsu!" Gramps sighs as Nab walks over. "This doesn't look good, Master. You know how he can be. I bet he's going up to Mount Hakobe to save Macao."

Krov, recovered from the brawl earlier, shakes his head. "When is that kid ever going to grow up?"

"Who knows? Going after Macao isn't going to do anything except hurt his pride." Nab scratching his head, obviously not understanding Natsu's motivation, or any of his feelings.

 _As if any of you could possibly understand..._

Finally, Makarov steps in. "Remember Nab, we can't choose another's path. Just leave him be."

Lucy seems very confused. "Why did Natsu get so upset?"

"Probably because he and Romeo have a lot in common." Mira is the one who answers Lucy's question. "I think he's sees himself in Romeo. Just because we're members of Fairy Tail, it doesn't mean we don't have our own personal issues. We've all had our fair share of suffering and loss."

I get up from the bar and pay Mira for my food. "And some of us have it a bit rougher, like finding yourself alone in the wilderness with your sickly little sister, and no one to take care of you, while the only parent you've ever known has just up and vanished into thin air, even if that parent is a fire-breathing lizard. Some people have it that rough." I glare slightly at Mira's back. "And Mira, if you're going to tell her, then do it once I'm out of hearing range." And with that, I walk out of the guild hall before Mira starts telling Lucy about Igneel abandoning us. It's not a story that I want to hear told again.

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V.

Natsu's sister walks out of the guild hall with a scary look on her face. _What happened there...?_ So I turn to Mira. "Hey, what's wrong with her?" I'm not entirely sure what I was expecting after hearing that she's Natsu's sister, but if they're siblings, then I would think they'd be a little more alike, and she'd be a bit more friendly. Okay a lot more friendly. Then again, Natsu was the first of the two to walk out with an angry look on his face.

"Hm..." Mira sounds a little sad now. "She's probably upset because she still misses her father."

"Her father?" _Did he die or something?_

Mira goes back to scrubbing the dishes. "Many years ago, Natsu and Ciara's father left, and never came back. Well, technically it wasn't their real father, but he was the one who raised them. He was actually a dragon."

"He was a what!?" I didn't think dragons still existed, let alone get close enough to humans to raise a couple of kids. "Those two were really raised by a dragon!?" I know that Natsu and Happy told me as much back in Hargeon, but I thought that he was pulling my leg. I never really thought he was serious. _That's what she meant by a fire-breathing lizard!?_

Mira nods, still with her back to me. "When the two of them were little, a dragon found them wandering the forest. He took them in and taught them all about language, culture, and magic. But one day, the dragon disappeared, and never returned."

Finally, it starts to make some sense. "So, that dragon must have been Igneel!"

"That's right! And those two live for the day when they'll finally see Igneel again." Mira turns around with a smile on her face. "It's kinda cute, don't you think? Ciara will never admit it, but she misses Igneel just as much as Natsu does. Maybe even more, since Natsu is the one who uses the same magic as Igneel. She doesn't get that extra little bond with him." Mira's smile gets a little sad. "She's got a lot of other problems too. But she's worked hard to push through them. Natsu too."

"Huh..." It sounds to me like she's proud of them. But also...sad for them. _I wonder what else happened to them..._ "Hey, which way is Mt. Hakobe?"

Mira tilts her head. "You want to know where Mt. Hakobe is?"

"Yeah!"

"Okay, here." She pull a map off the shelf and spreads it out on the counter. "This here is Mt. Hakobe, and the quickest way to get there, other than flying, is to take this path here." She draws a trail all the way from the town to the mountain. "If you hurry, you might be able to catch him." She smiles at me and rolls up the map. "But be careful about his motion sickness!"

"I will!" I hop off the stool and head straight out the doors. _Guess it's time to find Natsu!_

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I could have gone to Mt. Hakobe with Natsu to rescue Macao, but I decided against it, since we rarely team up for jobs anymore. Though from the smell of it, Lucy went to tag along with him on this rescue mission. Her smell, a new one to my nose, left the guild earlier, chasing off after my brother. _I sure hope that girl knows what she's getting herself into. Chances are, she probably doesn't._

The fact is, Natsu and I haven't gone on a job together in over half a year because I was on a couple of lower difficulty S-Class jobs that I didn't dare bring Natsu along for. Not because it was dangerous jobs, but because they required a degree of delicacy that my brother lacks.

Either way, my brother is more than capable of finishing the request and protecting Lucy at the same time. Though if she proves herself capable and in no need of protection, that will reflect well on her start here as a wizard.

But with her gone and story time obviously over, I head back to the guild to mull over the request board again. But, finding nothing that appeals to me, I take one of my magic books and head up to the second floor to do some light reading. The book is three inches thick and covers my lap while closed.

Late into the day, Natsu comes walking back into the guild, a triumphant look on his face. And that can only mean one thing. _So…I take it that you guys saved Macao?_

 _Of course we did! Did you really think we wouldn't? Man that's cold…_

I learned a long time ago that if Natsu puts his mind to something, then chances are that he's not going to fail. One way or another, he'll get the job done. _Of course not. I know better than to doubt you when you put your mind to something._

 _You know it!_ Natsu's radiant smile lights up the whole room. That's just part of being in Fairy Tail. _Oh and by the way, Macao beat nineteen vulcans in a row before we got there._

 _Nineteen?_ Alright, to be fair, that's an impressive number, at least for a normal wizard. For us dragon slayers, however, the bar has to be raised just a little bit higher. _I just hope that Natsu doesn't blow up another port trying to set a new record…_

 _I heard that!_

 _I know..._

* * *

 ** _Okay, so I'm gonna explain something down here about the P.O.V. system I'm using. Just so that no one gets confused._**

 ** _Primarily, it's going to be Ciara's P.O.V. I've said this before, but I'll reiterate it, just to make sure. She is the OC, therefore the story happens according to what's going on around her, within the parameters of the canon universe, and a little creative freedom on my part._**

 ** _Natsu gets a P.O.V. once in a while to either supplement or contradict Ciara's P.O.V. or if the two of them get separated, to show both views of the situation. He will have the second highest number of P.O.V. turns._**

 ** _Lucy will get a P.O.V when both of these two are off screen, or if there's something she can contribute, such as her views on the twins._**

 ** _Rogue will eventually get another P.O.V. but only after the Tenrou Island incident. Once I get to the GMG arc, he'll start getting more. You know, so we can get the Sabertooth view on how things play out._**


	24. The Strongest Team

**Okay, so Lucy is getting lucky and getting another P.O.V. But it's mostly because Ciara looks at everything outside herself, and Natsu looks at his little sis through rose colored glasses. So you know, an outside perspective.**

 **And thank you to earthlover and Yumi for saying that you love the story, and for being so eager to get more chapters. I've read the reviews and you are not alone (yes Crusher and pokemonking, I am looking at you). And it's this encouragement that is keeping me inspired (more inspired than I expected, and up a little later than I should be, but who cares, I'm in university, I set my own bed time) to keep re-watching the anime, and write up the new chapters.**

 **Arigatou Gozaimashita. (Yes, this is the form I meant to use).**

* * *

It's another morning of lazing around the guild, waiting for a good job to come in. And suspiciously enough, Natsu is going over the request board. Now usually, I wouldn't think it suspicious. But the way he's looking at this one job makes me a little worried.

 _Hey Natsu…you're not planning on doing anything stupid, are you?_

 _Of course not! I just found the perfect job, that's all!_ He rips the flyer off the board and bounds over to the bar. "Hey Gramps, I'm headed to Shirotsume!"

"Alright, have fun." Gramps doesn't even bat an eye as Natsu runs out of the guild with the request.

I've got a bad feeling about this.

* * *

A few hours later, while Levy is up at the board, I hear her sigh with disappointment. "Aw…darn! Did somebody already take that book stealing gig? That one paid two hundred thousand."

"Sorry, I guess Natsu and Lucy got to it first." Mira was at the bar when Natsu told Gramps, so of course she would know what job he took. And if he's taking Lucy with him, then that only makes me even more worried.

Levy sighs again, this time in frustration. "I really could have used that money."

"Don't despair, it's probably for the best, Levy." Gramps' words worry me a little. "It's changed."

"What do you mean?" It's strange that a job suddenly gets changed, so Levy's confusion is understandable. Though I've had a few jobs change when I get there or after the job, not just after I leave.

Gramps nods, and I get the feeling that this isn't a typical change in the job parameters. "I was just contacted by the client, concerning that job."

"Oh, did they cancel it?" Mira sounds like she's gotten several job cancellation notices. I've rarely heard of jobs getting cancelled. Then again, I guess I'm just never around when they get cancelled, I'm barely ever around anyway.

"No, quite the opposite." And now, Gramps looks a little scary with that grin on his face. "In fact, the reward has been increased. It's now two million."

Levy's jaw drops. "Two million jewel?"

"They'd pay that much for some stupid book?" _Oh Droy…one of these days, I hope you gain a little respect for books, especially considering that they're your crush's favorite hobby._ Oh yes, I am well aware of the crushes that Jet and Droy have on Levy. They've had those crushes on her forever.

Jet is just as shocked by the news. "That's almost like fighting monsters kind of pay!" He's sure on the right track there. I've fought monsters for that kind of pay. In fact, that's where most of my income comes from, monster hunts, fugitive and bandit capture, and some high level disenchantment jobs. But mostly monsters.

Mira sounds a little worried about the job. "Did they give any reason why?" But Gramps just shakes his head. _Seems like there's no explanation for it…_

"Seems like we're lucky we missed it." Droy has so little confidence in his abilities, and the same goes for Jet. "Let's find something easier." _Those two are never going to make it big unless they start taking the hard jobs. But for now, it seems that they've dodged a bullet. But it looks like my brother is determined to swallow it._

Gray seems intrigued by the change in the job's reward as well. "Looks like this job just got interesting."

"Oh Gray, nice skivvies." Mira smiles, but holds back an obvious laugh.

And just like usual, as soon as Mira points it out, Gray freaks. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

 _Well, if there's anyone who can adapt to sudden changes, it's Natsu. He'll never go down without a fight, so there's no reason to worry about him. I just hope that he doesn't do anything stupid._

 _Speaking of stupid…_ "Hey Gray, you left your clothes over by the request board." I point over to the heap of clothes currently lying abandoned in the corner. "Might wanna put them back on before Romeo starts getting ideas about trying out your stripping habit."

Gray shoots me a sour look. "You talk like I'm a bad influence."

My flat stare pins him to the spot. "You walk around half naked most of the time. Yeah, I'd say you're a bad influence on the kid. The rest of us don't really care, since we're not picking up that dumb habit of yours. Romeo is still impressionable, so be careful."

"Fine…" He grumbles a little as he walks over to the request board to pull on his clothes. And while he's over there, it looks like he spots a job that he fancies. "Hey Gramps! I'm going on a job!"

"Fine, fine…" Gramps waves him off and goes straight back to his booze. "Just be careful out there."

After buttoning up his shirt, Gray grabs one of the requests off the board and runs straight out of the guild, off on whatever crazy little adventure he's planning next.

Mira turns to me, noticing the book in front of me. "Studying again?"

"Yep…" I show her the diagrams in my book. "Problem is, spacial magic is really hard to learn. Forget learning how to access other dimensional spaces, I'm still having trouble getting the hang of barriers."

"Still, you're quite diligent." She smiles happily at me. "I'm sure you'll get it if you keep trying."

"Yeah…maybe." But after another minute of staring at the book, I slam it shut. "Ugh, but I'm not going to get it today. This is way too hard…"

"Oh, is there something bothering you?" Mira starts up with the dishes, but I know that the eyes in the back of her head are trained on me. "You know, it's not good to keep everything bottled up like that."

"Yeah, I know." I can't help it though, I'm used to it. The things that I don't tell people could fill several books. Maybe not a library, but I'm working on it.

But a sudden chill shoots through me, running up and down my spine. What was that…? I rub my arms a little and frown. _I don't like this feeling… But what's causing it?_

Something weird is definitely going on, but I have no idea what, or where. _Natsu…you'd better come back from that job in one piece. If you don't I swear that I'm going to kill you._

Gramps finishes downing his drink and hops off the bar. "Well, I'm off! There's a guildmaster conference, so I'll be back in a few days. All of you, behave yourselves!"

 _Of course…_ I'm easily one of the best behaved wizards here. Not that it's hard, considering everyone else is constantly getting into fights. "Have fun at the conference."

I watch Gramps as he toddles out the door, seemingly still half drunk from all the liquor he's downed this morning. _I hope he doesn't do anything stupid…like starting a fight with the other guildmasters..._

* * *

Natsu, Happy and Lucy don't come back until the next morning, and for some reason, they come trailing in behind Gray. _What, did you guys all hook up after your jobs?_

 _Haha…very funny. Like I'd ever want to run into HIM._ Natsu snorts and turns his nose up slightly. _That guy can eat my dust._

But I'm not fooled for a second by his macho behavior. _Come on…you don't hate him nearly as much as you pretend to, you goof. Just admit it._

 _Shut up!_

 _Make me, Natsu._ I smirk at him, knowing that he doesn't have the guts to try taking me on right now. And true to my expectations, he backs down, granting me the victory in this battle of mental fortitude.

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V.

I look back and forth between the two of them as they have a silent, but intense staring contest. "Uh…what's with you two?"

Gray shakes his head. "Don't ask. These two do this sometimes. They'll just stare at each other, and the rest of us will have no idea what they're talking about. It's still as annoying as ever, but there's no stopping them."

"Wait, they're talking!?" I don't understand it at all. They're being as quiet as the grave. There's no talking to be heard. "What do you mean they're talking?"

Gray taps his head lightly. "Telepathy. I dunno why, but these two have had a telepathic connection with each other for ever. They say that it's because they're twins. So I guess it's as good an explanation as any. It's their explanation for half of the weird stuff they do."

I look back at the two of the in shock, and Ciara smiles. _No…that's not a smile…she's smirking at him! Whatever they're talking about, she clearly has the upper hand._

Then, Ciara laughs, and I notice heads turning. "You know Natsu, one of these days, you're going to have to learn that you're never going to be able to win an argument with me. I'm way too smart for you."

"Hey!" Natsu's head lights on fire and I back away. "Quit calling me a dummy!"

"I didn't call you a dummy, but at least now I don't have to." She's got him there.

"Why you…" Natsu looks like he's going to blow his top. _But he wouldn't do anything to hurt his sister…would he?_

But there's no need to be worried. With one breath, Ciara blows a strong enough breeze to put out all of Natsu's flames in one go.

She laughs again, a sweet, lilting laugh that sounds a little like a bird. _Wow…her voice is really pretty when she doesn't sound bored or mad._ And once again, heads turn towards the sound of her laughter. _They must really like hearing her laugh…_

 _Anyway, I need to go find a job, I need rent money._

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Messing with Natsu is as fun as ever. He's easy to read, and easy to tease. And I'm the only one who can get away with it without getting a punch to the head.

But, messing with Natsu is starting to get a little boring, so I push my nose back into a book while Mirajane gives Lucy an impromptu lesson about how the guild network is set up.

But just when all seems calm, or at least as calm as it can be with Natsu and Gray starting up a little fight, Loke flees the guild after getting a scare from Lucy. But he comes sprinting back in the door only a few seconds later, distracting me from my book. "We've got bad news!"

The whole guild goes kind of quiet, and Loke delivers the news of doom. "It's Erza! She's on her way here!"

With that news, everyone freaks out, as though Erza is some monster who's going to eat them all alive. But I know better. We've partnered up for jobs before, and she's nice enough to me. Then again, I don't fool around on my jobs, unlike most of the others. So she never has a reason to get mad at me.

"Wow, just mention Erza and the whole place freaks out." Poor Lucy sounds a little worried about meeting our resident red-head.

"Well, she is the strongest female wizard we've got in Fairy Tail, and more than a bit intimidating." Mira says that as though she's forgotten how strong she is too. "Although…" And now she turns to me. "Ciara might be a contender for that title. She's pretty strong herself. And I've never seen her come back from a job in failure, ever. Not even when she took on those S-Class jobs."

"S-Class jobs?" Lucy looks at me in wonder. "How strong are you?"

"Strong enough. And come on, she's not nearly as scary as you all seem to think." I wave my hand, dismissing their irrational fear. "Honestly, you all need to quit acting like a bunch of babies."

Natsu grumbles at me. "Well maybe that's because you're the only one she actually treats well."

I roll my eyes at my brother. "Well maybe if you destroyed less stuff, she'd be nice to you too."

But as her footsteps become audible, the air in the guild goes still, and only frightened whispers are to be heard. Although it is a bit of a surprise when she walks in carrying a gigantic horn over her shoulder. I can't say that I've seen her bring back a souvenir quite that large before.

She plops it down on the floor, nearly breaking the wooden boards, and looks around the guild hall. "I have returned. Where is Master Makarov?"

Mira turns to smile at her old rival. "Welcome back, Erza. The master's at a conference right now."

"I see." Erza sounds just a little displeased, which means that she must have been wanting to talk to him as soon as she got back.

"So um…what's that humongous thing you've got there?"

"It's the horn of a monster I defeated." Erza answers it so casually that it makes me wonder a little what exactly she did to the poor monster. "The locals were so thankful that they decorated it and gave it to me as a souvenir. You have a problem with it?"

"N-no! Not at all!"

"Now listen up!" _Ah great…angry Erza._ _This is going to be fun to listen to._ "While I was on the road, I heard a few things. Word is, Fairy Tail's been causing nothing but trouble as of late. Mster Makarov may not care, but I most certainly do."

Cana is the first to feel her wrath. "Cana! You need to start controlling your drinking." Yeah…I'll second that, she does drink way too much.

"Vegeta, please take the dancing outside. Wakaba, get rid of that filthy habit!" _Well, I agree with her on the pipe being a filthy habit. I can't stand the smell of it in here._ "Nab, I suspected that I would find you dawdling in front of the request board. Just pick a job!"

"Macao!" The poor guy freezes in place as Erza sighs. "I don't even know where to begin with you. You cause so much trouble, I've almost given up."

"She's really tearing into everyone." Lucy almost sounds like she has pity for the idiots. "It's like she's taking over."

"That's Erza for you." Happy grins and floats over into my lap.

"Even if she is kind of bossy, she's still saner than anyone else here. I don't understand why everyone's so afraid of her." Lucy's opinion is so, so wrong, but it makes me smile. _Oh…you won't be thinking that for much longer. I may like and respect Erza, but even I think she's got a couple of screws loose._

"Are Natsu and Gray here?" _Ooh…now they're gonna get it._

Gray starst sweating bullets as soon as Happy points the two of them out, "O-Oh h-hey there Erza. We're just hanging out like good friends tend to do." The two of them are holding each other so close that I half expect them to kiss.

"Aye!" And Natsu does his best impression of Happy, out of fear of Erza's wrath. She's been forcing the two of them to get along since we were kids.

"That's great, I'm quite pleased to see the two of you getting along so well." She nods with satisfaction. "However, it's only natural for even the best of friends to lock horns every now and again."

"I don't know if we're the best of friends…" I snicker at Gray's admission. _Best of friends, you guys are the best of frenemies, I'll give you that much._

Finally, Erza turns to me, and Lucy looks a bit apprehensive about the exchange that she's anticipating. But as Erza smiles, it's nothing to worry about. "Ciara, you were out on a job the last time I was here. I take it that it went well?"

I nod and grin at her. "Went great actually. Finished it faster than I expected, collected my money, and spent a week wandering around to a dozen bookstores." I hold up the book I've been cramming my nose in. "Found this little gem in an antique book store. It cost half the money I got for the job, but it was worth it. It's got some really good old spells for spacial magic in it. I was studying barrier magic before you walked in."

Her eyes go a little wide and they sparkle a little. "I see, that's good to hear. I'm glad that you found a book worth your time. I hate seeing that disappointed look on your face when you return without finding any rare books. It makes me want to cry." Now she's being a little dramatic, but that's Erza for you.

I shrug lightly. "Well, I try my best. Though the barriers are giving me a bit of a headache. It's hard to work around some of the outdated terminology. Well, and entirely outdated language. But such is the struggle."

"Yes…" Her smile fades a little and she turns back to the boys. "Natsu, Gray, I need you to do me a favor." That sure gets their attention. It gets everyone's attention. And Erza goes on to explain herself. "While traveling, I overhead something that has me worried. Normally, I would consult with the master before acting, but he's not here, and this is a matter of utmost urgency. You are two of the strongest wizards here, I could really use your help."

There's mumbling and muttering all around the room. It's pretty strange for Erza to be asking these two for help. In fact, it's entirely unheard of. She never needs help on a job.

But even more surprisingly, she turns back to me. "Ciara, I'd like to ask you to come along as well. I was not planning to ask you because I did not expect you to be here. But here you are. And it would set me at ease if you would partner with me on this mission."

I raise an eyebrow. "Well…it's been a while since you asked me to tag along on a job. Must be pretty serious if you want me on this job." I snap my book shut and stuff it in my bag. And though it sounds like they expect me to turn her down, I flash her a grin. "I've been sitting around here bored out of my mind, waiting for a good job to come in. Guess I don't have to wait any longer." I laugh eagerly. "When do we leave?"

She nods. "Let's meet at the train station tomorrow morning."

Mira is shocked almost out of her mind. "Erza, Gray, Natsu and Ciara, all working together? I never saw that one coming. This could be…the most powerful team Fairy Tail's ever seen!"

And I'm inclined to agree. I think that combined, we definitely beat out even the Thunder Legion in terms of battle capability.

 _This…is going to be interesting._


	25. Eisenwald

**Sorry for the single update, they're going to take a little more time since I won't be able to work on them all day anymore. Spring break is coming to an end, which means that I've got to get to all of the homework due in the coming week. Nothing much, just a couple of 2k word essays in History and Geography, a couple of human evolution labs, and a works cited outline for a research project in English. Basically, I can get it all done tomorrow, and most of it isn't even due till Friday.**

 **Enjoy the beginning of the Lullaby Arc.**

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

A voice floats towards me in a darkness. "Get up."

 _Five more minutes…_

"Natsu, get up." The voice is gentle, like a warm summer breeze.

 _Leave me alone…_

"Natsu! Damn it! Get your ass out of bed now!" The voice is not so gentle anymore.

The world suddenly turns on its head and my head hits the floor, along with the rest of me. I groan, rub my head and open my eyes. And standing above me is my little sister with a light pack on her back. And she does not look very happy.

"Ciara? What's going on? Why are you here?" I rub the back of my head gingerly. "And why did you toss me out of bed?"

She sighs, putting her hands on her hips. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe because you're sleeping in, again. If you don't hurry up, you're going to be late to the train station."

 _So that's it…_ I dig in my heels stubbornly. "But I don't wanna go on a mission with Erza and that pervert."

Her face goes really cold, really fast. "Well, Erza asked for our help, so we're going to give it. I don't care if you don't want to go on a mission with Gray. If it's an emergency and Erza needs our help, then damn it, we're going to help her!"

"Alright…" Going on a mission with the monster and the pervert is not my idea of a good time, but Ciara will never let me hear the end of it if I turn down the mission. "But couldn't you have given me five more minutes to sleep?"

"Nope, train leaves in half an hour." She picks up my pack and dangles it in front of my face. "So come on lazybones, or I'll fly you there instead of walking."

I suddenly experience a sinking feeling in my gut. The last time that she flew me somewhere, she finished the flight by dropping me. I could have broken something, or everything. "Fine…I'm coming."

Pulling myself to my feet, I nudge Happy. "Hey little buddy, it's time to go."

"Aye…" He yawns sleepily and crawls out of bed, my weight having kept him from falling out when we got flipped. "Time to go…"

"Good, now let's meet up with Erza and Gray, they're waiting for us." Ciara tosses my pack onto my head and walks right out the door.

 _How bored is she? She's way too eager…_

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

After waking up my lazy big brother and his silly cat, the three of us head to the train station, where a familiar head of blond hair is sitting on a bench next to a far too familiar head of black hair.

I wave over to her, trying to be friendly. "Sorry we're late! Natsu didn't want to get out of bed!"

Lucy looks at me curiously. "Then how did you get him up?"

I shrug. "Yelled at him and dumped him out of his bed. Just the usual. Works every time." It really is nothing to me.

For Natsu, on the other hand, it's a real pain in the ass. He's up in Gray's face immediately. "RAHHHHH! I hate this! Teaming up with you is the worst idea ever!"

But Gray is acting no better than Natsu. "Yeah, tell me about it! Erza made a huge mistake asking a loser like you to come along."

"Fine! Then why don't you take care of it yourself! I don't wanna go anyway!" _No kidding, you didn't even want to get out of bed, Natsu._

Gray likes the sound of that. "Sounds like a plan to me. Then I'll get to watch her beat you senseless!"

I sigh heavily. _I can't believe I dated one, and I'm siblings with the other… I really don't want to deal with these two right now._

And it looks like Lucy doesn't want to deal with them either, because she just sits on the bench with Happy, and a small white creature on her lap.

Thankfully, the Fairy Queen herself makes her appearance with her usual cart full of luggage. "Sorry I'm late. Have you been waiting long?"

The boys start behaving themselves immediately, giving me the chance to greet Erza. "Not really, I just got here with Natsu. I had to drag him out of bed this morning."

Happy takes one look at Erza's stuff and gapes. "Whoa! Look at that luggage!"

Lucy gets an eyeful of it and her shock meter must go straight through the roof, judging by her reaction. "All those belong to you!?"

"It's time to go good buddy!" Gray and Natsu start dancing around in a panic. "Aye! Haha!"

"Listen, one Happy's enough!" Apparently, my brother's Happy impressions are creeping Lucy out more than a little.

"Good, I really love to see the two of you getting along." I snort at Erza's thickheadedness. _You only think they're getting along because you don't hear the cursing going on in Natsu's head right now. Unfortunately for me, the idiot isn't very good at closing our link when he's pissed off. If you could hear what he's thinking, you would be washing his mouth out with the strongest soap you could find._

Erza turns her attention to Lucy, the one uninvited member here. "And what was your name? I believe I saw you at the guild yesterday."

Lucy gets up to introduce herself. "My name is Lucy, and I just joined Fairy Tail. Mira asked me to come along with you guys so I could learn a thing or two. I hope that's okay with you." And right behind the two of them, the boys are fighting again, not that Erza would notice.

"The more the merrier. I'm Erza." She introduces herself like Lucy doesn't already know who she is. "Wait, you're the girl I hear about…" She spares a backward glance to make sure the boys are behaving themselves, before turning back to Lucy. "I was told you defeated a mercenary gorilla using only your pinky finger. It'll be great to have a wizard like you on board, thanks for your help."

I try not to burst out laughing. _Defeated a mercenary gorilla with her pinky finger!? Looks like poor Lucy has become the unfortunate product of Fairy Tail's inability to play the telephone game!_

The boys finally stop fighting long enough for Natsu to confront Erza. "Hey Erza, I'll come with you, but only on one condition."

I slap my forehead. Not again… But Erza is intrigued by this condition. "Oh? Well then let's hear it."

Natsu grins and raises his fist. "I want a rematch when we get back to Fairy Tail."

I groan and shake my head. _I hope that you remember what happened the last time you challenged Erza to a fight…_

 _Hey! That was forever ago!_

 _It was three months ago…_

 _Yeah! It was forever ago!_

But Natsu is undeterred. "I'm a lot stronger than I was last time. This time'll be way different! Cause I'm gonna beat you."

Erza sports a small smile. "Yes…I can tell you've improved. As to whether or not you can beat me, I suppose we'll have to see. I accept your challenge."

"Oh yeah! I'm fired up!" And in Natsu's usual excitable style, his whole body catches fire as soon as his emotions start raging.

I glance over at the platform. "Hey guys, looks like it's time to get on the train. Wouldn't want to miss it."

Natsu pales immediately. "Already…?"

I roll my eyes and grab his arm. "Don't worry, we'll deal with your little problem once we're on the train."

I drag my poor big brother towards the train, the only thing in the world that currently surpasses Gray in how much Natsu hates being around it.

* * *

 _Saw this coming a mile away…_

As I sit in the seat across from Gray, and Lucy sits between me and Erza, we all watch as Natsu succumbs to the effects of his incurable motion sickness.

Gray glances at my brother and sighs. "I swear, you're totally pathetic, Natsu. One minute you're picking a fight, and the next you're like this."

"It's gotta be tough on him getting from place to place." At least Lucy is showing him some sympathy.

But as I start to ready a sleeping spell, Erza takes over. "Don't worry, he'll be fine." She motions to Natsu. "Come here and sit with me."

Lucy looks a little anxious as she switches places with my brother. But Natsu nods groggily. "Aye…"

"Now, just relax…" Erza's tone makes me wonder what the hell she's planning on pulling. But I don't have to wait long, since she gives Natsu a punch straight to the gut, knocking my poor big brother out like a light. And she looks all proud of herself. "There, that should make the trip a little easier on him."

I groan a little and slam my palm into my forehead. "You know…if that's what you were planning, you should have just said so. This is the whole reason that I learned sleep magic in the first place."

She looks at me, blinks, then bows her head. "I'm sorry, I should have asked you first about your methods for dealing with his motion sickness."

I sigh and look out the window. "Whatever…one way or another, at least now he doesn't have to moan and groan the whole way there."

There's a moment of silence before Gray breaks the ice. "Erza, I think it's about time you started filling us in. I mean, what kind of mission are we going on here?"

"Of course." She acquiesces easily to Gray's request. "I have reason to believe the dark guild Eisenwald is planning something big. I'm not sure what exactly, but it has to do with a magic item called Lullaby."

"Lullaby?" For some reason that seems familiar to Happy and Gray.

Lucy too, apparently. "Wait, that thing from before?"

I frown at them all. "Why am I the only one out of the loop? What happened while you were all gone?"

"Yeah." Lucy turns to me with the information. "See, when Natsu, Happy and I were coming back from Shirotsume, we ran into Gray. A little while later, Happy got kidnapped and almost roasted by these guys who attacked us."

Happy shivers. "They were gonna make me taste funny."

"Okay…?" Somehow, I would be more concerned about getting roasted than tasting funny, but Happy's always had some pretty strange priorities.

"Anyway. So after Natsu and Gray beat them, we tied them up, and one of them mentioned Lullaby." Lucy looks back at Erza. "It might be the same magic item that you're talking about."

Erza catches on quickly. "I see, so you've run into the Eisenwald Guild before."

Gray mulls it over a little. "Well, I'm not positive they were part of Eisenwald. But they did mention Lullaby."

"It sounds like they were members who dropped out of the guild and went into hiding. Perhaps they wanted no part in whatever it is that's coming." What Erza is suggesting is not good, especially not for the six of us, since we're obviously headed straight for them.

Gray seems to share my apprehension. "So this thing is so bad it even scares dark wizards?"

"I'm only hypothesizing." Erza may be making a guess, but she sure sounds like she knows what she's talking about. "But, whoever you saw dragging off Happy's kidnappers that day must have been from Eisenwald. It's obvious that they didn't want their plans getting out."

"What do you think they're going to try?"

"Let me start from the beginning." Erza gears up for one of her stories, meaning that this is probably going to take a while. "Just the other day, I was heading home after completing a job. I stopped by a pub in Onibas that I knew was a gathering spot for local wizards. There was a group of five over at one of the tables who were being rather noisy, so I listened in on their conversation. They talked about an object called Lullaby, as well as it being sealed away."

"Lullaby? That's like a song you use to sing kids to sleep."

"Yes, and the fact it had been sealed away means that it must be very powerful magic."

"You sure the guys you saw at the pub were with Eisenwald?" As always, Gray remains a skeptic.

"Yes…" Erza hangs her head a little. "I can't believe I was such a fool that day. I didn't recognize his name… Erigor, the Ace of Eisenwald. He only accepts assassination requests, which is why he's earned the name Erigor the Reaper."

"He kills for money?" Lucy may be astonished and horrified, but I'm not. I've rounded up bandits and fugitives before, some of them were very dangerous, so I know that there's no limits to what people will do for money.

Erza nods. "When the Council outlawed assassination requests, Eisenwald decided that money was more important than the Council's rules. As a result, they were kicked out of their wizard league six years ago. But that didn't stop them. They've disobeyed orders and remained active to this day."

Lucy starts sweating up a nervous storm. "Okay, I should be heading back home now."

Happy squirms a little. "Lucy's slimy all of a sudden."

"It's sweat!" And I make a mental note that Lucy hates the word slimy, and that Happy is never going to let this joke drop.

I clasp my hands and stare at my fingers. "Now I see why I'm here. You wanted my unique skill set along for this ride, right?" I glance at Erza, a deadly serious expression on my face.

She nods, her own expression becoming harsh. "How could I have been so careless? If only I had recognized Erigor's name that day…I could have pulverized them! I could have forced them to reveal their scheme to me!"

Gray quickly gets the measure of the situation. "So if I got this, Eisenwald's planning to do something with this Lullaby, and you want to stop em, because after what you overheard, you're sure it's gonna be something bad."

"That's correct. And I'm not foolish enough to believe I can take on an entire magical guild all by myself. That's why I asked the three of your for your help." Erza's caution is wise, especially considering that we're dealing with a dark guild. "We're storming the Eisenwald Guild."

 _Still, I wonder how the inter-guild treaties are going to affect this. Because even if it's a dark guild, we're not really supposed to go to war with them. Maybe it'll be alright if it's just the six of s, but it means that we can't go getting the rest of Fairy Tail involved._

But Gray is eager to get this party started. "Sounds like fun to me."

I give a faint smile of anticipation. "Well, no going back now. Might as well get some exercise while I've got the chance. I haven't gotten into a good fight in a while, so I guess this is my chance to go a little wild." _Hey, I never said that Natsu is the only one who can go a little crazy in a fight. I just don't do it as often as he does._

* * *

One train stop and a lunch break later, and we're in slightly better spirits. And Lucy gets right down to business with that curiosity of her. "What kind of magic do you practice, Erza?"

"That's a good question." Erza seems to approve of Lucy's curiosity, which is good, because sometimes out magical swordmaster can get a little angsty around questions.

Happy smiles quite contentedly. "Erza's magic is really pretty, she makes her enemies bleed. A lot!"

Lucy starts shivering a little. "I dunno if I'd call that pretty!"

Erza takes a bite of her cake, her favorite food to eat ever, before turning the topic around. "Personally, I think Gray's magic is much more beautiful than mine."

"Oh, like this?" Gray holds his hands out in front of him, so I lean back a little. Cold wind bursts from his hands and a small ice sculpture shaped like the Fairy Tail emblem rises from his hand. "I use ice magic."

Lucy smiles and claps her hands together. "Now I understand why you and Natsu don't get along! He's fire and you're ice! Talk about not mixing very well."

Erza looks up from her cake. "I never thought about that."

Gray shrugs and smiles. "Nah, I just hate his guts."

I snort with laughter. "And he hates your guts too, for several reasons."

Gray's eyes widen, and he looks stubbornly out the window. But Lucy looks back and forth from me to him in confusion. "Wait, what happened there?"

Erza stays quiet, so Happy raises his hand. "A couple years back, Ciara and Gray were doing the kissy kissy, and Natsu walked in on them. He was so mad that he threatened to kill Gray." Happy's tact really could use some work. "Now they don't make the kissy kissy anymore."

"No kidding…" I sigh dryly. "It was a long time ago. And I'm not making that mistake again."

Gray keeps looking out the window, and Lucy's eyes widen. "Wait, you two dated!?" She covers her mouth suddenly. "No wonder Gray and Natsu fight so much. He must not like it when people get too close to you."

I glance down at my still unconscious brother. "You've got that right. Until about a year ago, he was as overprotective as it's possible to be. So when he caught us, he was not happy. Not that it matters, I stopped caring about it a long time ago." I stare straight at Gray and smile. "That means that you should too. Stop acting like I'm going to bite you if you talk about it."

"Sorry…" Gray rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "I just…didn't want to bring it up if you didn't."

I roll my eyes and smile. "Whatever. Now pass me a sandwich, I'm hungry."

"Right." He smirks at me and tosses me a couple of sandwiches. "Because you Dragon Slayers just eat one helping."

"Tch, not my fault that we burn calories faster." It's true, for some reason, me and Natsu burn calories like there's no tomorrow. Our appetites are enormous. Not that I let anyone see how big my appetite really is.

* * *

After passing the rest of the train ride by, talking about different kinds of magic, and a few stories about jobs that we've gone on, we finally arrive in Onibas.

I get off the train first with Lucy, since She's closes to the aisle, and I've got the best mobility. Plus, Erza is going to need to wake Natsu up before getting off the train.

So after I busy myself with getting Erza's mountain of luggage from one of the back cabins, I drag it over to the platform where I see the rest of them standing around.

"Alright, I've got your luggage." I hand the reins to Erza gingerly. "Though I still don't get why you carry around so much stuff. Honestly, one pack is enough for me."

Before Erza can answer the question I've asked a million times, Gray butts in. "You think the Eisenwald guys are still gonna be in this town?"

"I have no idea. That's what we're here to find out." Erza leads the way away from the trains.

But I'm a little irritated. "If only you could have brought back a smell sample. One sniff, and I could be tracking them down with Natsu right now."

Then Happy pipes up confusedly. "Hold on, where's Natsu?"

I look around, but he's nowhere to be found. "Natsu!?" I focus in my head. Natsu? But it's no good. "I can't contact him, that's so weird." Then a terrible thought occurs to me. "Wait a minute, if I can't hear him, then he's either unconscious, or…" I groan and slap my forehead. "Motion sick."

Happy looks at the departing train. "Uh oh, there he goes."

Lucy drops her luggage, and Erza turns around in horror. "I was so busy talking, I forgot bout him!" She clenches her fist in disgust. "I'm such a fool, Natsu hates all forms of transportation! This is all my fault, I need one of you to come and hit me for my penance."

Lucy leans over uneasily. "That's a little much."

"No it's not." I walk over and give Erza a good whack on the head. "You were the one who knocked him out, which means that you were responsible for him. If I had used a sleep spell, I wouldn't have ended up leaving him behind, since I can feel when the magic is active and when it's not. So fix your mistake and go get him."

Erza, in all of her awkwardness, nods shamefully. "Of course." And just like that, she storms off towards the emergency stop controls, pulls the lever, stops the train, and gets into a slight disagreement with one of the platform staff.

"I'm starting to realize that all of the wizards in Fairy Tail are just a little insane." And while Lucy is right on most counts, I like to think of myself as one of the few who is completely sane.

"Well not all of us." Gray contends the point, but he's once again stripped down to his underwear, so he hardly makes a convincing stand. He's as crazy as the rest of them.

Erza jogs back over to us after a conversation with another of the platform workers. "Alright, I've found us a way to get to Natsu. Come with me."

I sigh as the four of us run after her. _I hope that this plan of hers actually works…_


	26. To the Rescue

**I'm sorry for not updating for so long. Between a month of very difficult assignments, exams now coming up, a surge of inspiration that got me pumping out about 15 chapters for one of my other stories, and a general lack of inspiration for this story (as well as no time to actually go over all of the episodes since it takes time to binge watch them), I've had trouble getting back to it. But rest assured, I will work on it until I'm finished with the Eisenwald arc.**

 **Would you believe me if I said that my sudden inspiration comes from my sharp hatred of the situation in one of the latest manga chapters? I can't believe what Mashima pulled… As the kind of fangirl I am, it tears my heart apart. If you aren't up to date with the manga, I suggest getting up to date with it, its really heating up.**

* * *

Renting a magic-mobile might not be the greatest plan, but I suppose that it's the best we've got. As I stare at the monstrosity, all I can think about is how Natsu is going to puke his guts out if we put him on this thing. And I have seen him puke more than enough times.

So, once again, I am very thankful that I do not share my older brother's unfortunate penchant for motion sickness. If I did, I know that Lucy and Gray would be stuck dealing with two sick dragon slayers instead of just one.

"Well, everyone pile in!" Erza barks out her order before climbing into the exposed front seat and plugging herself into the magic converter, the part of the vehicle that converts magical power into fuel. The S-E plug.

I would have volunteered to power the vehicle, but unlike Erza, I can't drive. And while I'm not sure what she does could technically be called driving, it's better than me, since I've got no experience with controlling machines that move. Courtesy, of course, of my extremely motion sick brother. I'm always more concerned with preventing his motion sickness than picking up a skill that would make it a hundred times worse.

So, once Gray and Lucy pile into the magic-mobile, I hop up onto the roof. "Hey Erza, I'll hang out up here. I might be able to reduce the drag from the air and make it easier to move this hunk of junk. You'll use up less magic that way."

She looks up at me as I lean over the side of the roof. "That would be much appreciated. Do you think that you might be able to do something to make our journey faster?"

"Maybe…" I shrug lightly. "But I make no promises. Wind magic is tricky enough on its own, which is why I would rather not use too much of it around a vehicle. The last thing we need is to crash before we catch up with Natsu."

She nods solemnly. "In that case, do what you can. But make sure not to fall off. It would be detrimental to the mission if we had to go back for you."

"Like that would happen." I scoff at the idea that her reckless driving could throw me off the top of the vehicle. And even if it did, it's not as though I wouldn't be able to catch up again in a second. In fact, there's no guarantee that getting thrown off the magic-mobile would even land me on the ground. "Now, rev up that engine and get us turned around. My big brother needs rescuing."

Without any more protests or discussion, Erza turns on the engine and nearly slams her foot onto the gas. And as the car starts to pick up speed, I can feel her magic flowing into the engine. With her reserves, there should be no problem in reaching Natsu. The problem, however, lies in if we'll be able to catch up with the train before it leaves again.

I keep my magic reined in as we drive through the city, and I have to re-balance myself several times in order to find a comfortable position for crouching and not getting thrown off. Once I find it, I hold on for dear life as Erza's driving becomes steadily more reckless.

Zooming like the wind through the countryside, mainly thanks to the wonderful collaboration between Erza's driving and my wind magic, we follow the train tracks and the trail of smoke coming from the train's engine. As we pull closer to it, I start to hear the faint sound of an alarm going off. Damn it! That must mean- "Erza! Hurry up! The train is about the start moving again!"

"On it!" She presses down on the gas even harder. IT must be wearing harshly on her magic by now, but I've heard no complaints from her yet. It's so very like her, to not complain when she's pushing herself too hard.

We reach the end of the train, and the stationary cars quickly zoom by as we kick up a mighty trail of dust. I can clearly sense my brother inside the train, which means that our rescue has to happen now or never.

 _Natsu! Can you hear me!?_

 _Ciara!? Yeah, I can hear you! What's up? When I woke up, none of you were here!?_

 _Sorry about that. Erza was supposed to wake you up and get you off the train, but she totally forgot about you. Don't worry though, I gave her a good smack for it._

 _That's…not very safe._

I try to contain my laughter as I see the irony in his statement. _Yeah, yeah, now where are you? We're headed your way right now._

 _I'm in the same car that you left me in. Number…thirteen?_

I shake my head, smiling wryly. _Number eight, not thirteen._ Leave it to Natsu to get something as simple as the cabin number wrong. He probably never even bothered to look at our tickets. _Anyway, do you think that you can jump out a window?_

 _Yeah, no problem!_

Okay… We start getting very close to where Natsu is, so we're going to need to time this right. "Hey Gray, get up here, fast. I need you to help me catch Natsu when he comes flying out of the train."

Gray obediently climbs out of the window, poking his head over the side of the roof. "Say what now?"

"Just come here." I grab his arm and drag him onto the roof. "Natu is going to jump out of the train, and we're going to catch him." I look over the side and down at Erza. "That means that you're going to need to get as close as you can to the train. I'll make sure to time his jump."

"Of course." She turns the wheel, steering the car towards the train, bringing us closer and closer as we approach the car that Natsu is in.

Suddenly, the train starts moving again, which means that we have to act fast. _Natsu! We're coming! Get ready to jump!_

Yeah…got it… His motion sickness practically oozes through our connection. That is never a very pleasant sensation for either of us. I get the sensation from him, and because he's still connected to me, he gets to feel the remnants of his motion sickness, forcing him to experience it twice over.

Timing the jump in my mind, I sync my thoughts with Natsu as he starts to make the jump. Glass shatters as Natsu comes flying out of the window. And unfortunately, he's headed towards us at far too high a speed.

Gray seems to know that. So instead of helping me to bring Natsu in for a safe landing, he shoves me against the roof of the car, reaching for Natsu by himself.

Needless to say, his attempt to catch my big brother fails miserably, and the two of them go flying off the roof. Luckily for me, Natsu went sailing right over my head, leaving me completely unscathed.

Erza slams on the brakes, bringing the car to a screeching halt so that we can retrieve the boys. I hop off the roof and start sprinting towards them, kicking up clouds of dust with every step. Erza and Lucy are right behind me.

Natsu and Gray pick themselves up out of the dirt, Gray glaring at Natsu. "That hurt, you idiot!"

On the other hand, my brother is also less than pleased with how this whole situation was handled. "Shut up, you icy freak! How come you guys left me on the train!?"

"I'm just thankful you weren't badly injured. I apologize, Natsu." Erza's priorities seem pretty reasonable. Well, until as part of her apology, she gives Natsu a hug by slamming his face into her chest armor. I've been on the receiving end of those hugs before, and honestly, I wouldn't wish them on anyone.

"It's okay!" Though considering how high pitched Natsu's voice is, that's not the word I would use for it. But he recovers as soon as he pulls himself out of Erza's grip. "Well, I'm shaken up pretty bad. I got attacked by a weirdo on the train."

"Are you serious?" Lucy sounds worried, though if she'd been a wizard longer, she would know that getting attacked by strange people just comes with the job.

"I think it's the dude who dragged away the guys who were gonna eat Happy, said he was with Eisenwald." Natsu says it so casually that obviously he didn't hear the part of our earlier conversation that had to do with how Eisenwald is precisely the guild that we're trying to find.

Erza, on the other hand, doesn't seem to remember that she knocked him out prior to the conversation. She smacks him right in the face. "You fool! That is exactly who we're chasing after on this mission! Why did you let him get away!?"

"What the? This is the first I've heard about it!" His confusion is understandable, even more so when we're still connected in our minds. I can experience his confusion first-hand.

"I explained everything on the train! You should listen when people talk to you!" Erza may be one of the strongest wizards in the guild, but she can be surprisingly airheaded half the time. Yes, half the time, her record so far is actually that bad.

So, it's time for me to step in. "Hey Erza…not to make you feel like an idiot or anything, but did you forget that you knocked Natsu out prior to starting the conversation so that he wouldn't have to deal with his motion sickness? I mean, I know that you hate dealing with his puke, but this is also the reason that you forgot him on the train." Yes, I went there. Bringing up the other mistake associated with this one will make her realize faster how it all stacks up.

And predictably, she falls silent and pales. "That's…" Now, she looks rather ashamed of herself again. "You're right, I apologize." She grabs Natsu's hand and pulls him out of the dirt. "I'm sorry, I should have realized earlier that there was no way for you to listen to our conversation as a result of my actions."

Natsu rubs his cheek sheepishly, right where she smacked it earlier when he got thrown into the dirt. "It's fine, I guess."

I nod my head towards the car. "Alright, now that that's all settled, why don't we hit the road? We've got a dark guild to catch up with."

Erza nods and makes her way over to the car, while Natsu looks a little queasy. "I don't wanna ride in that…"

I glance at him sympathetically. "Don't worry. If you want, I can put a sleeping spell on you until we get there."

He shakes his head quickly. "No way. There is no way that I'm going to sleep again. You guys forgot about me last time."

While he makes a good point, and I can honestly see how his moaning and groaning from the motion sickness will keep us aware of him at all times, I still feel bad for him. I could reassure him that I wouldn't forget about him because of the spell's drain on my magic, but the way his jaw is set, I know that arguing with him about this is pointless. It also doesn't help that he's been stubbornly trying to get over his motion sickness for years, though with no success.

Erza gets herself set up outside, hooking herself back up to the magic-mobile. "So he was on the same train we were on. Let's find him."

Before we get moving, Gray gets down to a little business. "So what was this guy like?"

Natsu frowns, which is a sure sign that he's trying to use his brain. "He didn't look like somebody from a dark guild. But he did have this strange flute thing. It looked like a skull, except it had three eyes."

"A three eyed skull?" Lucy goes a little pale at the thought.

Gray, on the other hand, seems less surprised. "That's creepy."

"Is there something wrong, Lucy?" Happy doesn't seem to get that a three eyed skull flute is obviously not something normal, especially not in the hands of a member of a dark guild.

"It's just…Ive heard about that flute before." Her face goes unusually stern. "Lullaby, the cursed song. It's death magic."

Now, normally I like exploring avenues of magic that few others pay attention to. It's thrilling and fun, and I get to learn new things. However, dark magic and death magic are where I draw the line. I wouldn't touch those spells unless the world was ending.

"A cursed song? Like an incantation?" Gray wants to get the specifics, since obviously he's barely ever heard anything about death magic. It's just not something that we talk about at Fairy Tail.

Lucy nods. "I've only ever read about them in books before, but, there are some deadly spells out there that are forbidden to be used by wizards."

"That's right." Erza's face grows just as stern. "There are cursed black magic spells that will kill the person they're used on."

"Well, if I'm right, Lullaby is even worse." Normally, its hard to believe that dark magic could get much worse. But I've seen some unpleasant things in my time as a wizard, so I know that there are plenty of things worse than an incantation that can kill a single person. "It's a demon flute that can kill hundreds, no, thousands of people at once. Anyone who hears the song is as good as dead!"

That quickly puts a damper on the conversation. I swallow nervously and nods. "In that case, let's get moving. We've got to stop them before they use that flute to start killing people." Sprinting, into the care the four of us pile into the car, while Happy sits cuddled up on my lap, and Natsu sits next to me, his window open and his face hanging out as Erza stomps on the gas and takes off at a fast, jolting pace.

Gray turns around and peers out the window at Erza. "Hey! Slow down, Erza! You're using up too much of your power driving this thing!"

"I have no choice but to press onward!" She sounds very stiff and very worried. "We're running out of time. If Erigor gets his hands on this death magic, trust me, lives will be lost."

We're dealing with a magic death flute and a guild of cray dark wizards. But a wry, cynical feeling floods my heart. _And there's no way this could go wrong…_


	27. Train and Tornado

**This one took so much longer to write, I had to watch two episodes, plus it's my single longest chapter so far. But here it is. And I'll try to get the other two chapters done after my exam tomorrow, or maybe later tonight. I'm not sure how long the exam prep is going to take.**

* * *

Erza speeds along the tracks, with no regard for how her desperation to catch up with Eisenwald is going to affect her magic reserves. In the worst case scenario, she might be completely useless when we finally do run into those dark wizards. So it's definitely a good thing that she decided to bring all of us along.

We stop on a cliff over Kunugi Station, the next train stop. But from the looks of it, Eisenwald has already been here, and left some time ago.

Erza looks over the side of the cliff. "Ciara, can you hear what's going on down there?"

I glance over the side of the cliff, then close my eyes. "Give me a minute."

Scythe. Dark guild. Hanging around town. And a few announcements from the army about keeping the station safe, and taking care of the abandoned passengers. It looks like the entire Eisenwald guild has hijacked the train.

I open my eyes back up and turn to Erza. "They were here. Seems like they kicked all of the passengers off the train, then hijacked it and rode away."

Erza nods, but Lucy pokes her head out of the car, confused. "I can understand cars and boats, but why'd they want to hijack a train?"

"It doesn't seem like it would be a very good choice for getaways since it can only follow the tracks it's on." Happy makes a pretty good point. The problem is, they're carrying an item of death magic. You only carry around something that dangerous if you have something very specific in mind. They've got a target, and it's probably one of the stops that this train makes.

"That's true, but they are quite fast." I glance at Erza sourly. _Fast is an understatement…if you hadn't pulled the alarm and stopped the train, we might never have caught up to Natsu. If that had happened, he would have been sick and helpless on a train full of dark wizards._

"Then I guess it's up to us to figure out where those Eisenwald guys are going in such a big hurry and why." And though Gray makes a good point, his disturbing lack of clothes detracts from the seriousness of his statement.

Lucy turns around as Erza ges us moving again, and nearly screams. "You're naked, Gray!"

Gray looks down and nearly rocks the quickly accelerating car. "Seriously!?"

I sigh as our exhibitionist struggles to get his clothes back on. "You know, you've really got to do something about that bad habit of yours. One of these days, you're going to walk into the middle of town without a stitch, and traumatize some poor kid."

Gray glares at me sourly, but a sudden bump in the road sends him flat on his ass on the floor of the car. With a grim kind of satisfaction, I turn away and look out at the sky. _I just hope that we can reach Eisenwald before they do something permanent…_

* * *

Erza's crazy driving soon brings us into the streets of Oshibana, the next stop on the train's route. If we can cut off the Eisenwald guild here, then we can trap them inside the station and deal with them.

But Erza's reckless driving is getting on Gray's nerves. "Top, Erza! You're going way too fast! You're going to overload the S-E plug!"

Erza doesn't like that piece of advice at all. "There's no telling how many innocent people could die if Lullaby's song is played. I can't slow down. We have to stop Eisenwald before it's too late!" Her intentions are honorable, but this is just one of those cases where she might not be thinking things through properly. She's wasting a lot of energy winding through the city streets.

"But at this rate, you're going to use up all your magic before we even start fighting!" And I have to admit that I'm with Gray on this one.

That doesn't bother her one bit. "Well then, I'll just have to rely on hand to hand combat. Besides, I've got you, Natsu, and Ciara as backup."

Sure, I'll admit that Erza is a formidable foe when it comes to close combat. But if she can't summon any of her swords, then she's going to be seriously hampered. She doesn't have the enhanced physical strength that Natsu and I have as a result of our magic and training. So while she's definitely a tough cookie, she might just be getting in over her head this time. If we weren't here, I would be seriously fearing for her life.

Happy strikes up some nonsensical conversation with Lucy, even though he can't even remember the point of it in the first place. Though while the two of them try to get through their incomprehensible conversation, I stare at my brother, who is planted face down on the floor. The fool really should have let me put a sleeping spell on him. But no, he just has to be awake, since we could run into Eisenwald at any moment. Or at least, that's his reason for it. I think that he's just being stubborn, again.

But despite my brother trying to crawl out the window and throw himself out of the car, there's something else that catches our attention.

Up ahead, Oshibana's train station is smoking, and I can faintly hear an explanation of a derailment. Right, because a train being hijacked by an entire dark guild totally counts as a derailment. Derailment of plans, maybe… And judging by the whispers and exclamations of the crowd, they don't buy the story either. And it basically confirms that Eisenwald is inside.

We all get out of the car, though Lucy gets stuck dragging Natsu into the station. Erza takes it upon herself to violently and insistently question the security staff about the presence of dark wizards.

The rest of us watch as she makes her mark on the poor staff. And Lucy is definitely not impressed. "Seems like her questioning method's a little counterproductive."

"Erza's got her own way of getting things done." Gray stands there, trying to be serious, and once again fails to look it as he's dispensed with his clothes for the third or fourth time today.

Finally she comes back with news. "The Eisenwald guild is inside. Let's go!"

We rush into the station, taking turn after turn in order to find the main waiting area, which is bound to be the largest single room in the station, and therefore the best place for a wizard guild to congregate.

As we run, Erza updates us. "A small army unit stormed in earlier, but they have yet to return. I'm guessing that they've been caught in battle with the Eisenwald forces."

Fate has a funny way of letting things play out, because draped all over the staircases at the end of the hallway are the bodies of the soldiers. I'm pretty sure they're still alive, but they really look like they've had their asses handed to them.

Happy is not happy with the scene. "They've been completely wiped out."

"They were up against an entire guild of wizards. A small contingent like this would never stand a chance against such a powerful group." Erza spares them a glance, but we have an important meeting waiting to happen just beyond the stone arch.

So we make our way further inside and find ourselves face to face with an entire dark guild. And they don't look friendly. Laughter greets us. "Welcome. Step into our parlor, Fairy Tail flies."

"You fiend. I take it you're Erigor?" Erza steps up to do the talking, which doesn't bother me one bit. Negotiations with reasonable people, or interesting people, those are the kinds of conversations I can handle with other guilds. But these guys would just make me lose my patience and lose my temper.

While Lucy tries in vain to wake my brother from his motion induced stupor, one of the Eisenwald mages gets a nasty look on his face. "Hey you, it's your fault I got in trouble with Erigor."

Unlike Lucy's effort, the dark wizard's words do well to wake my brother up. He stirs, mumbling a little as he comes around.

Erza, on the other hand, is not taking this quietly. "We're not threatened by any of you! Tell me what you're planning to do with Lullaby!"

Erigor has a dangerously smug grin on his face. "Oh, you haven't heard yet?" He laughs and takes to the air, hovering on nothing but the wind. "What do all train stations have?"

"He flew!?" Lucy looks stunned, like she can't believe her eyes.

Happy gulps. "It's wind magic!"

Alright, to be fair, I'm now a little impressed. I can admit when the enemy has moves. Even for those who can use wind magic, learning how to use it to fly is not easily accomplished. I learned because of a lot of prodding from Igneel, and a few unfortunate accidents. Erigor likely learned it in very different way. Not that it matters, since he's going to get his wings clipped soon enough.

Erza stares up at rigor in horror as he lands on the speaker system. "You plan to broadcast the Lullaby's song?"

He laughs, amused by our horror. "Thousands of nosy onlookers have flocked to this station to get a glimpse of the action. Who knows? If I raise the volume enough, I might be able to extinguish the entire city with my melody of death!"

"What reason do you have to commit such a heinous crime against the innocent people of this town?" Erza's righteous anger and indignation seeps out of her.

Me, on the other hand, I'm a little less openly angry about it. "Does it matter? Nothing justifies the mass murder of people who have done no wrong."

Erigor's eyes flick to me, anger burning deep within them. "You think they are so innocent? This is a cleansing of the fools out there who fail to appreciate the rights they hold so dear, who remain willfully ignorant of the plight of those who've had their rights stripped away. They've committed the sin of turning a blind eye to the world's injustice. Therefore, the reaper has come to punish them!"

Lucy tries to be the voice of reason here. "But killing them isn't going to help you get your rights back, it's only going to make it worse! That's the whole reason you were kicked out of the wizard league in the first place!"

"At this point, we've give up trying to regain out rights." Erigor now looks truly demented. "We want power. Then we will be able to wash away the sins of the past, and take control of what happens in the future."

"You guys are completely insane!"

The one who called my brother out earlier crouches to the floor. "We're rolling in a new age of darkness. Course, by the time it gets here, you flies will be long gone!"

He summons shadows to attack us with. But as I prepare to defend, an invisible force holds me back, a force that I know very well. _Good of you to join us, idiot._

Fire beats back the shadows as Natsu appears in front of Lucy in an instant. _Sorry, just let me get a little warmed up first. That ride took a lot out of me._

I shake my head and smile wryly. _Yeah, yeah…just don't overdo it. I know what you're like when you get excited._

Natsu grins, unlike his opponent, who looks a little stunned. "You again?"

Natsu' grin doesn't fade a bit. "Eisenwald dude! I knew I recognized that voice."

"You're back to normal!" Lucy looks about ready to throw a part or join a cheer squad. And frankly, the last thing my brother's ego needs is a groupie.

"Oh, wow, looks like we've got ourselves a party here, huh?" Only Natsu would call facing off against a dark guild a party. Then again, at least it promises to be less boring than fishing for Happy's dinner.

Lucy obviously doesn't know my brother well enough to realize what he's like. "No! Natsu, these are the guys we have to fight."

I roll my eyes and scoff. "Exactly…"

Natsu punches into his palm. "Like I said, it's a party." He looks more than ready to start ripping into these guys. And curse him, he's making me want to dive into a fight as well.

Lucy finally seems to clue in to Natsu's eagerness to fight, and she boldly challenges Eisenwald. "This is the strongest team Fairy Tail has to offer. You'd better be ready!"

But Erigor is having none of that as he rises into the air. "I'll leave them to you! Show them the terror of the dark guild Eisenwald!" And just like that, he disappears into thin air.

And once again, Erza starts barking orders. "Natsu and Gray, go! I need you to stop him. If the two of you work together, not even Erigor the Reaper can defeat you. I'm leaving him in your hands." But she turns around just in time to see them glaring at each other. "What did I say!?" Her tone alone is enough to scare the two of them out of the room and into one of the hallways leading off into the rest of the station.

In response to Erza sending two of our group to go after their leader, a couple of the Eisenwald mages go after the boys. That includes the shadow mage who confronted Natsu earlier, as well as on the train.

Erza eyes the disappearing mages suspiciously. "We'll catch up with them after we've finished off the rest of the men here. Okay?"

Lucy suddenly doesn't fancy our chances. "Three girls against an entire magical guild?"

I sigh, a little disappointed. "Yeah, we got left with the fodder. I don't really see how this is going to be much of a fight. I mean, the only things that splitting up like this does is prevent Natsu from blowing this entire place sky high."

Erza turns to me with a slight smile. "Shall I cover the earth, while you cover the sky?"

That's basically her polite way of saying to leave the bulk of their forces to her. She must have it in her head that when it comes down to the final fight with Erigor, I'll probably be participating more, seeing as I've got a lot more magic than she does right now. She used up a ton of it getting us here, so she just wants to do some damage while she can.

"Alright." Wind circles around me, and I push off the ground, jumping high into the air, suspending myself in nothing. "Have your fun. But if I think that it's getting hairy, I'm going to intervene, got it?"

She raises her hand acknowledging me. Then she holds that hand out in front of her, a magic circle appearing. "Let's do this!" And out of nowhere, one of her winged blades appears. Her favorite weapon. "If you insult the Fairy Tail guild again in my presence, I swear none of you will live to see tomorrow!"

These dark wizards are cocky, going at her with their hordes of magical swordsmen, but with Erza showing off her weapon requip magic, Eisenwald quickly falls prey to her blades. I see no reason to jump in yet, so I keep my position ten feet above the ground, four feet behind Lucy. Meanwhile, Happy gives Lucy a little lesson in requip magic, so what she can understand exactly how awesome Erza's magic is.

Lucy summons her crab spirit, Cancer of the Zodiac. And he goes to work giving a whole crowd of wizards some very bad haircuts, as well as destroying their weapons. I have to admit, it's one of the more original attacks I've seen.

Erza seems to notice Lucy's efforts. "That was impressive." And that really makes Lucy happy. That is, until Erza opens her mouth again. "However, this crab spirit of yours, the way he calls you 'Baby", I find it rather insulting." The wind quickly leaves Lucy's sails as she and her spirit take the criticism badly.

Erza equips her Heaven's Wheel Armor, dazzling all of the mages present. And as she prepares her wheel of swords, I give her a hand and make her ring of swords blast back the wizards with incredible force.

A couple of the mages are left standing, and one of them gets ready to attack. "Alright! You're dealing with me now!"

"Don't do it, Bayard! Do you have any idea who that woman is!?" The other mage tries to head off his comrade. But it's too late. "She's Queen of the Fairies, Titania Erza!"

But since the battle is all but won, Erza unequips her armor, and the big guy with the green hair runs for it, leaving behind all of his fallen comrades.

Erza turns to Lucy now. "I imagine he's going after Erigor. You should follow him." Lucy tries to protest, but Erza cuts her off. "Just do it!"

Lucy throws her hands up and starts running. "Whatever you say! I don't want to make you angry!"

I stay behind, shaking my head as I float back down to the ground. "Don't even think about trying to tell me to go anywhere." Right now, I need to take care of her and tie up all the Eisenwald wizards. "Erza, you know as well as I do that between the magic-mobile and this fight you've used up most of your magic power. So I'm staying here with you. I've got a leash on Natsu, so I'll know if he runs into Erigor."

Her magic is pretty low, so I make her sit down and rest a while. And while she sits and rests, I poke around for some rope, finding long lengths of it in a janitor's closet.

With my wind magic, I cut the rope up and pass through the ranks of fallen wizards, tying their hands and feet, before tying them together into groups. It might be overkill, seeing as they're all still unconscious, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

"Ciara…"

I turn to Erza, who is getting back on her feet, still a little unsteady. "Hey, you need to rest a little longer."

She shakes her head and braces against me for support. "No. We need to go and warn everyone outside. We need to have them get as far away from here as possible." Even in this condition, her first concern is for the grater good, the innocent people outside the station who have no idea what's going on.

"Fine." I know that there's no way to convince her otherwise, so I'm not even going to bother trying. "I think I saw a megaphone in the janitor's closet. You can use that."

She nods, and steadies herself on her own two feet as we pass the closet. Picking up the instrument, we head out to the balcony so that Erza can make her doomsday speech to the city of Oshibana.

I keep up a background telepathic contact with Natsu as I accompany Erza to the balcony to drive off the crowds. She holds up the megaphone and talks to the gathered crowd. "If you value your lives, you will leave this place at once! This station's been taken over by evil wizards. They are threatening to broadcast a deadly spell over the loudspeaker which would kill everyone here. I beg you, run as far as you can." And because of her less than delicate way of putting it, the crowd panics and runs, and a guard comes up to yell at her. And she takes no time to convince him and his fellows to evacuate as well.

However, just when it looks like we might be in the clear, we turn to see something I really wish we hadn't. "Damn it!"

Erza is just as astonished. "It's a wind barrier!"

A storm type wind barrier has formed around the station, and before we have a chance to react, Erigor appears behind us. "I've always wanted the opportunity to fight the Queen of the Fairies. But unfortunately, I don't have time to play with you right now." He uses a spell of bright purple light that pushes us back inside the station, within the confines of the barrier.

As we appear back inside, Erza looks out and screams. "Erigor!" She tries to break through he powerful barrier, but gets injured in the process. For it to injure someone as strong as her, that means that it is not a spell to be taken lightly.

Erigor's voices floats in through the barrier, very distorted. "It's useless, there's no way you'll be able to break through my magic sealing barrier. You see, it's one way only. If you try to escape, the wind will tear you apart."

Erza gets back on her feet. "What is the meaning of this, you scoundrel." And there it is, something I've always admired about her. Her rather old-fashioned insults.

"We've wasted enough of our time on you Fairy Tail flies. Now, if you'll excuse me." Erigor, seemingly done with us disappears from the other side of the wind barrier, off to wherever it is that his plan is really going down.

So, since we're quite stuck, I start to study the barrier, but seal breaking is not my specialty. In fact, I've barely even studied any seal breaking magic. It's very different to the curse-breaking magic that I've taken a liking to studying.

So, that leaves me with a very intersting option. I am a dragon slayer after all, and wind is my element. That means that I should be able to scarf it down like Natsu does meat and fire.

I exhale carefully, pushing the air out of my lungs until I can't breathe out any more. Then, I breath in as much as I can, sucking all of the air around me into my mouth, sending it on two trips, one to my stomach, and the other to my lungs.

I should have clued in when it injured Erza that it's not made of ordinary wind. It feels sharp to my insides, like eating and inhaling blades. This magic is not suited for eating, unlike most fire magic that feeds my brother's appetite. This is just one of the perils of my magic. Natsu can eat fire, no matter how hot it gets. But depending on the properties of the wind, there is some that is just a very bad idea for me to eat. This wind barrier is one such example.

While I try to find a way around or out of the barrier, a way that doesn't involve destroying the entire station or causing a rip in the very fabric of space and time, Erza walks around, questioning the tied up members of Eisenwald on how to break the barrier spell.

Gray bursts into the room. "Erza! Ciara!"

"What are you doing here? Where's Natsu?" Erza obviously wants good news, since her interrogations have turned up nothing.

"We decided to split up. But never mind that now. Listen, I just found out Eisenwald's real target is Clover, the next town up." And here is where is gets worse. "Erigor is headed towards the conference as we speak. He's planning to use the Lullaby to kill the guild masters."

The news sends me into a bit of a panic, and I hammer against the barrier, trying to escape. But it cuts my hands and arms up a bit every time I make contact with it despite the unnatural strength of my skin courtesy of my dragon slayer magic.

After talking to Gray about the situation, Erza decides to find a member of Eisenwald called Kageyama, a seal breaker, in order to have him dispel the wind barrier. She drags me away from the barrier, and we race through the station on a hunt for this seal breaker.

The building starts to shake. "Damn it Natsu, why are you going overboard again? You idiot, you're going to bring down the whole building on top of us!" We run towards the source of the shaking, since that's obviously where Natsu is going to be. And chances are, since Erigor is gone, he fighting and wiping the floor with Kageyama, the shadow mage.

We throw open the door and find Natsu having beaten the seal breaker to a pulp. So Erza heads him off. "Natsu! Do not harm him! We need him alive." Thought frankly, it's a little late to be telling Natsu not to hurt him, seeing as the guy's been beaten up by my crazy big brother.

Erza sprints towards Natsu, but instead of threatening my big brother, she summons a sword and drives it into the wall next to Kageyama's head. "You will dispel the wind barrier, and you will do so without complaint." Which, of course, freaks my brother out, since he hates seeing Erza angry. She still scares the crap out of him.

Under the pressure of being manhandled by the Fairy Queen, Kageyama nods. "Fine, I'll dispel it." But before he can come with us, another member of his guild attacks him and uses magic to try to kill him, shoving his large, meaty hand through Kageyama's chest. With a strangled breath, Kageyama mumbles his last conscious words. "Why…Kuraka…?"

"Kage!" Erza sounds a little more concerned about Kageyama than I expected. Then again, she's just got a good heart under it all.

Gray is a little more pragmatic. "No! He was our only way out of here."

Erza kneels next to Kageyama, holding his head up. "Kage! Don't you dare die on us! We need your help, do you hear me?"

"I think we're losing him Erza." Gray is right, we need to treat him, and quickly.

Erza keeps Kageyama's head elevated, which is good, since we don't need any extra blood rushing into it with him in this condition. "You're the only one of us who's able to dispel the wind barrier. Just hang on!"

This pisses Natsu right off since he has some very strict ideas about what a guild should and shouldn't be. "How could you do that to one of your friends? He's a member of your guild! He trusted you, and you tried to kill him! How could you!?" He lights himself on fire, blasts through the wall that the assassin phased through and kicks his ass.

Erza does what she can to try to wake Kageyama, while I rummage around in my bag, looking for bandages. I always have bandages and other medical supplies on hand, just in case a job goes south, or there are unforeseen circumstances that end badly. Though honestly, looking over at Erza nearly beating the poor guy's head against the floor, I have to admit that her methods could really use some work, she's far too violent.

"Uh…bad timing, huh?" I look over to the hole in the wall to see Lucy standing there with Happy, looking more than a little bewildered.

I sigh and roll my eyes. "Believe me, you should be happy that you missed this. It wasn't very pleasant." I finally dig out the bandages and toss them to Gray. "Here, get him done up. Since we can't rely on him to break the barrier anymore, I'm going to go on ahead and see if there's something I missed. Maybe I can break it another way."

I head out the hole in the wall and zoom down the hallways, the wind carrying me three times faster than if I were on foot. Time is of the essence here, and the more time I have to ram against the wind barrier, the better.

It takes the others a whole ten minutes to make their way through the station, carrying and unconscious and injured Kageyama with them. In that time, I've made no progress on tearing own the barrier. It's thrown back every spell I've cast at it, which is why I haven't tried any of my stronger dragon slayer magic, since if that were to bounce back, this whole place might end up flattened.

Lucy stares at the barrier, stunned. "How are we supposed to get through that? When did that even happen? And where is Erigor!?"

Gray and Erza both start talking at the same time, their voices overlapping and coming out with nothing but gibberish. So, since I'm the only one with a clear head, I interrupt. "How about I explain the situation, since you two are a little too worked up." That, combined with a very pointed look of mine, shuts the two of them up, albeit reluctantly. I turn to Lucy with a very serious expression. "So, the situation is as follows. Erigor is headed to Clover with the Lullaby flute in order to kill the guild masters at their conference. We are currently stuck here, because Erigor set up a wind barrier. I've tried sucking it up, but it's like eating razor blades, I can't do it. If it were a normal wind barrier, then I could suck it up easily, but it's some kind of dark magic, so I can't. And it's thrown back every magic spell I've thrown at it, making the vast majority of magical and physical attacks useless. In any case, we need to focus on getting through the barrier before worrying about the guild masters." I have to take a breath after that spiel, it kind of winded me.

Lucy's voice gets a little shriller. "How are we going to do that?"

Natsu yells, and tries to bust through the barrier, failing and getting thrown back just like all of my spells. Gray shakes his head. "See? That's what happens when you try to bust through."

But that doesn't stop him from trying again. He throws himself against the barrier over and over, but it's useless. No matter how strong he is, there are just some things that don't work. And hitting a wind barrier with fire is one of those things. "We need to save Makarov!"

"Natsu!"

Gray, like the good friend he is, just loves to point out my brother's flaws during a justification of his own opinion. "Cut it out, you idiot. Obviously, brute force isn't going to do you any good."

"Isn't there anything you can do?" Lucy's brain seems to be working overtime. "If you tried freezing it, maybe Natsu could melt it."

I stare at Lucy like she's some kind of crazy. "I'm not entirely sure how you think that elemental magic works, but I can guarantee you that freezing the wind, and then melting it will not produce the kind of effect you're thinking of. Worst case scenario, the sudden change in temperature might just be enough to cause a tornado. Even if it's magic, some of the laws of nature still apply."

Gray nods. "Besides, if I could, I would have done it already. That's just not how ice magic works." But to interrupt our conversation, my brother throws himself at the barrier again, earning a glare from Gray. "Natsu!"

"Would you stop trying to be the hero!?" Lucy screams at my brother in her frustration. "You're going to get torn to shreds."

Although to be fair, my brother is a lot sturdier than that. A barrier like this isn't enough to get very far into his tough skin. He'll probably get bruised up and scratched all over, but it won't tear him to shreds.

Natsu gets tossed back again, and this time, Lucy holds onto him for dear life. "I said stop it!"

"Crap…" Natsu's frustration is seeping across our connection, and it almost feels like the curse came out of my mouth instead.

Then he gets the idiotic idea of having Lucy transport us through the celestial spirit world, but that idea has so many holes that it makes me want to smack Natsu. But then, he looks back at Lucy, getting excited all of a sudden. "Ah! WE could use your spirits!" Now, I'm totally lost, and it looks like Lucy is too. But Natsu is undeterred. "Back at Everlue's, I was pulled from one place to another through the spirit world!"

"Well, yeah! But normal people would suffocate to death if they tried that. It's hard to breathe in their world." She sounds as if she's trying to explain advanced magic to a child, which I suppose isn't too far off. "Besides, a celestial wizard can only open a gate wherever they're standing." And she goes on to lecture Natsu about the uses and rules of her magic, since he is so obviously unaware of the rules of any magic that isn't dragon slayer magic. And even then, his knowledge is shoddy and instinctual at best.

Happy has an epiphany, startling everyone. "I just remembered, Lucy!"

"Remembered what?"

"What I was trying to tell you on the way here!" He jumps up and down, something he does whenever he gets excited. He does it even more when he thinks that he's doing something helpful.

Lucy frowns, as thought trying to recall a memory. "On the way here? Oh yeah, you mean when you kept calling me weird!?" Her confusion quickly turns to annoyance. Happy must have offended her during that conversation in the car that I successfully tuned out.

"Look!" Happy holds up a golden key of some sort. It must be one of those golden Zodiac keys that I've heard about.

"How'd you get your paws on Virgo's key!?" Lucy bends down and pulls roughly on Happy's mouth. "Didn't anyone teach you that it's wrong to steal things?" I roll my eyes, since I have, in fact, taught Happy that it's wrong to steal things.

Happy quickly protests. "I didn't steal it, Virgo asked me to give it to you."

"Come on guys…we're wasting too much of our time listening to this nonsense." Either Gray at something bad for breakfast, or he's stressed and tired from all of the fighting today.

"Virgo…? Oh, you mean that big gorilla-looking maid?" Natsu seems to understand what's going on, a rarity for him.

Happy nods. "Apparently, her contract with Everlue was broken as soon as he was arrested." He holds up the key again. "Before we all left that day, she came up to me and said that she wanted to sign a new contract with you, Lucy.

"Great…I get a big, ugly spirit." Our resident celestial wizard is not very pleased, despite being offered a gold zodiac key on a silver platter. Well, a blue, paw, but it's the same idea. "Anyway, thanks for letting me know, but I'll have to deal with her later. If you didn't realize it, right now, we need to find a way out of here."

"But-" Happy tries to protest, but is quickly cut off by Lucy, who pinches his cheeks and pulls on his face. "Shut up! Why can't you just meow like every other cat!?"

I decide to step in and pry Happy out of her grip, snuggling him in my arms. He whimpers pitifully against my arm. "I'm sorry…I just thought since Virgo can drill holes, maybe she could dig through the ground and get us to the other side of the barrier."

That elicits quite a few shocked reactions. It looks like I'm the only one unfazed, since I wouldn't put it past a celestial spirit to have just about any kind of ability. I've heard some pretty crazy stories about them, though I doubt that even half of them are true.

Lucy's attitude does an immediate one-eighty. "You're right, she can!" She picks Happy right out of my arms and bounces him up and down. "You're so smart, Happy! Why didn't you mention that sooner, silly kitty?"

Happy pouts. "Someone was pinching my face."

Lucy basically gets down on her hands and knees to apologize to Happy, and after a heartfelt apology, a promise, and a bargain, Happy hands her the key to Virgo the Virgin.

The rest of us watch as Lucy performs the incantation used to summon a new spirit for the first time. I've never actually seen any spirit magic in person, so it provides a good learning opportunity for me.

The spirit of a pretty young woman appears, and apparently shocks Lucy, Natsu and Happy with her appearance, since she looked very different than the first time they met.

So with the weird explanations and a brief transformation into a freaky giant, as well as an argument over what title for Virgo to call Lucy, they decide on calling Lucy 'Princess' instead of Mistress or Queen.

With those formalities out of the way, and a promise to agree on a contract later, Virgo digs a tunnel for us that leads right out of the station. And she does it like a magical drill crossed with a giant mole. Fast and destructive.

As everyone else heads for the tunnel, Natsu hefts Kageyama over his shoulder, confusing Gray. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I know he's one of our enemies, but I'd feel guilty if we just left him here to die." Good old Natsu, always worrying about people, even if they're the enemy.

I'm the last to leave the station, since Natsu goes first with Kageyama, while silently planning to go after Erigor, Gray is watching over Erza, and Lucy has to meet with Virgo on the other side. That leaves me to bring up the rear.

Once I make it through the tunnel and back into the sunlight, I turn to the swirling wind barrier that continues to howl loudly as it twists and twirls around the station. _I suppose it's about time I get rid of that. Can't very well leave it there to cause an actual hurricane that tears the town apart._

I exhale deeply, readying myself for what's sure to be quite the meal. Slowly, I inhale, sucking in the swirling vortex. And as expected, sucking it up from the outside is much more pleasant than from the inside. It no longer feels as thought Ive got blades dancing in my throat.

By the time I finish with the barrier, Natsu and Happy are long gone. _Figures…_ I turn to Erza, who is massaging her injured arm. "Hey, Natsu's gone after Erigor, so I'm going to go chase him down, alright?"

She nods. "Go, he'll be needing your help. We will follow you soon in the magic-mobile."

I smile at her, before quickly turning on the ball of my foot, sinking low, and taking off like a bullet, racing down the street and up into the air. The wind swirls around me as I soar into the sky. And as soon as I set eyes on the tracks, I zoom along them, headed for the lingering trail of my brother's presence and scent.

* * *

 **Holy crap that was a long chapter. I'm almost shocked that I could actually fit that much story into a single coherent chapter.**

 **Anyway, next up is Natsu vs. Erigor, with a little help from his meddling baby sister.**


	28. The Reaper's Lullaby

**After that last monster of a chapter (which I had considered splitting in half, but couldn't, since it would interrupt the flow of the story), this one is going to be a lot shorter since it's the end of the Eisenwald arc. It still ended up a decent length though.**

* * *

I fly through the air, zooming about six feet above the tracks. I would fly higher, but I don't want to be spotted coming from a mile away. And from the looks of it, Natsu's chased Erigor over several dozen miles

However, a storm on the horizon tells me that I'm gaining on them. It also tells me that they've stopped, because Natsu has caught up to Erigor, and is engaging him in battle. And I'm not entirely sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

Suddenly, my heartbeat speeds up. I'm still too far away to hear Natsu's thoughts, but I don't need to in order to know that he's gotten himself into trouble.

Please don't die…please don't die…hang on until I get there, Natsu! I'm coming!

As I approach, a pillar of fire shoots into the sky, and my heart soars as I hear the distant, but ferocious battle cry that Natsu charges into battle with. Whenever I hear it, I know that things are going to be okay. It makes me feel even better when I hear the distinct sound of my brother's fiery roar.

I soon see my brother fighting Erigor on the train tracks near Clover. My brother is cloaked in his usual red-hot fire, so I reach out my senses and give the fire a boost from a ways away while I zoom towards the fight. That is the power of the wind, to be able to reach out across the battlefield and strike where nothing else can reach.

I prove my speed in an instant as I intercept a clash between the two of them, just in time to stop Erigor from smashing into my brother in full storm armor, a spell that I recognize from my books on wind magic. Our biggest problem is that my brother's fire alone can't break through the wind magic. I've always been his weak point, and it seems that other wind wizards can hold that title as well.

"Hey Natsu, you feel like going two on one? Or do you want me to hang back and be backup? I'm good either way."

"Backup please, I can take this guy myself." Those words make it clear to me that Natsu's pride is on the line here, otherwise he wouldn't turn down my help for such a powerful opponent.

With that in mind, I start formulating ideas in my head, all possible ways of defeating Erigor. Unfortunately, most of them need different terrain or a different partner in battle. That storm armor of his is the most pressing problem. Without getting rid of that, there is no way to actually attack him. And I know better than anyone that with the right caster, wind magic is more powerful than almost anything else.

So I glare at Natsu. _Come on you idiot, remember that you've fought with me before, so don't let the wind put you off balance. Just remember everything you've learned while training with me. There is an ebb and flow to the wind, and if you control that flow, you control the wind itself._

I can feel Natsu's anger and frustrating reaching boiling point, and even with me sucking up most of the wind that Erigor throws at us, Natsu's attacks still can't get through. Erigor throws a barrage of air strike at us, and I suck up each and every one.

"Feeling a little frustrated? Don't be too hard on yourself. You never had a chance against me." Erigor laughs arrogantly. "But don't worry, I'm going to put an end to this now. My Soaring Phoenix magic rips everything to shreds."

Erigor launches that dangerous wind attack, so I take it on full force. I disperse it with my own wind magic, and suck up the entire hurricane that the clashing attacks produce. Erigor looks at me, angry. "Impressive, you've managed to dispel all of the spells I've thrown at you. For a child, you're pretty talented. However, the other one isn't as much of a challenge as you."

I smirk at Erigor. "You would do well not to underestimate my big brother. He's a lot more surprising than you seem to think."

But Erigor just laughs at us. "First, I'll finish off the two of you, and then, I'll play a melody of death for those old fools, and they'll join you in your eternal rest."

Now, Natsu is really pissed. "All you talk about is that stupid flute. If you wanna kill the guild masters, then you're going to have to get past me." Natsu goes in for another strike, and gets blown back once again.

Erigor laughs. "I told you, you're wasting your time."

"No! What's wrong with me? I can't even get close to him! I can't take it anymore! I have to defeat him!" Natsu finally loses it and uses an ancient spell. The Flames of Emotion. With that spell active, I fan his flames and make the fire bigger and hotter. With this, I can create a whole pressure system for this battle.

Happy decides to get in on some fun to make this battle a little more interesting. "Natsu! You stink. Just give up and let Gray handle this, cause you're never gonna win."

At first, it has the complete opposite effect, putting out Natsus flames in an instant as he processes what Happy said. But the moment doesn't last long, and his flames come back with a vengeance. "What did you say!?" His emotions are running high, and the heat from his flames is scorching.

Thankfully, by drawing on the heat of his flames, I can pull in Erigor's wind magic. I suck it all up, leaving Erigor helpless and giving Natsu a clear opening to pound Erigor' sorry face into the ground. Honestly, I'm acting more like a vacuum than backup, but if that's what it takes to win, then I will fulfill that role.

Natsu sprints towards Erigor, his whole body on fire. "Fire Dragon's Sword Edge!" Natsu gets his good pounding in, leaving Erigor just barely conscious.

I smirk at him, relishing in the crazy win my brother just pulled off. "Never underestimate an angry Dragon Slayer." But since Erigor is still conscious, somewhat, I figure that it wouldn't hurt to send him flying. I take one deep breath, then breathe a very dangerous outward breath. "Wind Dragon's Roar!" And my roar rips through the air over the tracks, blasting Erigor back about a hundred feet.

With Erigor lying on a nearby rock spire, completely toasted and unconscious, Erza drives the magic mobile up the tracks while Natsu and Happy have a short argument. And I finally have a chance to sit down and catch my breath.

"Natsu! Ciara!" Lucy waves to us from the window of the approaching magic-mobile.

Natsu grins at them. "Hey! You guys just missed seeing us beat Erigor!" Normally, Natsu would hate to share credit with anyone, he's got a bit of a proud streak. But whenever it's the two of us, he's more than willing to pass along some of the credit.

Erza stops the magic-mobile, smiling. "I'm proud of you two."

And Lucy goes about helping poor, tired Erza out of the driver's seat. "You gonna be okay, Erza?"

From the looks of it, they've brought Kageyama along too, and he's recovered to the point that he can actually stand. Though I'm guessing that he's more than a little surprised at the sheer carnage of Erigor's defeat.

Gray wanders up to us, glaring slightly at Natsu. "I can't believe you had such a hard time with this guy."

"I never said that!" Natsu gets defensive, but in reality, he was having a hard time with Erigor. I don't even want to think about what could have happened if I wasn't here to help. "I took care of him, didn't I?"

"I was kinda worried for a while there." Happy smiles at the two of us. "If Ciara hadn't shown up, that Soaring Phoenix spell would have killed you."

I sigh in relief. "Well, regardless of how Natsu handled the battle before I arrived, the point is that the battle has been won."

"I guess…" Natsu looks away sourly. "I still think I could have beaten him without help."

I pat Natsu on the head and smile. "In your dreams, big brother."

Gray, on the other hand, seems determined to pick a fight. "You look pretty stupid wearing a scarf when you're half naked."

"Like you have room to talk." Natsu turns to Lucy. "Hey Lucy, give me your clothes."

"In your dreams!" Lucy looks like she's going to throttle Natsu.

I enact revenge for her, bonking Natsu on the head. "Natsu, how many times have I told you that it's not polite to ask to borrow a girl's clothes?"

"Um…" Natsu starts counting on his fingers. "Eleven…maybe twelve?"

Lucy's face falls a little. "Are you kidding? Does he have a cross-dressing fetish?"

That is definitely the last question I expected. "Uh…no. It's just that I've got a pretty extensive wardrobe, and Natsu has this bad habit of occasionally burning off his clothes. I stopped letting him borrow mine after the third incident."

Erza stifles a little laughter, smiling at us. "Anyway, well done you two. Thanks to you, all the guild masters will be safe now." Then she perks up a little. "While we're here, I think we should stop by the guild masters' conference to tell them what happened and ask them how we should properly dispose of the Lullaby flute."

True, destroying that thing is not going to be simple. It's like those curses that I break on certain jobs. There's always some kind of catch. And I doubt that just stepping on it will destroy it.

Happy seconds the motion. "Might as well, since we're so close to Clover."

Our plans seem set. But it looks like fate has something else in mind for us. Taking the flute and hijacking the magic-mobile, Kageyama attacks us, getting us out of the way and catapulting the vehicle over us in order to make an escape towards Clover.

"Kage!" By the tone of her voice, Erza was not expecting this sudden betrayal.

Gray seems just as confused. "What do you think you're doing?"

Brandishing the flute, Kageyama grins. "Lullaby's mine now! You shouldn't have let your guard down, flies!"

Natsu is just dumbfounded. "That jerk!"

"This is how he pays us back for saving his life?" Lucy makes a good point. If I had expected him to recover quickly enough to pull a stunt like this, I would have told Natsu to leave him behind in the train station.

I growl angrily. "Damn it, why didn't one of you pick up the flute then you walked over? And why did you leave the magic-mobile unattended?" Then I shake my head angrily. "Oh, never mind. Let's just go. I'll make a wind tunnel for us to run through, so let's go, quickly!"

We run down the tracks, and my wind magic makes the journey easier. I would fly us all there, but I don't quite have the ability to carry three people, or four people and a cat, since Happy is still recovering from his earlier use of magic. So, we make as good a time as we physically can.

* * *

We arrive at the Clover guild master conference and see Makarov and Kageyama face to face. Kageyama is holding the flute, ready to play it.

But just as we get ready to intervene, the other guild masters appear. Master Bob of Blue Pegasus shushes us. "We're just about to get to the good part." Then, he crosses the line, hitting on my brother and ex-boyfriend. "Well aren't you boys yummy? So adorable."

I grab the two of them and pull them away from the weird old cross-dresser. "Sorry Master Bob, but I'll be taking these two away."

As I pull them away, they loosen up significantly. Natsu wraps his arms around me, his body demanding cuddles. "Thank you! He creeps me out…"

"You're not the only one." Gray shivers, which is strange enough, considering that he's an ice wizard.

But as we all turn our eyes back to the scene at hand, I notice that Kageyama looks uncomfortable, even scared, and he hesitates to play the death flute.

Goldmine, leaning against a tree, grins at us. "Could you please keep it down over there? We're just about to get to the good part." I remember meeting him once, he's the master of Quatro Cerberus. I once paid a visit to their guild hall, a place that I will never venture to again.

Makarov starts getting impatient about hearing the flute, but something still seems to be holding Kageyama back. It must be something important, otherwise the dark wizard would be tooting Maarov's brains out right about now.

Since this confrontation seems to be going nowhere, Makarov gives Kageyama one of his famous philosophical lectures, one of the ones that only the members of Fairy Tail enjoy, because it holds true to all of our collective values. He talks about guilds and friendship, insecurities and weaknesses in humans. About the future, and the path to whatever future we choose to walk towards. And that brings Kageyama to his knees. He got Grampsed.

We all rush to our master and Makarov gets squished in a hug against Erza's armor. It's something of a running joke in our guild. And I'm glad that I don't fall for it anymore.

But I sense something ominous, and a voice comes from the flute. "I've grown tired of you cowardly wizards and your antics." A creepy purple light flashes through the air and the flute becomes a giant demon. "I can no longer hold back. I shall come forth to devour you myself. I shall feast upon your pitiful souls!"

Lucy freaks out. "It's so big!"

"Way to state the obvious." And there goes Happy, again.

Kageyama seems just as clueless. "What is that thing!? Erigor never said anything about a monster!"

Lucy is more than a little alarmed by this unexpected turn of events. "Why did the flute turn into a monster?"

"That's what Lullaby's true form looks like in the flesh. It's forbidden black magic. Living Magic." Goldmine scrutinizes our new foe. "Zeref's specialty."

Something about that name, while I've read it many times before, rings something strange when said out loud.

A perplexed tone from Erza brings me back down to Earthland. "Living Magic?"

Gray, on the other hand, ha no idea who Zeref is. "Who's Zeref? Wasn't he some ancient wizard?"

"He's the most evil wizard the world has ever known." Bob says that with an almost reverent tone. "He was very powerful in his day. But in my wildest dreams, I never thought his dark legacy would pop back up again." Popping back up isn't exactly the term I would use. It just seems too small to describe the enormous demon in front of us.

Lullaby looks down at us, with what I could swear is a grin. "Now, which of these delectable souls shall I dine on first?" Which of course gets Natsu sidetracked into wondering if souls taste any good.

 _The appetites of dragon slayers are strange._

I look up at the demon and sigh. "Of course it went wrong. Because that never happens to us…" Sarcasm drips from my voice like rain from a roof. "And it wants to eat us…wonderful…" I turn to Erza. "Um…do you mind if I say that I want to fight this thing? I mean, we can hardly let it just run around all it wants. So…I'm gonna vaporize it, if that's okay with you."

She nods. "Then I'll join you once the guild masters are safe." Book of Zeref aside, giant demons are a specialty for Fairy Tail wizards. Erza turns to the boys as I soar into the air. "Natsu and Gray, get everyone to a safe place!"

"Quit barking orders!"

"You're not the boss of us."

But Erza is having none of their shit right now. "Just do it!"

I float higher into the sky, and over the hill, I see the kingdom's army approaching. I'm not exactly sure what help they're expecting to be, especially against a demon, but maybe they can distract it or something.

Any and all hopes of the army proving to be useful are dashed as the army runs away in fear of the demon after it blows the top off a mountain. _What cowards…_

Lullaby seems satisfied. "I have no need for those pathetic humans. I prefer the taste of a wizard's soul. And I will consume all of yours'!"

"Oh yeah!? I'd like to see you try!" Natsu just has to go and egg on the giant demon. "Bring it on, big guy!"

So, that leaves the four of us to make a stand. Besides, if Lullaby likes to eat wizard souls, then it will have plenty of chances while we're beating it to death.

I rise higher into the air just as the demon roars. I speed my three battle partners through the air as they attack the demon. Erza requips into her Heaven's Wheel armor, Gray pokes holes in it with ice magic, and Natsu torches it with his fire magic. I launch a Wind Dragon Roar at it just as Natsu bathes it in fire, making a lethal combination. We're really pulling no punches, hitting this demon with everything we've got.

Gray launches ice everywhere, Erza slices at the demon with her matching swords, and meanwhile, I tear holes into the demon while Natsu grills it like a fish. But while onlookers might think we're all synchronized, the truth is that we're actually just waiting for openings to present themselves, and taking them as they come. That's why it seems like we're taking turns, dancing round the demon.

The plants around us die as the demon prepares its lethal song. "Just one note, and your souls will be mine!" But in true Fairy Tail fashion, we poked so many holes in it that the flute demon can barely make a squeak. It's pathetic. "I don't understand! Why can't I play my melody of death?" Apparently there is some chatter down on the ground, because Lullaby gets even more hyped up. "You dare mock me!?" It kicks over a mountain in its frustration. _A frustrated demon, that can't possibly be a good thing._

But when the demon starts breathing fire, Gray protects the guild masters. That doesn't make Lullaby very happy. "I will kill you all!"

Natsu challenges that by sucking up the fire. "Oh yeah!? Now I've got a fire in my belly!"

"You're not human! You're a monster!" Lullaby tries to punch Natsu out of existence, failing miserably as I grab my brother and we jump onto Lullaby's arm, scaling it like a rock wall.

"Oh, like you can talk!" Natsu sure isn't happy about being called a monster. And as we run up the demon's arm, I take off and start spinning through the air, releasing blades of wind magic from my hands and tearing even more holes in the flute's useless body. Gray and Erza do a brilliant job covering me. And to finish up with a bang, Natsu's Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame sends the demon up in smoke, as well as a column of fire and light.

* * *

With the battle over, I ignore the praise, walking until I find the evil flute on the ground. I look at it with contempt, stomping my foot down on it and crushing it into dust. I guess stepping on it really is enough to destroy it…

I blow the dust away on the wind and watch as my friends get chased around by people who are not pleased with the fact that the conference hall got destroyed during the battle with the demon flute of death. And I though I'd left that trend behind when I stopped taking so many jobs with Natsu.

I'm starting to get a little sick again, so since I'm in no shape to be traveling with my accident prone friends, I leave alone and fly to the nearest operational train station. I sleep all the way back to Magnolia, and even manage to avoid having nightmares about deadly demon lullaby songs.


	29. Natsu Makes Stupid Mistakes

**Okay, so it's getting harder to update because I've got exams every other day this week. It makes it a lot harder to watch the episodes through and rewrite the story. But I'll do my best to write up the Galuna Island arc as fast as I can.**

* * *

The morning after Natsu and the gang get back, Elfman comes to bang on my door. "Hey! The fight between Natsu and Erza is about to start in the middle of town. Mira told me to come get you!"

I groan and pull on my boots, because a duel between those two can't possibly end well. And I know very well that Mira just wants me to go watch, not stop them. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if they've started another betting pool.

Walking down the street towards the guild, I can already see the crowd circling around and clamoring for attention. It always gets like this when something interesting is going down. And a fight between Natsu and Erza is definitely interesting enough to most of the guild. To me, it's just another pain in the ass.

"Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Come on, Natsu!"

"Kick his butt, Erza!"

 _So…it's already started, huh?_ I float over the crowd to see my brother and my best friend staring each other down in as friendly a manner as possible when considering that they're about to be at each other's throats.

Noticing Cana sitting next to the betting board, I touch down and cross my arms as I stand next to her. "I knew that I'd find someone with a betting pool going. I should have figured that it would be you. Planning to pay off your bar tab with your bookie fees?"

"You know it!" She holds up a drink, and I cringe. She really has to tone it down with the alcohol, or one of these days, I swear that it's going to kill her.

I hear Lucy approach with Gray, which means tat he must have been the one to go get her. "No way! They're really going through with it!?"

Mira turns to the newcomers. "Oh hey Lucy!"

"Well if those two value their manhood, then they'd better go through with it." Elfman fixes his eyes on the impending fight, eager to see the two of them go at it.

Luckily, Mira has the perfect comeback for her idiotic brother. "Erza's not a man." A fact that has obviously escaped Elfman's notice. He's even called me a man before. Needless to say, I kicked the crap out of him for it.

"But you've got to admit, she's manly." Now Macao's point, I will not argue with. At times, Erza can be as feminine as it's possible to be. At others, the shape of her body is the only thing that betrays her female status.

Lucy looks a little nervous now. "Aren't you worried this could tear our strongest team apart?"

Gray's brow furrows a little. "What are you talking about? Our strongest team?" Obviously Lucy hasn't gotten the memo that this was the first time all of us have teamed up together, and that the chances of it happening again are pretty slim.

"You, Erza, Ciara and Natsu, you dummy!" Lucy says it like it should be the most obvious thing in the world. "You're the four strongest wizards in the guild!"

I nearly choke at her assertion, and Gray seems to be thinking along the same lines as me. "We are? Yeah right. What idiot fed you that line?" But as soon as Mira's smile disappears and she starts crying, it becomes obvious who told Lucy their opinion. And Gray hates seeing girls cry. "Oh, you're not an idiot Mira."

I roll my eyes, and Lucy speaks up for me. "Smooth move, Gray."

"I'll hand it to Natsu and Gray, they're tough little dudes. But neither of them are even close to being the strongest. There are guys in Fairy Tail who are stronger than both of them combined." Elfman speaks the truth so far. But his next words make me cringe again as he points at himself. "Like this guy."

Levy finally pipes up. "But calling Erza and Ciara the strongest women in Fairy Tail is definitely a safe bet. I'm actually not sure which of them is stronger, since we've never seen them fight."

Lucy looks to me curiously. "Really? You've never fought Erza?"

I shrug. "I used to go out on jobs with her all the time, and the two of us trained together a lot, but no, I've never actually fought with her. I tend not to fight with people for fun, since there's quite a danger in my powers, mostly involving tornadoes and hurricanes."

Lucy sweatdrops a little. "Yeah…I can see how that might be a bit of a problem."

Jet muses loudly. "Well, for the guys it's a tough call, but I'd put my money on Laxus or Mystogan."

"Are you kidding me?" I shake my head pointedly. "Aren't you guys forgetting someone? A certain guy who walks through walls, is a total klutz, and drifts around like a tumbleweed? I mean, Gramps aside, Gildarts is definitely the strongest wizard in the guild."

"True…" Gray agrees easily with me. "But that guy is a monster, so should we even count him?"

Lucy waves her hand in front of my face. "Hey! Who's Gildarts?"

I chuckle quietly. "An old gasbag that dotes on all us younger members. You'll meet him if you stick around long enough."

"Okay…?" Lucy backs off a little, her eyes back on Mira.

Still crying, Mira sobs lightly. "All I meant was that the four of them work well together and that they've got the best team chemistry in all of Fairy Tail."

That floors Lucy. "Okay, and this is coming from the same person who sent me on a mission to stop Natsu and Gray from killing each other when Erza and Ciara weren't around?"

"Yep…" I sigh and look at my overeager brother. "This isn't going to end well…mark my words."

Elfman does not share my concerns. "Well, I'm pretty psyched to see how this fight turns out."

"Oh yeah?" Gray just smirks. "I'm sure she'll end up mopping the floor with him."

Erza approaches the pre-fight verbal bout politely. "It's been quite a while since we've squared off like this, hasn't it, Natsu?"

"I was just a little kid back then. Today's gonna be different, cause I'm taking you down, Erza." Natsu sounds ready for this, but he wasn't a little kid the last time they fought, it was only a few months ago. He hasn't grown that much since then, even if he has gone through his major growth spurts in the last three years.

"Well, I'm not going to go easy on you." Erza looks up at him, her magic power rising quickly. "In fact, I have the perfect armor for this occasion."

As soon as Erza dons her Flame Empress armor, there is a diverse selection of reactions, from Laki's objective analysis, Macao's approval of her strategy, and Wakaba's disapproval of the advantage. And then, of course, our silly cat goes and bets against my big brother.

"Wow, Flame Empress armor, huh?" Natsu gets really excited now. "Good news for me." Fire envelops his hands, and his eager smirk becomes apparent. "That means I can turn up the heat as high as I want to.

But as Lucy freaks out beside me, I smirk as I see Gramps sitting next to Cana, holding up his hand. "Round One, start!" Not only does he approve of this, but he is encouraging it. But that's not a surprise, he loves seeing good, friendly matches like this.

Seeing as this battle promises to get very hot, very fast, I quietly incant a spell to put up a barrier to protect the crowd from the effects of Natsu's flames. If my brother knew the meaning of the words restraint and control, then we wouldn't be having this problem in the first place. As it is, I'll just hang around and keep the barrier up until they're satisfied. _It's a good thing that I studied hard after my job..._

The two of them race around the circle, combining hand to hand combat with swordplay, as well as burst of fire going in every direction. And it;s a good thing they're both fast, otherwise those flames could cause some serious damage. And with Natsu's roar tearing up the ground, the spectators start shrieking, before realizing that I've got a protective barrier in place.

Gray elbows me lightly. "You got a shield up?"

I nod, and Lucy catches on quickly. "Wait, you can create barriers? Then how come you couldn't break the one in Oshibana?"

I sigh and move my eyes off the fight for a moment. "Creating a barrier is very different to taking one down. For the wizard who cast it, taking down a barrier is easy. For anyone else, it involves a lot of magic, diagrams, and a whole mess of other things that seal breakers teach themselves to do. I've studied how to make barriers, but I've never been in a position where I've had to tear one down before. I will be rectifying that weakness later today, by perusing my library and finding a book that details how to bring down barriers."

As our eyes turn back to the fight, Lucy seems impressed by the skill shown in the fight, while Gray is not. Then again, it takes a hell of a lot to impress him in any situation. He's a little prideful in that sense. Then again, it might just be because he wants to be one of the ones in there, fighting.

Suddenly, someone claps their hands together, calling for attention. I glance over and notice that they're wearing an official uniform. I turn to Gramps, who nods at me, telling me to lower the barrier.

But as soon as I do so, the official enters the ring and raises their voice. "This fight is over!" That doesn't go over well, but the amphibious official ignores the whispers. "May I have your attention please? I've come here on behalf of the Magic Council."

I groan silently and edge away from her. _The Magic Council, again? Is this about the fight in Clover? Or is it about Oshibana? Maybe everything? If they're here to arrest us, then I'm blaming Natsu and Erza._

There are various exclamations from the surrounding crowd, but I keep my eyes on the frog. "As a result of the Eisenwald incident, a member of your guild has been charged with eleven counts of criminal property damage." _Oh crap, they're here for Natsu._ "Erza Scarlet, you are under arrest!" _Spoke too soon._

As I watch the envoy from the council taking Erza away, something rings false to me. Sure, Erza did some damage, but Natsu did way more damage than she did. He destroyed the meeting hall in Clover, wrecked the train tracks, broke half of the Oshibana train station, and who knows what else. The only reason to take Erza alone is to make a point, not actually punish someone. She's well liked and well respected, and didn't actually commit of all that property damage. She's taking the public fall instead of Natsu. Natsu…well, people have come to expect destruction from him no matter where he goes. Taking him wouldn't have much of a point to it, since it wouldn't put an emphasis on our latest incident.

When Erza leaves without a fight, emotions start running high. Natsu is far from pleased with this development. I can already tell that he's is going to go after her, so, I confront him. You're about to do something stupid, aren't you?

 _I'm going after Erza, so don't try to stop me. You stay here and keep quiet about it. There's no point dragging you into this, my plan only works for one._

The fact that he claims to have a plan worries me even more. With Natsu, either his plans are pulled off spectacularly, or they fail miserably. There is no in between with my hot-headed brother. And I don't bother telling him that it's obviously just a formality, that she won't actually get punished, they'll probably just send her home later today. I'd rather sit back and watch the show, after all, I'm getting a little bored.

I head home to my library to pick through my books and find a way to learn how to break barrier magic. I probably should have learned about it earlier, but like I told Lucy, I haven't been in a situation where that skill was critical. And I'm the type to pick up skills as needed. If I were to prepare myself for every eventuality, then I would spend my entire life studying, instead of actually applying what I've learned.

* * *

Upon arriving back at the guild, I sit myself down at a table and listen to the ensuing chaos about what to do. No one is particularly pleased with this turn of events, and while I'm not all that concerned about Erza, I'm bothered by the council's need to pin blame on someone. They've never really done that before. Even when me and Natsu got called in, it as just for a stern lecture. It's not like they actually arrested us.

Lucy is the first to start yelling. "This is wrong! We should be there to testify!"

"We're not going to court." The finality in Gramps' tone is apparent, but falling on deaf ears.

Lucy is determined to have her voice heard. "Why not, Master!? We all know she's innocent! We can't just sit here and let them lock her away!"

"Even if we left this very second, there's no way we would make it there in time." Gramps decides to shoot her down with a more logical argument this time. Trust the old man to know how to win an argument a different way for every year he's been alive.

When Lucy tries to protest, the little flaming salamander that is supposedly Natsu, pipes up. "I've been stuck under this stupid cup all day, you guys! It's getting hard to breathe! Come on, you gotta let me out of here!"

Macao should really know better than to think that he can convince me with that ruse. Even if Natsu hadn't told me that he was going to go after Erza, I would still see right through the deception. He doesn't smell like Natsu, and his mind doesn't connect to mine the way Natsu's does. Plus, Macao catching Natsu and turning him into a salamander would be a joke. Natsu may be an idiot, but he can at least outrun Macao.

Gramps has obviously caught on as well. Hell, he probably knew right from the start. "Are you sure you want out?" That's enough to give Macao pause. "What's the matter? It seems you've lost the fire in your belly." _Oh yeah…he definitely knows…_

Gramps launches a spell at him, knocking him out of the glass and onto the floor, where he reappears as Macao. The surprise of the others is loud and obvious. Macao, though slightly embarrassed, doesn't look too ashamed of himself. "Sorry guys, I owed Natsu a favor. I turned myself into a salamander so that everybody would think I was him."

"Do you know where he went?"

Gray picks his butt up from the bench and shuffles over. "He went after Erza, didn't he?"

"Yeah…'fraid so."

"You gotta be kidding me!" Elfman starts getting all worked up. "That idiot will probably try to fight the whole council!"

I sigh irritably. "Jeez, if this was his plan, he should have told me. I could have come up with a million plans that would have worked better than that one. He can't even use transformation magic. His nickname doesn't come from actually having scales…"

Lucy turns to me, shocked. "You knew!?"

Looking up out of my book, I fix her with a blank stare. "Of course I knew. How could I not? Me and Natsu have a telepathic connection, a unique one that can't be mimicked by any kind of magic. That's not there with Macao, so that's a dead giveaway. Apart from that, they smell different, and if there's a way to fool a dragon slayer's nose without just masking every scent with one strong one, I haven't found it. And lastly, he told me before he left. I just thought that he had a better plan than this."

"But what about your brother!?" Lucy looks positively aghast. "He's going to get himself caught by the Magic Council."

"So?" I get her point, but obviously she hasn't thought this all the way through. "They're not going to hurt him. Because they know that if they do anything permanent to my brother, I'll go and level their headquarters here in Fiore."

Gramps eyes me suspiciously. "And when exactly did you make that threat?"

"Back when they called me and Natsu in for that incident in Camellia Town. They handled Natsu a little roughly, so after the stern talking to that we got, I told them that if they bring Natsu in again, they'd better not hurt him, otherwise what happened in Camellia would happen to their headquarters as well." I yawn pointedly. "I guess they didn't want their nice building to get sucked into a hurricane."

Gramps sighs, his expression going dark. "In any case, we've no choice but to wait and see what happens. Let us hope that your brother doesn't aggravate the council further."

I let out a heavy sigh as I get a sense of Natsu's heightened emotions. He's obviously making a scene right now. And I just know that he's going to end up paying for it.

* * *

I'm proven right when Natsu and Erza get back in the morning, having spent the night in the Magic Council headquarters. And I watch the quickly building chaos from a little nook built into the banister of the guild's upper floor.

"Who would have thought fresh air would smell so sweet!? I'm gonna breathe it in all day!" Natsu runs around the guild hall as giddy as he was before the fight. The fool spent the night in jail, but nothing can take the spring out of his step, or the fire out of his belly. "It's the sweet smell of freedom! I'll never take it for granted again!"

But just when things seem to start calming down, Elfman steps on a bomb. "Hey Natsu! You gonna finish going man to man with Erza!?"

Natsu has a blank look on his face, before a grin replaces it. "Oh yeah, I forgot about that!" He rushes over to Erza, who is sitting at a table with her tea. "So, what do you say? Wanna pick up where we left off?"

"I'm not in the mood right now." But regardless, Erza puts down her tea, obviously expecting my brother's next move.

His fists cloaked in fire, Natsu gets ready to pound Erza into the ground. "I'm not letting you off the hook that easy!" But those are his last words before Erza takes him out with a single punch to the gut.

She looks down at my brother on the floor. "How's that? Are you satisfied?"

I shake my head derisively. "He sure had that coming…"

But I'm quickly distracted from all of the laughter as a spell starts to settle over the guild hall. And it's a spell that I've become quite accustomed to. An instant after I sense it, I start mumbling a barrier incantation under my breath to hold off the sleep spell. I know very well that this spell means, and I float down to the main level to greet one of my favorite other members.

Guildmates start dropping left and right, falling asleep wherever they happen to be sitting, standing, or flying. And as everyone collapses, a familiar figure comes walking into the guild hall, a figure that I'm quite fond of.

"Hi there, Mystogan." I smile sweetly at him, and I can tell that he's looking at me, by the soft glint of his eyes.

"Ciara…" He bypasses me and Gramps completely, heading straight for the job board. He rips a job off the board, before heading back to Gramps. "I will return." That's about how he declares that he's going on a job, with as few words as possible.

But Gramps has one protest "No, wait, lift your sleeping spell before you leave."

Mystogan nods, before heading towards the door. But as he passes by me, I call out to him. "What, no hug?"

He pauses, glancing at me. I hold my arms out expectantly. It's become a habit of mine to ask our resident loner for a hug whenever he drops by. I just figure that he should have some actual physical contact once in a while, preferably friendly.

With what sounds like a sigh, he steps towards me and leans down a little, wrapping his arms loosely around me for a moment. "Still training?"

"Every day!" I grin at him as he backs away. "And the library just keeps on growing.

He nods, and from what I can see of the skin around his eyes, it looks to me like he's smiling. "I will see you next time."

"I look forward to it." I smile at him and jump into the air, returning to my reading perch on the second floor. I watch as he walks right out the door, lifting his sleeping spell as he departs on his next job.

While everyone else wakes up almost immediately, my stupid brother just keeps on snoring. He could sleep through a hurricane. In fact, I think he actually has slept through a few of my accidental storms.

Groans echo across the room.

"Man…was Mystogan here?"

"What a jerk!"

"Does he have to put us to sleep every time he comes here?"

"Who's this Mystogan guy?" Finally, Lucy asks the big question.

"For one, he's a contender for Fairy Tail's strongest wizard." And once again, Elfman seems to be leaving out both Gramps and Gildarts in the rankings.

"Really?"

"Yeah…" Gray massages his temples, obviously suffering from a headache, as it's one of the side-effects of Mystogan's sleep magic. "And he doesn't want anybody to know what he looks like. So, whenever he comes here to take a job, he casts a sleeping spell."

"That's kinda creepy!" Lucy's first reaction is, of course, predictable. I was probably the only one in the guild to not have that reaction. Instead, I wanted him to teach me. And I got my wish. In fact, I get a lot of my wishes.

Gray nods "Master Makarov's the only one here who's gotten a good look at his face."

Laxus finally pokes his head over the railing. "That's not true, I've seen him before. And I'm not the only one. Pinky has seen his face as well, isn't that right? After all, you learned sleep magic from him, didn't you?"

I glare over at him, knowing full well that I'm the one he's addressing with that question that sounds more like a statement. _I thought I smelled something unpleasant in here…_ "Yes, I've seen his face, and yes, I learned sleep magic from him. And I thought that I told you to top calling me Pinky. It makes me sound like I should be a baby pig."

"You might as well be. I can't believe that anyone would nominate you as a contender for the guild's strongest wizard." He looks down on me with those arrogant eyes, and it pisses me the hell off.

I glare at him with icy eyes. "I'm far closer to being a dragon than a farm animal. And seeing as you, me, and Gramps were the only ones not put to sleep by Mystogan's magic, don't rule me out just yet."

Now that everyone has been shaken out of their Mystogan stupor, surprise rings the guild. As they look quickly from me to Laxus. They must have been subconsciously following our sort-of argument.

"Laxus?"

"Talk about rare…"

"You're never here."

Gray looks bored and wary as he edges closer to Lucy. "And here's another contender."

Laxus leers down at the crowd. "Mystogan's just a little shy. You should all respect his privacy."

That irritating voice seems to be just the smelling salts that Natsu needs to wake up, because he's on his feet an instant later, ready to raise some hell. "Alright, Laxus! You and me, right now!" _Of course he challenges Laxus…_

Gray deadpans. "Getting your butt kicked once today wasn't enough?"

"Yeah, pal. If you can't even win against the redhead, why bother with me?" Laxus really doesn't know what the meaning of tact or humility is.

And Erza isn't particularly pleased with the insinuation. "What are you trying to say?" _Oh, I'm pretty sure that you know exactly what he's saying. You just want to hear him admit how arrogant and misogynistic he is out loud._

"No need to get all worked up, Erza." Gray keeps his voice light and quiet, trying to avoid bringing Titania's wrath down upon him.

Laxus spreads his arms out in a show of supposed power. "I'm saying that I'm the guild's strongest wizard." _Again…is everyone forgetting Gildarts? He could kick all of our asses by accident!_

"Then come down here and prove it." While Natsu might not stand a chance against Laxus at this moment, he's still calling the thunder head out on his shit.

"You come to me, little man." And Laxus has now crossed the line. He's goading Natsu into going upstairs, which is a big no-no for anyone who isn't S-Class like me, Erza, Mystogan, and Laxus. We, along with Gramps and Gildarts, are the only ones allowed on the second floor. Mira can go up there too, but she tends to stay on the first floor at the bar.

"With pleasure!" Natsu is more than willing to take up Laxus' challenge, but as he tries to run behind the bar and up the stairs, Gramps shuts him down by slamming him into the floor.

Gramps shakes his head disapprovingly, his voice stern as he crushes Natsu under his giant fist. "You're not allowed on the second floor, Natsu. At least, not yet."

Laxus just finds all of this very amusing. "Think you made him grumpy." He can act like such a child at times. A spoiled brat.

"Shut up!"

Gramps glances up at his actual grandson. "That's enough out of you, Laxus."

But Laxus is getting cocky again, ready to make another of his stupid ego-boosting speeches. "The strongest wizard in the guild isn't a chick or some hooded weirdo. You wanna know what the strongest wizard in the guild looks like? You're looking right at him!"

So I send a sharp burst of air over to smack Laxus right in that smug face of his. "Oh go chew on a lightning rod, Sparky!" I make a scene by jumping down from my reading perch and walking out of the hall, using the wind to open the doors before me, and slam them behind me.

 _Good riddance to the bad smell._


	30. Isle of the Moon

**Had my history final this morning, and to say that it went well is an understatement. We got three essay questions, had to pick two of them, and the topics were so broad and the questions so open ended, that it was easy to complete. Even easier, when my teacher told us that we didn't have to follow traditional essay format, but just had to blurt out whatever we could think of onto the page. She's counting for points of information, not structure. I finished in an hour and a half, a total of seven pages, plus two pages of outline. I think that was pretty good, don't you? Only two exams left, and they should be a piece of cake!**

 **Also, I'm sorry that this chapter is so short, I'm trying to keep up an average word count per chapter at over three and a half thousand. I promise that the next two will be much longer. On the bright side, I did add an extra five hundred words before pasting, so that's good.**

* * *

Something feels strange, and it's got nothing to do with my little spat with Laxus yesterday, or with Mystogan's sleep spell. Something just seems wrong, but I can't put my finger on it. But regardless, whatever feels strange will have to wait. There is work to be done, and I'm wasting time just standing around.

When I finally get to the guild later in the morning, Mirajane and Gramps are deep in discussion. And they're never like that unless something serious has happened. I can barely recall the last time I saw the two of them like that. And whatever it was, it wasn't good. I can only imagine what's gone down this time.

Mirajane beckons to me, so I go over and Gramps turns to me. "Ciara, I have news that you're not going to want to hear. So please try to take this as calmly as you can."

A pit suddenly forms in my stomach, and the strange feeling I had earlier is back, only with a vengeance this time. "What's happened? Is Natsu in trouble?" _Knowing my brother the way I do, that's probably what's going on._

Nothing I could have imagined would prepare me for what Gramps says next. He sighs heavily, wearily. "Natsu and Happy stole one of the S-Class requests, removing the curse on Galuna Island. They left last night, and I sent Gray after them a few hours ago to bring them back. According to Laxus, it was Happy who snuck up to the second floor to take the job, no doubt at Natsu's request."

"They what!?" I know that my brother is stupid, but I never thought that he would go this far. I'm not entirely sure if he has a death wish, or if he really thinks that he can take a job like that without asking me for my help. "Did anyone else go with him?" If he did, then I can at least know that nothing too bad is going to happen to him out there. He tends to fight harder if he's got a teammate around whose back he needs to be watching. _Please tell me that he and Happy didn't run off by themselves..._

Gramps nods. "Lucy, I believe. I have asked Gray to bring the three of them back, however…" He leaves it up to me to fill in the most likely scenario there. And what I come up with is not good.

"...However, knowing my brother, he might find a way to kidnap or convince Gray to go along with his stupidity." I slap my forehead, imagining all the stunts he might have pulled to avoid being dragged back to the guild, many of those things being borderline illegal. _Natsu you idiot! What the hell are you thinking!?_ Asking him is useless, though, seeing as my telepathy doesn't reach nearly far enough to connect us over hundreds of kilometers. At least, not yet."You really don't want to put all of your eggs into one basket, do you?" Gramps nods, confirming that he's got a least a couple more plans in case this goes south. _One of those plans is probably Erza...Natsu won't be pleased if she shows up to bust his balls._

Laxus, on the other hand, thinks that it's hilarious, and he's laughing his ass off on the second floor. "I can't wait to see those idiots get kicked out of the guild. Well, if they even make it back alive, that is. I'm betting that they won't." Sometimes, I really want to emulate Natsu and challenge that guy, just so that I can feel the pleasure of putting him on the ground. He may use lightning magic, but I'm a dragon slayer, and we're on a whole other level.

I growl angrily at him. "Laxus, go jump off a cliff. I hope there are rocks at the bottom. You should have stopped Happy from grabbing that request, and if they get into trouble, I'll be taking it out on your spiky yellow head! If you make it out of that in one piece, you should consider yourself lucky." Then I narrow my eyes further. "Besides, you can probably guess what'll happen if Natsu gets kicked out." I turn to Makarov with a serious expression and pick up the backpack that I leave behind the bar for times like this when I'm going out on a job and don't have time to be visiting home and getting distracted. "Alright, I'm officially accepting the Galuna Island S-Class request. I'll break the damn curse. And then, I'm going to go save my stupid big brother. Because the two of us never abandon each other, ever."

It must be pretty clear to Gramps that if he decides to kick Natsu out of the guild over this, that he'll lose two wizards, not just one. The two of us have been through heaven and hell together, and we're not going to let rules keep us apart. And if I know Happy, he'll come along with us as well. He loves us too much to let us leave him behind. The three of us are our own little family, and there's no way we're going to let anyone split us up.

I storm out of the guild and over to the train station, where I have to wait for a couple of hours to take a train to the port in Hargeon. It's a whole four hundred kilometers, which means that it's going to take the rest of the day to get there. If Gramps had just sent someone to my house to come get me as soon as he found out that Natsu left, I could have brought them back without having to take on a job I was never planning on touching. Funny how things tend to go to complete and utter hell whenever Natsu gets involved.

Though I suppose that it's all working out for the best, after all, there's no one in Fairy Tail as equipped as I am to handle a curse-breaking job. And those tend to be the very pricey ones, since curses are not something to play around with. Our experience with Lullaby should have been enough to sink that into their thick skulls. But it obviously didn't work.

From the train station in Hargeon, I pay a quick visit to one of my friends with a private dock. I keep a couple of boats there just in case I need to sail to one of the various islands that surround mainland Fiore. I take jobs all over the place, some of them taking me to the furthest reaches of the kingdom. As such, having reliable transportation is a must.

Spreading out a couple of maps on the boat dock, I start looking for Galuna Island. I've never been there before, but my maps have its location on them. I can use that location to chart a course through the ocean. And by calculating the time of year to determine the ocean currents and tides, I use a couple of light pens to draw the proper course on my maps. Though I wish that I could have set sail earlier, the tides are going to delay me for a little while as I wait for them to change direction and produce the late night currents that I'll need to set sail. If I miss the changing of the tide, I'll have to wait around until midday, and by then, something serious might be going down. _I can't risk waiting._

* * *

Once I have my bearings and an appropriate tide, I use wind magic to get the boat into deeper water. From there, I turn my small sailboat into a speedboat and head straight for Galuna Island. Storms and air currents mean nothing to me since I have the ability to control the very movement of the air, down to even the smallest vibration. I can slip through storms and cut channels in them with ease. There is nothing daunting about sea travel to me.

Though the same can't be said for my motion-sick brother. Why he didn't ask me to come along, if only to have me cure his motion sickness with sleep, astounds me. He even could have done it to make the job legitimate. As long as I'm the one accepting the request, Gramps wouldn't care who I took with me. This has been a seriously stupid move on his part.

More than any of that, I'm amazed that he could leave Magnolia without me noticing. I'm usually pretty sensitive to these kinds of things, so for him to be able to slip under my radar must mean that he timed my sleeping patterns and taken off when he knew I'd fallen asleep. It seems like a move that Natsu would make, after all, he would do it all the time when we were kids. Then he would go sneak off to train by himself, so that I wouldn't accidentally run into him practicing and get burned. _He always was the type to be paranoid..._

I sail across the ocean for hours, steering using the slowly setting sun. I would use the stars, since they're more accurate, but I've still got a little time before they come out. Navigation using stars is something that I learned on the fly, since Natsu kept insisting on navigating when we were younger. It often ended with us getting so hopelessly lost that a map couldn't have helped us even if it started talking to us. Thankfully, his sense of direction has gotten much better in the past few years, and using his nose instead of his gut helps in that.

Even with the experience I have in sailing, it still takes me some careful maneuvering in order to keep with the currents. Whoever took my brother and company across must be an experienced sailor, because these waters are far from calm. If Natsu were with me, he would have been green in the face and retching up the entirety of his stomach ages ago. As it is, he's exactly who I'm going to drag back, hopefully not to get kicked out. Because I rather like Fairy Tail, and I would be sad to leave it. That said, I would rather stay with my brother than with Fairy Tail, and I would rather have both if possible. I have my ranking system, and I refuse to budge on it.

By the time I land on the island, it's already early in the morning. Despite that, I make camp and go to sleep quickly. I need to get as much sleep as possible before going to search the island. So with a small campfire to keep warm, I lie on my blanket and go to sleep.

 _When I wake up...you had better be ready Natsu. I'm going to bust your balls like no one but your sister can._


	31. The Demon of Destruction

**I promised a longer chapter, and a longer chapter you shall get (longer than I thought it would be, too). Enjoy.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

When I wake up, I pack up and immediately go to search the island. I catch my brother's scent and start making my way towards him. I can smell a village of strange smelling people, but my brother's scent is moving further and further from it, which is what determines the direction my path will take. However, another odd smell is chasing Natsu's to a temple, so I follow my nose and charge towards the temple. _Hopefully, I can meet up with them there._

By the time I get there, the floor of the temple is crumbling away, but down the hole is Natsu's smell, along with several other familiar scents. Gray, Lucy, and Happy. So I jump down and follow the tunnel I find until I see my brother, his three accomplices, and one huge frozen demon. Well…that's new.

After admiring the size of the monster for a minute, my ears twitch as I hear someone else coming. So I jump on them and cover Lucy and Happy's mouths. I give Gray a look that shuts him up, as well as one at Natsu. _You, keep quiet. We have things to discuss later, understood?_

Yes… He looks thoroughly put out, and he should be. Honestly, he should have seen this coming. There is no way that I would let him throw himself into danger without me, not this level of danger at least. And dragging Gray, Happy, and Lucy along is not going to save him from a lecture. But as the voices come closer, I start to listen to the ensuing conversations.

"The voices seem to come from down here." A blue-haired guy and a dog-man come into view. "I hate being awake during the day. So Toby, were you exposed to the Moon Drip? You've got those pointy ears."

"I already told you, they're a fashion statement, you jerk!" The dog-man freaks out so badly that he really doesn't look human for a second. And honestly, if those are a fashion statement, then I really need to grab him and throw him to the girls. Even I have better fashion sense than him, and I hate dressing up.

"Shut up, I was just teasing you."

"You don't have to be so mean about it."

Now, a girl with magenta hair walks in. "Yuka, Toby, something terrible has happened."

"What now, Sherry?"

"It's Angelica. She's been attacked and I'm sad." _Angelica…another member of their group?_

"You're moping around because somebody beat up your stupid pet rat?" _Wait…she brought her pet rat here?_ I've smelled the island, and the scents that these three are giving off are definitely foreign. _So why are they here…?_

"She's not a rat! She's a brave hunter, prowling the jungle to protect us. She is…love!" _Okay, this chick is clearly off her rocker._ I can practically see the hearts in her eyes as she talks about her beloved pet.

Lucy seems as creeped out as I am. "I don't know who these people are, but talk about a bunch of weirdoes. Especially the chick with the pet rat."

"Judging from the scent I picked up off them, they're not from the island." _Looks like Natsu picked up on the same thing I did, good, that should save us some time._

I look over at me brother and nod. "I agree, they're not local. And what the hell were you thinking? Taking on an S-Class job is way too hard for you, you should have picked a monster hunting job or something. Now I'm stuck here doing this job, since I'm the one who officially accepted it. I wouldn't have accepted this one if you hadn't insisted on playing S-Class and running off to break half a dozen rules. You are all a bunch of morons who really need to think before you do things."

"Intruders, you say?" My attention snaps back to the blue-haired Yuka.

"And it's almost time to begin collecting moonlight again. All this makes me so sad. This news would displease the Cold Emperor." When the girl, Sherry, mentions this Cold Emperor, my senses sharpen and I listen very carefully. "We should get rid of them before he finds out. Yes…we must find them before the moon's first light. Since they've seen Deliora, we can't allow them to live. We'll give them the gift of eternal rest. We'll give…them love!"

"You're talking about death, right?" _Not good, need to get those three out of here before they find us._

I look around for a distraction, and spot a suitable rock on the ground. With a quick breath and a strong arm, I hurl the rock into one of the nearby tunnels, creating a sound a hundred feet down the tunnel. The three of them totally buy it, and go rushing off down the tunnel to investigate the source of the noise. And hopefully, they'll be too busy chasing imaginary intruders to come back and look for the real ones.

Then, I turn back on Natsu. "Natsu, tell me now, what the hell are you trying to pull by stealing an S-Class job? I got pulled into this mess because of you, so you had better tell me now!"

"Later. I think that this big frozen monster is a more pressing problem then getting mad at me for grabbing an S-Class job." He points insistently towards the demon, which I have to admit, does seem to pose something of a problem.

"Fine, but don't you dare think that you're off the hook." I turn to Gray, since he seems to be hiding something. "Now, you're looking kind of suspicious, so tell me, do you know anything about the demon that Natsu is freaking out over?"

Gray flinches a little. "How did you-?"

I roll my eyes. "Because you're shaking like you've got Erza bearing down on you. And last I checked, she's not here. So spill it. This job seems to be complicated enough already, so give me what you've got."

"Deliora…" He looks up at the large monster. "I don't get what anyone would want with it. And how were they even able to find it?"

"Was it hidden somewhere?" _Lucy…that's a bit soft for an interrogation…we need information and fast._ I hate to push Gray, but if he doesn't start pouring out answers like a gossipy old lady, I'm going to start hurrying this along.

Luckily, it seems that I won't have to do that. "It was sealed away, in a glacier on the northern continent." I vaguely recall a time when Gray told me that he came from the northern continent. "A decade ago, this immortal demon ravaged Isvan. Countless people lost their lives. The woman who taught me how to use my magic, my master, Ur, sacrificed everything to seal it away." Gray's hands start shaking harder. "I don't know if it has anything to do with the curse on this island, but I do know that it doesn't belong here. This Cold Emperor, we have to find out who it is! If they tarnish my master's legacy, they're going to regret the day they were born!" Ice coats his hand, a sign that he is well beyond agitation now.

 _Well, looks like I got the answers I wanted._ The one part of this that I regret is that it's causing Gray this much pain. It's likely the equivalent of me trying to talk about how Igneel disappeared, abandoning me and Natsu to survive on our own. _This also explains why he ended up at Fairy Tail before me and Natsu did. The memories must be painful… since he must have seen the demon's wrath firsthand and up close. And yet, why do I get the feeling that we're going to have to fight this thing…?_ I glance down at my clothes, made up of my usual light blue jeans, my knee-high and dark blue boots, v-neck red shirt with the long, airy, and flared sleeves, and my coppery vest. _Well, at least I'm dressed for a fight. Lucy is the one in a skirt and tank top._

Through all of our confusion, Happy finally pipes up. "I wonder how it was transported from the northern continent to Galuna Island…"

"You don't think this demon could have something to do with the island's curse, do you?" Lucy has a good point. And while I can't feel a curse per say, I know that there's definitely something familiar about this demon.

Gray, still shaking a little, refuses to look at us. "I wouldn't be surprised if it may be enclosed in ice, but that thing's still alive."

To me, that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. If that demon really is still alive in there, then there is no doubt in my mind that something bad is going to happen. Bad things just happen around us, so why should this time be any different?

"Sweet!" And as usual, Natsu has no regard for basic safety. "Give me a go at it! I ain't afraid of no stupid demon!"

Lucy isn't so sure about that idea. "You know, brute force isn't the only way to solve a problem, Natsu."

"A little fire oughtta do the trick!" Somehow, Natsu doesn't seem to get that no matter how much fire he throws at it, there's nothing that's going to budge that enormous hunk of magical ice.

Gray, on the other hand, seems to think otherwise, aiming a punch straight at Natsu's face, and knocking my brother to the ground before he can light himself up.

"Gray just punched Natsu!"

"Well…this wouldn't be the first time he's done that."

Natsu recovers fast and gets up. "What's the deal!? What'd you hit me for, Gray!?"

The look on Gray's face freezes my brother in his tracks. "I don't want you or your flames anywhere near it! If that ice melts and Deliora is revived, there's no way we'd be able to stop it."

"Come on, do you really think a huge chunk of ice would be that easy to melt?" _Okay…I guess Natsu isn't as stupid as he seems._

 _I heard that!_

I smirk at my brother. _Then why don't you take my advice and stop being so stupid all the time. You know that people just expect you to do dumb stuff all the time, right?_

 _Shut up! I'll do whatever I want to!_

I shake my head, a smile still on my lips. My brother has got to be one of the dumbest secretly smart people there is. Sometimes, he acts like a total goof, and at other times, you'd think that he could make a living as a strategist for the Magic Council.

Lucy approaches Gray, trying to offer some comfort. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm the one who got hit for no good reason!" Natsu looks pretty miffed at being forgotten by his newest partner. "Watch your temper, man!"

"Please…you're one to talk." If there's anything that Happy is particularly good at, it's calling people out on their shit when they're being hypocrites. Personally, I think that they both need to work on their tempers. Maybe then, we might actually get some peace and quiet at the guild for once.

 _Assuming that Natsu and I are still members when we get back…_ I still haven't told Natsu what will happen if he does get kicked out, that I'd leave with him, no matter what he says. I've already lost Igneel, and there's no way that I'm going to lose Natsu as well.

Gray finally calms down enough to continue with his story, which is good, since we need as much information as we can get. "Many years ago, my master Ur cast a spell called Iced Shell on this demon, enclosing it in a form of ice that can't be melted. It's so strong that even the most powerful flame spells have no effect on it."

"I'm guessing that includes the flames of Dragon Slayer Magic as well?" I glance at Gray, who nods slightly. "Then I would guess that nothing short of a full blown dragon would be able to melt this ice. And since the only dragon we know is both MIA and friendly, then there should be no way for this demon to be freed." But, I've still got a feeling that this is far from over.

Gray shakes his head, confused. "If they knew that the ice couldn't be melted, then why did they bring it here?"

"Maybe they didn't know." Lucy stands there, trying to be the voice of calm reason. "Maybe they brought it here to try and melt it."

"But why would they do that!?" Gray's hostile aura comes back in an instant.

"Uh, I have no idea." Lucy recoils, edging away from Gray. It's probably a smart move, considering how angry Gray looks.

"I just don't get it." Gray's anger subsides a little as he stares at the frozen demon. "Who would bring Deliora here, and why?"

Surprisingly, the solution comes from Natsu. "We need answers. Come on, let's go find those guys." He must be referring to the trio that ran off earlier, chasing false intruders.

"No." Gray stubbornly refuses to budge. "We're going to stay here and wait."

"Wait for what?" I almost wish Happy hadn't asked.

"For the moon to come out." Now, I want to throttle Gray. If he really wants us to wait until the moon comes out, then that means we're going to be stuck in here for hours.

"The moon!? But it's the middle of the afternoon!" Predictably, Natsu has the same reaction as me, only hes actually saying something about it. Chances are, he read my mind and is reacting for both of us, again. "Forget that, if I have to hang out here all day, I'll die of boredom."

Lucy ignores my brother's outburst. "Gray, why does the moon matter?"

"I have a feeling that the curse on this island and Deliora are somehow connected to it. And I heard those guys earlier say something about collecting moonlight." Gray's suspicion is enough to slam the brakes on the train in my head that's been pushing me to voice some objections of my own. After all, this is supposed to be my job, not theirs. They're just the idiots who ran on ahead without any due consideration.

He's not the only one who heard that. I sigh heavily and look up at the demon, then back down at Gray. "Alright, then we'll wait. But, there are conditions."

Gray turns to me, frowning. "What do you mean, conditions?"

I glare right back at him, as stern as can be. "If any of you plan on doing anything stupid, you run it by me first. After all, I'm the mission leader."

Gray looks stunned, Lucy looks confused, and Natsu starts yelling up another storm. "Who made you the mission leader!? This job is for me, Happy, and Lucy!"

I grab my brother by his scarf, yes his precious scarf, and look him dead in the eyes. "I'm in charge, because I'm the one who had to officially take the job in order to save you from some of Gramps' wrath! I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. So suck it up and accept that while we are here on MY S-Class quest, you play by my rules, got it!?"

Natsu looks about ready to start yelling at me, but he just slumps a little and breathes. "Fine…" Then he grins a little. "So this means that you're taking me on my first S-Class job, right!?"

I groan and let go of his scarf. "Yes…it means I'm taking you four on your first S-Class job."

"Woohoo!" Natsu starts running around like an idiot, before promptly falling to the ground, fast asleep.

Lucy can't seem to believe her eyes. "Are you kidding me? He fell asleep just like that!?"

"Yep…that's Natsu for you."I gaze down at my stupid big brother and stifle a yawn. "Although I think he's got the right idea. I stayed up a whole day and night in order to track all of you here. I'm tired…"

"Then go to sleep. We'll need you at full strength later." Gray goes over to a pile of rocks and sits down. "I'll wake you when something happens."

I snort with laughter. "When something happens. You mean, if I don't wake up first. Instincts of a dragon, remember?"

He waves me off, so I sit down on the ground, blowing some of the dust away as I settle myself down on my jacket, snuggled up to Natsu. I hate getting cold at night, whihc is why my house's temperature is regulated so that I can stay warm, while still being able to leave the window open to produce a cool breeze for my face. And thanks to the ice in here, the best way to stay warm is to cuddle with my brother. And just like that, I curl up and go to sleep next to my lightly snoring brother.

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V.

I wouldn't have thought it possible, but right after lying down next to Natsu, Ciara is out like a light. Natsu falling asleep like that doesn't surprise me too much, but Ciara is a different story. So far, she's struck me as the responsible type who would rather stay up and keep watch, while letting everyone else go to sleep. But maybe I misread her.

I turn to Happy, speaking quietly. "Are these two always like this?"

"Aye." He nods quickly. "When I was little, they took naps together all the time. Natsu said that it was so Ciara wouldn't get sick, but I think he just liked listening to her heart beating. He was always scared that she would stop breathing while they were asleep."

"Really?" I look back down at Ciara, her pink hair spread out over the ground. "It's hard to imagine someone like her getting that sick."

"Aye… But she's gotten a lot stronger, and she doesn't get sick anymore."

"I see…" _So she grew out of it…but they still have this habit, huh? I think it's cute that they act like siblings sometimes._ It makes me wish that I wasn't an only child. "So what's wrong with her?"

Happy opens his mouth to speak, but it's Gray whose voice echoes through the cave. "Chronic Magic Deficiency Disease. Her body has trouble holding on to magic, so sometimes she'll run out without warning. When that happens, her body gets cold, and Natsu has to warm her back up before she freezes. The one time that it went really far, her heart almost stopped."

"Really…?" Looking at Ciara, I can't imagine that a powerful S-Class wizard would run out of magic power at the drop of a hat.

Happy nods, raising his hand and patting Ciara's hair. "Natsu was so scared, I never saw him like that before."

"We were all scared, Happy." Gray's voice sounds unusually clipped. "We couldn't even figure out how she made S-Class in her condition. I always thought that Natsu would be the first of the two of them, not her. But…she got picked."

"Huh…" That means the this girl is a lot stronger than I thought. If she's battling an illness, but still taking on difficult jobs and kicking butt, then she's got a kind of strength that I wish I had a lot more of. Courage. It also explains why Natsu seems so close to her.

"I know I agreed to wait, but this is so boring." With Natsu and Ciara, I've been just sitting around and waiting for what seems like forever.

"Aye…" Beside me, Happy looks just as bored.

So, in an act of desperation, I clap my hands together and reach for one of my keys. "Oh,I know!" I flip the key around and hold it out into the air. "Open, Gate of the Harp constellation! Lyra!"

In a puff of smoke, a girl in a blue and pink dress appears, a harp strapped to her back. "Oh wow! I haven't seen you in forever, Lucy!" She gets right up in my personal space, pouting. "Say, how come you never call me anymore? It's not fair! I would love to help you out, but you ignore me, meanie."

Sometimes, this girl works my last nerve. "Meanie, huh? You're the one who told me you were only available three days a month." _If she wanted me to call her more often, she should have given me more days to call her on._

That revelation surprises her. "Are you sure about that?"

"Yep…" I sigh, a little tired of dealing with her antics.

Changing the subject, Lyra fingers her harp. "So, what would you like me to sing? Any requests?"

"Nope, whatever you want." That should keep her busy for a while. And maybe the music will put me to sleep for a while too. Gray is the one insisting on standing guard, but that doesn't mean that the rest of us have to sit around bored.

"Okay! I think I've got a song that you're going to love,Lucy!" She gives me a big thumbs up, and starts setting up her harp.

I turn to Happy and walk over to sit down on a rock. "Lyra has the most beautiful singing voice." I wonder what she'll sing this time…

Lyra plucks at the strings, weaving a beautiful melody into the air.

 _ **Words are born into air**_  
 _ **And quickly fade out in the wind**_  
 _ **But they find their way inside you**_  
 _ **Where they live on for evermore.**_

 _ **When the skies are dark and full of rain**_  
 _ **Look inside your heart**_  
 _ **Light, so warm and all aglow**_  
 _ **Shining just like the sun.**_

 _ **You can see just how much you've grown**_  
 _ **How strong you are**_  
 _ **Love will open up to you**_  
 _ **And it starts from the day**_  
 _ **That you first heard those words**_

As the song ends, I open my eyes and notice Gray shaking. "Gray? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm fine." But I think he's lying. It sounds like he's trying to choke back a sob.

"You seem upset." Happy seems to see it as well, and if the little guy is pointing it out, then it's probably true. After all, he's known Gray for a long time.

I suddenly feel bad for calling Lyra out. "Well, one of Lyra's talents is singing songs that relate to what her audience is feeling."

"Did her song make you cry?"

"I wasn't crying." But it sure doesn't sound like that to me. Especially after everything he's told us today about his master sealing up this demon. He must be lost in memories of her.

I turn to Lyra, feeling a bit guilty. "Maybe you should sing something a little more upbeat."

"You should have just said that in the first place." Lyra puts her hands on her harp, ready to play another song.

But before she can start, Gray cuts her off. "I think we should skip the song. We need to stay quiet. We don't want to be found out."

"Okay…" Since there's nothing else to do, I turn to Lyra hopefully. "You think you can help keep watch while I get some sleep?"

"Of course." She smiles and puts away her harp. "I will be here when you wake up."

"Thanks, Lyra…" I shuffle around a little before lying on the ground. It's not very comfortable, but it'll have to do. And I must be more tired than I thought, because despite the hard ground and Happy cuddling up to me, I fall asleep right away.

* * *

 **Now to answer some of those questions for Cormin12 (since I've gotten a lot of reviews from you today), and I'll try not to spoil too much. But I'll try to be rather specific in my answers. You'll probably see this in a few hours, or maybe tomorrow, depending on your reading speed.**

 **Yes, Ciara can eat wind, although she may complain of it being stale or gross-tasting if there is smoke or some other nasty thing hanging in it. On another note, she does not like scarfing down any breezes bringing the smell of perfume on them, as it tastes like bad alcohol. As for the smaller pool of magic, that's really only because it's been sealed up for the most part. Though if a breeze were to pass through something like an orchard, she would gobble that one up and treat it like dessert. And if the air isn't moving at all, like if it's in a vaccum, then there's no point in sucking it up, since it won't be converted into her type of magic power. Unlike sky magic, wind is all about the motion (that's just straight up physics right there) so the stronger the wind, the more magic it can be converted into. With exceptions of course, like Erigor's barrier. There's always got to be exceptions to the rule (must we talk about Natsu scarfing down Totomaru's fart flames?).**

 **If it is not clear by now, then allow me to clarify. Ciara and Natsu look a lot alike. Same onyx eyes (Natsu's irises are typically too small for discerning a color, but at least we have Zeref for reference, right, think that color). Same pink hair, though Ciara's is a whole heck of a lot longer (for reasons to be explained later). Ciara's personal style comprises mainly jeans, long sleeved shirts, and a few vests and jackets, favored in colors of red, blue, gold, and silver (silver is going to be a much recurring theme for her, in her cloths, guild emblem, as well as some…extra additions later). You know, things that are easy to move in. Though she may forgo jackets if there's a major fight going down. The less she has to weigh her down and catch in the breeze, the better. And of course, there are her two signature red ribbons in her hair that she is supposed to NEVER take out.**

 **Those ribbons sealing up her magic? They protect her from motion sickness. She just doesn't know it yet. There will be a "whoops" moment later that involves the ribbons being pulled off, some retching, and a fight over putting them back in her hair.**

 **As for the dragonification…I'll leave that all to your imaginations for now.**

 **Dragon Slayer combination magic? I thought that since she's the most versatile fighter in their group, that she should end up picking things up out of necessity or opportunity. Say, when some foreign magic gets forced down her throat by her silly older brother. The first time, it will be opportunity, necessity, AND irony, but that won't happen until much further down the line. Although I hadn't yet considered how she would munch on Gajeel's magic. You know, apart from maybe chewing on his arm, but that's all kinds of wrong. I've got the order of events in mind, so I'll just say that she ends up with a lot of initially unwanted abilities.**


	32. The Cold Emperor

**This chapter turned out a whole lot longer than I expected, so I divided it in two for the sake of spreading out this arc a little more evenly. In other news, I passed one of my classes pretty well, and I'm waiting on marks from the one I did an exam for yesterday. I've got one exam tomorrow afternoon, and another Friday morning, then I'm done! Regardless, I will make time to keep updating. Well, until Saturday, when I'll be spending most of my day on planes.**

* * *

I would probably have slept a lot longer, but I wake up as soon as the cavern starts shaking. I groan and prop myself up on my hands as Lucy rubs her eyes. "What's that noise?"

Looking towards the ceiling, I fix my eyes on the top of the ice prison containing Deliora. "I think we're about to find out. It's go time."

Natsu shoots up beside me. "Is it night yet?"

"Probably…" I glance at Gray, who seems to just be waking up himself. _So much for keeping watch._

All my thoughts are quickly interrupted by a beam of purple light shining down from the ceiling, right onto Deliora.

"Theres a beam of light!"

"Shining down from the ceiling!?"

"But why is it purple?" So far, Gray has the only intelligent thing to say. "It must be moonlight."

"What's going on?" Happy's fur bristles and stands on end. "I'm getting scared, Gray."

As the moonlight shines down, Gray gets even more worked up. "It's shining on Deliora."

"I don't think that's a coincidence." Natsu jumps to his feet, his normally silent brain now running a mile a minute.

Since there's no time to waste, I get to my feet, brush myself off, and start looking at the various tunnels for an exit. "Well, no point in standing around here. We need to figure out what's going on. And I'm guessing…" I point up at the ceiling. "That we're going to find our answers up top."

So after locating a tunnel with a breeze and fresh air coming out of it, we run up stone steps, into the temple. There is more moonlight coming in through the room here.

Gray is perplexed, to say the least. "Why would someone cast a magic circle inside this old temple?"

"Let's find out!" Natsu grabs my hand and starts running for another tunnel. _Let's use our noses to get us out of here._

 _Agreed._ When the two of us work together, there's no place we can't find our way out of. We climb higher and higher, finding magic circles going through every floor. We run all the way up to the roof, and come upon a ceremony being performed.

We hide, and Gray looks up at the sky. "The moon…"

"Looks like those robed freaks are chanting some spell to collect up the moonlight." Natsu's analysis of the situation is surprisingly accurate, considering what a numbskull he tends to be most of the time.

I remember from my newest book that moonlight is a powerful dispelling and purifying agent. But I never thought to see it in practice. "Okay, now that's some serious ancient magic. A Bellionese spell for collecting moonlight. It's used as the ultimate seal-breaking and purifying spell. I don't even know of a seal that can stand up to it, it's that powerful." I glance at Gray. "I'm sorry, but that sealing spell that your master performed, it won't be able to hold up if they collect enough Moon Drip. There's just too much magical charge in concentrated moonlight."

That sure pisses Gray off. "Idiots! They've never witnessed the wrath of Deliora!"

"I'm not sure what the connection between this supposed curse and the moon is, but this is definitely not good." Then I notice that there is a brand new scent approaching. "Dammit, get down and stay quiet." And we all hide quietly behind the rocks. I keep my nose and ears at the ready, determined to identify this newcomer.

A person with a horned helmet covering his face walks toward the magic circles with the trio of Yuka, Toby and Sherry in tow, who are all giving him reports on the situation. Reports that my dragon ears are very keep to listen to.

"What a waste, I lost so much precious sleep for nothing. We searched all day for the intruders, but never found a trace of them." _Yeah, of course you didn't, Eyebrows. You fell for a stupid rock trick._

"Maybe there wasn't any!"

"I'm afraid I have some sad news, Cold Emperor. We thought we had some intruders during the day, but it seems they got away somehow. I cannot speak of love in this situation." _Again with the love…jeez. Does this girl ever give up?_

"Intruders?" And Gray seems to recognize the voice, though from the look on his face, it can't be good.

"So that guy's their leader?" Natsu's eyes are trained on the one in the helmet. I'm not sure if it's Natsu's intuition at work, or the smell of power on the guy, but I'm inclined to agree. That guy is definitely the one in charge.

"He's trying to act all high and mighty, wearing that stupid mask."

"I dunno, I think it looks kind of cool."

I pull my thoughts away from Lucy and Happy's discussion on fashion, praying that they don't get too loud as I listen in on this Cold Emperor. "Has Deliora been awakened yet?"

"It should be later tonight or tomorrow."

"The time has almost come. If you see those intruders again, kill them. I don't want anyone getting in my way." Ruthless, much?

"They must have been villagers. They're the only other people on this island."

"Then destroy the village!" And now, the masked leader has officially gone too far. I can't allow the village to be destroyed, and since there is no way that I can force Natsu and the others to go home while completing this mission, I'm going to have to accept that they're here for the whole ride. That ride includes protecting the clients from these foreigners.

Natsu is not pleased."What!?" His whisper is starting to turn more into a growl.

Lucy isn't particularly quiet either."But the villagers didn't have anything to do with this."

 _Natsu…don't do anything stupid._

 _Ciara! They're about to go and murder innocent people!_

 _I can see that, but if we make the wrong move, we'll end up getting them killed before we can protect them._

 _Well screw that, I'm going to take them down right now!_ Natsu jumps up onto the ruined stone wall, yelling loudly. "I've had enough of this sneaking around business! It's not the villagers! We're the intruders you're after!" Natsu blows fire into the air and announces our presence spectacularly to the world.

"Jeez, I guess there's no turning back now, huh?" Lucy readies her keys for the fight, about as annoyed as I am with my brother's antics.

I hop onto the wall and sit next to my fiery big brother. "Well, this is a pain. I told you not to get so worked up."

Sherry's eyes drift to Natsu's shoulder, then to mine, exposed as it is by the fact that my jacket is tied around my waist, and my shirt has no shoulders to it. "I know that emblem, they're from Fairy Tail."

"Interesting, the villagers must have gone to the magical guilds for help." Yuka, or Mr. Eyebrows, scrutinizes us, furrowing those oh so impressive forehead ornaments.

"Don't worry about them. Go eradicate the village." _Even after my brother's little intro, this guy still plans to destroy the village? I definitely can't let this slide._ To my companions' exclamations, he turns his head. "Anyone who stands in my way, whether deliberately or not, is my enemy."

"Say what!?" I wish I could say that Natsu took that news like a calm and rational person. Unfortunately, this is Natsu, so of course he wouldn't. He takes off towards the Cold Emperor, with Gray on his heels.

"Why you! Stop this crazy ceremony right now!" Angry, Gray jumps in with ice magic, countered by the Cold Emperor's own ice magic. "Lyon! How could you? Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

"Oh Gray, it's been quite a while, hasn't it?" It seems that we now have a name to go with the voice. Lyon.

"Why would you revive Deliora?"

"To think that you were one of the wizards called to this island to help those poor villagers…Did you come, knowing you would find me? Or is this just mere coincidence? Not that it makes any difference to me." His icy, arrogant voice really grates on my nerves, but I keep back, to wait and watch how this plays out, before stepping in and making a move.

"An acquaintance of yours, Cold Emperor?"

"Do as you were ordered, I can handle the intruders on my own." And with that, the other three leave quickly to go and destroy the village.

"Hey, wait! Come back!" Natsu gets reckless and charges.

"No, Natsu! Don't go near him!" But Gray's warning falls on deaf ears and Natsu continues forward.

That stupid brother of mine gets himself hit with some kind of ice spell. The shards of ice grow and multiply, covering from his shoulders and elbows to his knees in a ball of ice. If I weren't pissed at the state of him right now, I would suggest using him as a bowling ball.

With Lucy doomed to be the next target, Gray turns to Happy. "Happy, get Lucy out of here!"

Happy looks to me, since he's not used to taking orders from Gray. And besides, this is my job. "Do it, Happy. Take her and fly as fast as you can, I'll take care of things here!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy grabs her without hesitation and takes off into the sky, carried off the mountain by the breeze summoned by my agitation.

Gray launches another attack, trying to take down the other ice wizard. But it's as though this Lyon saw it coming. It takes him no time to create a shield of ice to protect himself from the onslaught. _These two must have some serious history to be reacting to each other like this._

"Natsu struggles against the hardening ice. "What!? No! I can't move!" I shoot him a quick glare. _Then stop struggling and try to come up with a way to break free. Whining is not going to help right now._

"You distracted me long enough for one girl and the cat to escape." Lyon's sneer is obvious in his voice. "Chivalrous, but pointless. There's no way those two can stop my minions."

"Don't underestimate the power of Fairy Tail wizards!" Despite being trapped in a hunk of ice, Natsu is still pretty determined to fight. Of course, if it came down to it, I suppose that he could just roast everything with his roar. There's no need to move around much for that attack.

But Gray, as inexplicable as his actions have been today, kicks Natsu down the mountainside. I watch as my brother rolls and bounces down the side of the temple, screaming profanities into the sky. "Jeez…what a loudmouth."

"I see you're as reckless as ever. Was he not one of your allies?"

"You and I both know that with one spell, you could blow up that ice and him with it." Now that's a surprise, I hadn't expected there to be an ice spell that worked like that. _Looks like I'll have to thank Gray for this later._

"So you chose to send him safely outside the range of my magic. That was a very clever move."

"Ciara, get out of here!" Gray starts barking orders at me, and I just shake my head and smirk.

I walk up to stand next to Gray. "Like hell I'm leaving. If this guy is the one in charge, then I can hardly leave you here all alone with him. Gramps would get mad at me if anything happened to you on my watch."

He glares at me. "Well this isn't your watch, so leave!"

"Actually, it is, so shut up and let me talk to your friend." I now look over at Lyon, evaluating him carefully. "The S-Class request to help the villagers here on Galuna Island is mine, I took the job. Natsu, Gray and Lucy aren't supposed to even be here. So you can probably see why it would be problematic for me to just leave you two with no supervision. For the sake of his pride, I won't force my help on Gray, since this seems to be a personal matter for him. However, if I sense that his life is truly in danger, I will intervene. And if that should happen, know that you will not enjoy it." And with that, I sit down on a rock to watch the two of them duke it out.

"How amusing, for you to think that intervening would grant you a victory…" Lyon shake his head, a wry smile just visible on his lips. "Do not worry, this battle will be over soon enough." I know what he's implying, and I get the feeling Gray does too.

He does. "I don't get why you're trying to pull this superior act with me, Lyon. We're not Ur's students anymore!" _Ur…that name again. So Lyon was another student under this teacher? I suppose that makes sense. But if that's true, then why would he be here, using a spell to melt the ice around that demon? Didn't their master die to seal it away?_

"I'm well aware of that, painfully aware. Our beloved teacher is no longer of this world." When Lyon removes his helmet, I get a good look at his face. And I think, if he smiled, he would probably be pretty hot. _Too bad he's not my type, otherwise I would have some choice compliments for him._

"Her final act was sealing that monster away. Are you really so callous that you would try to destroy our master's legacy?" Now I understand why Gray is so passionately angry about this, and it makes sense. My assumption was correct.

"Don't delude yourself. We both know you're the one who killed Ur." And that sure sets things into a heavy mood. "And yet, you don't seem to feel any guilt. How cruel. Enough with the games, Gray. You're the one who murdered Ur, so just admit it. I'm surprised you even have the gall to speak her name!" Magic power flows around Lyon, chilling the air all over the temple roof before launching the first attack.

However, as promised, I sit back and watch, not interfering in this fight over pride and legacy. Lyon's magic is quite impressive, enough to force me into retreating a little to dodge some ice eagles. So I take to the sky to avoid getting hit by any of the multitudes of ice spells being cast all over the top of this ancient temple. _Honestly, if they're trying to destroy this place, then Gray should have let Natsu stick around. It would be demolished twice as fast._ Rubble is flying everywhere, annoying me with all of the dust in the air.

I listen a little to their conversation, taking in bits and pieces. _Alright…so Deliora was attacking a town in the north, that much I already know about Gray. Then, Ur showed up, rescued him, and took him under her wing. Fast forward a few months, I think, and the incident happened. His master lost her life, and he traveled southeast across the ocean to Fiore._

Then comes the kicker, while I was barely paying attention. "That's why I'm resurrecting Deliora, to prove that I am more than Ur's star pupil. As a child I only ever dreamt of one thing, the day I would surpass Ur's abilities as a wizard. But you ruined it Gray. After she died, I thought my lifelong dream of surpassing her had been dashed. Until I realized, there was one way! If I could defeat Deliora, a demon so strong that not even Ur could vanquish it, then I will have surpassed her power! My dream will finally become a reality!" _That's why!?_ I'd heard of selfish reasons before, but I think this one takes the cake. I've never heard anyone so incorrigibly self-centered and shortsighted.

"Listen to me. That thing destroyed everything we cared about! And you want to bring it back just to prove how strong you are!? That's insane!" I have to agree with Gray on that one. His childhood friend is most definitely insane. Textbook definition, I would say. "Please! You can't do this!" _Gray…trying to reason with a psychopath is only going to get you hurt, or worse…_

Lyon throws Gray around with a flurry of ice eagles, and they look like they really hurt. "Please, you can't do this!? Really? Funny, those are the exact some words we said to you that fateful day. Surely, you haven't forgotten?" Lyon is on the warpath now. "It's because you challenged Deliora, that Ur lost her life!" Lyon sends Gray flying with a well placed ice fist coming out of the ground. "I can't stand you even speaking her name in my presence! Be gone!" He finishes the job with an enormous ice dragon, hurling Gray away from the battlefield. "This is the end, Gray!"

 _I guess it's time to take this moron back…_ I'd promised not to interfere, and I haven't. But not intervening now would be wrong. So as Gray flies towards me, I grab him out of the air and retreat down the side of the mountain, directing a pain promising glare at Lyon. "You and I will see each other again. But out of respect for Gray, and for the sake of the villagers, I will not pursue this now." But it burns me inside to not do anything right now, even though I know it's the right call. I need to figure out what's going on before taking any action. Because for all I know, we might need Lyon alive to solve the island's problem.

Just like that, I disappear into the night sky with Gray in my arms. I soar down the side of the mountain, getting a good view of the surrounding area, as well as a path to the village. I spot Natsu hobbling along at the bottom. "Natsu!"

"Hey Ciara. Can you help me out? I can't seem to find the village. This ice ball makes it hard to walk around, and I can't get up high to navigate." Natsu waves to me frantically as I touch down with Gray.

Since it looks like this conversation is going to be pretty simple, and our course of action straightforward, I just hand him a half conscious Gray to put on his back. "Then I'll lead. You just carry Gray and follow me."

Natsu bobs his head, the rest of him shaking with it. "Alright, time to play follow the leader."

I roll my eyes. "Speaking of playing follow the leader, that stunt you pulled was completely unauthorized. Don't do something that stupid again without at least letting me know first. Then I can decide whether to stop you or not."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever…" Somehow, I doubt he's going to do it, though.

Gray wakes up and groans. "Natsu? Ciara?"

I look back at him and smile. "Well good morning sleepyhead. Well, it's not morning, but at least you're up now."

He closes his eyes and tears start leaking out. "Hey Natsu…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I didn't believe in you. I know better." And that little apology is more than a little cryptic. But if it means that these two are getting along, then it's fine by me.

But Natsu seems bothered most by the fact that Gray is so down in the dumps that he's actually spitting out an apology in the first place. "Quit feeling sorry for yourself cause you lost a fight! You're a member of Fairy Tail! And we don't give up when times are tough! So just put it behind you and keep moving forward!" And after that little inspirational speech, Natsu starts moving again. "Great, now it's even harder to run!"

I glance up at Gray and smile. "You know, even though I'm pissed that Natsu stole this job when he wasn't allowed to, with me here, there's not much that can put us down now. So if you all are determined to stick around, then keep that in mind."

I can't have any of them messing this job up. Not now.


	33. Destructive Dessert

**And here is the second part of that super long chapter that I decided to split in half. It was nearly done when I split it, so I just had to tweak a few things to make it run smoother. I'm really on an updating tear today!**

* * *

When we arrive back at the village, which takes quite a while since Natsu can't walk very fast, the gates open up for us. "Looks like they were expecting us, good." I smile a little. That is, until I see the straw on the ground. _Oh boy…_

"Hey guys! Are you okay!?" Natsu's first priority is for everyone else's safety instead of his own. _Though he might change his tune in a few seconds when he falls for the pitfall._

Lucy seems a little shocked to see us. "Stay right there! Don't come any closer!" At least she's giving Natsu a warning. Though knowing him…

Skidding to a stop, Natsu stops right in front of the pitfall trap. "What's with the grass?" Natsu takes a step forward and a trip straight to the bottom of a pitfall trap that Lucy must have had Virgo dig. On the bright side, the ice ball covering Natsu is dispelled, so he won't be complaining about that or waddling around like a penguin anymore.

I look down into the hole and raise an eyebrow. "How exactly did you fall for that? I mean,it was so obvious that I could have walked over it without budging a single piece of straw. And Lucy even told you to stop. Why did you take a step and fall right in? Moron…"

Natsu grumbles from the bottom of the trap, which thankfully has no spikes in it. "Very funny… But we don't have time to play practical jokes on each other. And don't call me a moron!"

Happy walks to the edge of the pit and shrugs. "Don't talk to me, it was Lucy's dumb idea."

"I should have known!" _Known…what? That Lucy would come up with a pitfall, or that she would play a joke that isn't a joke on you?_ I heave a sigh at my brother's stupidity, it's incurable.

"It wasn't a joke, it was a trap!" _That makes a lot more sense than Natsu's theory._

"I'm glad you're okay! I was worried about you!" Happy leans over the edge of the pit, looking down at Natsu like he's going to cry.

Natsu groans and sits up, massaging his head. "Well, me and Ciara are fine, but Gray is down for the count."

Lucy stares down, aghast. "The guy in the mask beat him up that badly?"

I fold my arms and frown. "I would have stopped it, but Gray's pride was on the line. I wasn't going to shame him like that. Though I'm starting to regret it now."

Natsu nods, then looks down at himself. "Hey, the ice is gone! Whoa, it must have cracked when I fell."

"Actually, it's because you're too far away from Lyon's magical range for it to retain its strength." I sigh at Natsu's complete lack of knowledge in the mechanical workings of magic. He just lights himself up and hits things. I make time to study the stuff.

I use a gentle breeze to lift Gray's unconscious body out of the pitfall trap, and back onto more solid ground. Natsu just jumps out of the hole. There's no lack of strength in his legs, considering that he spends almost as much time jumping into the air as I do.

Now that everything is under control, Natsu turns to Lucy. "So how come Lyon's lackeys haven't made it here yet?"

"That's a good question…" Lucy frown, concentrating. "They left for the village before you, but you got here first. I wonder what's taking them so long…"

Yeah…and with Gray and that giant ice cube, even following Ciara back here, I was pretty slow." _Oh good, he's using that tiny brain of his, for once in a purple moon…_

With that knowledge, Lucy grins. "Okay guys, hurry and cover up that hole!"

Natsu stares at her blankly. "They're not going to fall for that." I roll my eyes at him. _You did…_

 _Hey, that was an accident!_

 _I think that's the point._

"Hey! Over there!" One of the villagers points off into the sky.

Another's eyes go wide. "It's a giant flying rat! And it's carrying a bucket!"

Lucy is not at all pleased. "What!? But then my pitfall trap is totally pointless!"

But I'm more concerned with the sky than with Lucy's antics. It's as though they were summoned by our conversation, and that's a bad omen, to be sure. Lyon's lackeys come flying over on that rat I've been hearing about, though it's a whole hell of a lot bigger than I expected. _Angelica is its name…right? That explains the clothes._

But when the rat drops a single large droplet of green and bad smelling jelly, Natsu freaks out, tackling Lucy to the ground. "Watch out!" It touches down and burns a hole in the ground like acid. Obviously, they plan to dump the whole bucket on the village and obliterate it. That said, their obvious intentions cause the villagers to panic, big time.

I glance at Natsu, gritting my teeth. _Green acid goo in the air? That can't be safe._

 _Yeah, looks like it, smells nasty. I knew the stuff was deadly as soon as I could smell the stuff._

 _Agreed, like rotten eggs and hot peppers. I can't think of a worse combination, even just the smell could put people in the ground. So, how should we disperse it? I could use my wind magic to hurl it away._

 _Hm…but that might twist it into a tornado instead. I could blast it with my fire._

 _That might just poke a hole in it. How about together? Blast it and send it flying? We'd damage the forest and a lot of the outside of the village, but we might be able to pull it off if they all crowd up. We need to save people, not things right now._

 _Yeah! If they gather in the center of the village, the we can blast a hole straight through the jelly and save them all. The village will get wrecked, but they'll all survive it!_

Lucy stares at the sky, freaking out as the rat tosses the bucket and its contents into the air. "How are we supposed to defend ourselves against a mass of jelly!?"

Natsu and I lock eyes, nod, and agree on our silent plan as the green goo starts to fall from the sky, and he yells at the villagers. "I want everybody to get in the center of the village!"

I start running as Happy comes for Natsu, and I take off with one step, throwing myself into the sky "Ready Natsu?"

"As I'll ever be! You think this is really going to work?"

I nod eagerly. "We just have to time it right! Ready…Go!"

"Alright then!" He lights his fist on fire, preparing his attack. "Flames of my right hand, and flames of my left hand! You put em together…you get! Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!"

And I add a little something of my own to his fire. "Rise, the four winds of the land, meet and tumble! Wind Dragon's Whistling Aria!" I combine the resulting whirlwind, so named for the sounds it produces when used, with his fire to blast a hole straight through the mass of jelly, dispersing the jelly and saving the people. But as expected, the majority of the village is left in ruins by the foul-smelling, corrosive jelly.

After the last of the jelly falls to the ground, Natsu and I head down to meet with the villagers, who are all safe on the island of ground that was spared from the assault.

Despite all of the carnage and devastation, one of the villagers, an old man, looks off towards the edge of the village. "Bobo's grave is still standing." And true enough, there is a headstone over there that survived the jelly.

It does not, however, stay standing when Yuka kicks it down. And Sherry's voice is no more pleasant than that act of disrespect. "The Cold Emperor ordered us to eradicate the village and its people. We were trying to show mercy by making your deaths quick and painless. But since that didn't work, we'll have to resort to bloodshed."

The three of them stand there as though expecting us to just lie down and die. Obviously they have no idea who they're dealing with, otherwise they wouldn't be so quick to jump into battle. And my sensitive ears pick up every word of Yuka's arrogance. "Fifty villagers, three wizards, shouldn't take more than fifteen minutes."

"You ready?" Natsu glances at me, then Lucy and Happy. I nod, my stern silence speaking for me. Lucy puts her hands on her keys, ready to summon up whichever spirit she can think of first.

"Count again, cause there's four wizards!" Happy's pride won't allow him to be counted out of the battle. Gray is the only one who can't fight right now.

The old man, the chief, apparently, starts freaking out about the destruction of the grave. According to the incoherent babbling, it would seem that it belongs to his son. But something doesn't smell right. These villagers don't smell human. And I can tell that even through the lingering scent of the acid jelly.

While the chief is carried off by his kin, Gray gets to his feet. "Let me help you." I get that he wants to make the odds better, but he's really in no shape to fight.

Lucy is just surprised that he's up. "Gray! You came to!"

"Not gonna happen." Natsu stands his ground, refusing Gray entry into this fight. "We don't need your help."

Gray isn't going to just back down. "Natsu, don't do this to me."

But Natsu does, he punches Gray in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him. "Just lie down and get some rest."

Lucy's eyes widen in concern. "But why?"

"He's giving Gray some tough love." Happy looks so smiley that I half expect him to start purring. "Natsu knows he's in no condition to fight, so he had to stop him."

I smile at the two of them as Natsu lays Gray down gently. "Those two may act like they hate each other, but they'll stick up for each other when things get serious. And that means that Natsu will punch Gray's lights out if it'll keep him safe."

"That means…they really do care." Lucy finally seems to be catching on to the weird dynamic between these two boys that I've known forever. They may say one thing and do another, but they've got it where it counts.

We hand Gray off to the villagers, who are going to retreat from this battle and leave it up to us. Frankly, I'm happy about it. I'd rather not see Gray get hurt, if at all possible. He's jut way too reckless sometimes.

Sherry leers at us. "We're not leaving until every person in this village is dead." She turns to her giant pet rat. "Angelica…"

The rat yips, does a backflip, and starts flying through the air, using its spinning tail to keep it airborne. Now normally, I would fly into the air and take care of the airborne enemy. But before I can make the jump, the rat passes over my head, and Lucy attaches herself to its foot. "WE'RE NOT GONNA LET YOU GET AWAY WITH THIIIIIIIIIS!" Her voice trickles off into the distance as the rat continues to fly away. "Oh no! I got excited and grabbed on!"

Happy looks up in wonder. "Yep, she's stupid."

"More like insane!" Fear rises in Natsu's eyes, offset only by the sight of Lucy punching the rat in the foot, before tickling it into losing altitude. The girls crash somewhere over near the far beach, far away from us and the two remaining wizards.

"Do you think she made it?" Natsu strains his neck, trying to get a glimpse of something. "That big rat might have crushed her."

"If so, she's probably a goner." Happy's wings appear on his back as he prepares to take off. "I'll go and check on her."

"Thanks, be careful." Natsu is completely confident in Happy's ability to work on his own. I know that we can trust the little guy to make sure that Lucy comes back safe. That leaves the other two wizards for me and Natsu to deal with. "Hey Ciara, hang back. I got these two."

"Alright…just don't go too overboard, okay?" I stand back, knowing full well that Natsu needs to blow off some steam. "The village is already wrecked enough." I don't want to think about what we'll have to pay in damages this time. And we haven't even completed the mission yet.

Natsu goes on the attack, head butting Toby and bathing Yuka in a torrent of fire. Though Yuka manages to deflect the magic with a barrier. "A wizard who can breathe fire? I see… Don't tell me you're the Salamander from Fairy Tail?" then he looks at me. "Because if that's true, then you must be his sister, Dragon Wing. I've heard a lot about the two of you, you really do look the part of twins." His smile is just a tad creepier now. "You know, we used to be members of a famous guild ourselves, so you shouldn't blow us off. In fact, Iron Rock Jura used to belong to the same guild. Surely you've heard of the Lamia Scale." I have to admit that I have, but, I still think that Fairy Tail is stronger, after all, our master is one of the ten wizard saints, number five of ten. That doesn't stop Natsu from breathing more fire at him. "Hey! Cut it out! Listen when I'm talking to you!"

"Why?" Natsu isn't taking any of this shit. "You think I care what guild you're from, or who the other members are? We came to help the villagers, and you're the ones who put them in danger, which make you Fairy Tail's enemy. And that gives me more than enough reason to fight you."

Now, it's serious. As soon as Natsu declares someone an enemy, it takes a lot of effort to change his mind. And so far, no one has been able to change his mind on that. He's stubborn,loyal, and inflexible that way. As long as he's standing up or his friends, his family, or his cause, there is no way to get him to back down. He usually sees things pretty much in black and white, there's only a huge, bottomless chasm in between.

I watch as Yuka the anti-wizard mage, judging by his magic-canceling abilities, and my brother the fire mage go head to head. Natsu's magic is supposedly useless against Yuka, which puts him on the run for a bit, dodging Yuka's anti-magic wave blasts.

But Natsu hates being on the defensive, and he picks a fight with Yuka in close quarters, coming face to face with a barrier. But the emotions rolling through Natsu make me nervous, and I have a hard time picturing what he's planning to do next. The barrier is interfering with the telepathy.

So it comes as a surprise when he thrusts his fist into the vortex of magic energy. It's not a pleasant sensation, even with most of my telepathy blocked. It's an even bigger surprise when he thrusts his head in next. "Your magic's no match for my brute strength! So what are you gonna do now!?" And that causes even more of an unpleasant sensation, like there are dull needles lightly prodding my entire body. Despite the pain he must be feeling, Natsu is laughing his head off.

 _Idiot…_

Toby, the dog-eared one freaks out. "He's crazy Yuka! Watch out!"

To make things even worse and to get more thrust, Natsu comes up with a brilliant yet stupid idea idea, to propel himself using fire from his elbow in order to strike Yuka through the barrier. "Fire Dragon's Flame Elbow!" _That idiot is making up moves on the spot…well, then again, that seems to be what we do whenever we come up with a new attack. It's not like there's anyone around to teach us anymore._ And on the bright side, his stupid idea does knock Yuka out, well it really sends him flying. And it also removes the unpleasant stinging sensation that I'd felt as a result of Natsu's pain.

"That's one down." Natsu grins and turns to Toby, the only one left standing.

Toby grins a little. "Man, you're awesome!"

"You're about to see just how awesome firsthand!" Natsu gets back into a battle stance, ready to punch this guy's light out.

"I'm not scared, cause I'm even stronger than Yuka is." Somehow, I don't doubt that claim, though it's probably because Yuka doesn't seem all that strong to begin with. "Check out my Mega Jellyfish Paralyzing Claws! Bet you'll never guess what these babies can do!"

"Paralyze you?" Natsu doesn't miss a beat. There's the switch between regular life and battles. As soon as he's in a fight, Natsu's brain actually starts working. The rest of the time, you wouldn't know he's got one.

"Whao…" Toby looks like he's had the rug pulled out from under him. "How did you know that? Hey you got ESP or something?" _I never thought I'd find someone dumber than Natsu…_

Natsu deadpans. "No, you're just…real dumb." _Talk about the pot calling the kettle black…_

Toby doesn't take that well, swiping at Natsu with his claws. "Nobody talks to me like that!"

Natsu dodge the strike easily. "Watch it!"

"With just one swipe from my claws…" Toby slashes at Natsu over and over, trying to get a hit in. "You'll be frozen, waitin' to die."

"Hey man, hold on a sec!" Natsu touches his hair lightly. "You got a little something right here."

I slap my palm to my face as Toby takes to bait and raises his claws to his forehead, shocking himself silly. _You have got to be kidding me…he really is some new kind of idiot._

Natsu turns away from the fight and rolls his eyes. "Well that was easy." His attention is now focused on the ruined grave. "Those guys were a joke." He picks up the gravestone and puts it back in place. "Here you go." And as I approach, Natsu smiles grimly. "We're going to find a way to change your people back to normal, Bobo. I know we will. And I promise you, I will avenge your death."

I touch Natsu's shoulder gently. "So, I guess this vendetta has a name now."

He nods, getting to his feet. "We've got work to do."

I cross my arms over my chest and smirk. "Just remember that I'm technically in charge of this mission, so don't go cutting me out of your plans. Either we do this together, or I set you adrift on a raft out in the ocean. And I'll come get you once this mission is over."

That proposal makes him go green in the face. "Yeah…let's do this together, then."

I smile and stare up at the moon over the temple. "Then we should get some sleep, we're going to have a lot of work to do in the morning. Let's leave it to Happy to bring Lucy back to the village."

"Yeah, those two will be fine." Natsu stretches his arms, then sniffs the air. "Let's take a nap. The sun is gonna come up soon."

"Yeah…" I yawn pointedly. "The villagers are only a little ways from here. Let's go find them and have that nap. Lyon and his chanters are going to have a lot of problems in the morning."

That's a promise.


	34. Wizard Pride

**Just a warning to anyone who might be wondering, one of the few things I don't like about the anime is how they censor most of the blood. So, if you don't like blood at all, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I will be including it where it's supposed to be.**

 **Oh, and this is going to be a long chapter, longest so far. But that's because it's basically one continuous fight scene. It focuses on Ciara as a third party, and her thoughts on what is going on during the conflicts.**

* * *

After getting some sleep, I wake up to sunlight passing through the folds of the tent. We're camped out in one of the tents that the villagers set up in their storage area. It's outside the village, so it didn't get hit during the attack.

I nudge Natsu, trying to shake him awake. "Hey, get up, it's time to go."

"Five more minutes…" Like usual, Natsu is a hard one to get out of bed.

"No, Natsu, now! We need to get to the temple and find a way to beat Lyon."

That gets him up in a flash, and he sits up, grinning at me. "Let's go!" _Of course that would work…he'll never stay asleep when there's a fight to be had._

Now that Natsu is up, we sneak out in the early morning light to try to find a way to deal with Deliora and the Moon Drip ceremony. The problem we're faced with is pretty simple. The moonlight can shine through magic circles, straight down onto the demon. That is what's melting the ice, so that's what we've got to stop in order to get on with this mission. Getting in the way is Lyon and his horde of minions. So we beat them, we stop the ceremony, we keep the demon frozen. _Piece of cake._

We race through the forest, heading straight for the temple. "Alright, Natsu, let's try to figure out a way to stop Deliora from waking up, huh? You're the fire wizard, so how would you deal with ice magic, your natural opposite?"

Natsu screws up his face in concentration. "Deal with ice, huh…?"

I sigh a little as I skid to a stop at the base of the temple steps. "Come on, Natsu. You fight Gray all the time! Don't you have some idea on how to deal with Lyon?" I know that I used to partner up with Gray, but combining two magic styles is very different to squaring off with them.

Natsu stops right next to me and tilts his head while looking at the temple. For some reason, that's when Natsu has his epiphany. "Hey, I got an idea. Forget Lyon! Let's just tilt the temple. That way, the moonlight can't shine on Deliora."

I blink in amazement at his very…Natsu-like solution. "Wow, that's actually a really good idea. Creative, I like it. And it'll give us time to deal with Lyon and find a more permanent solution to the problem. So to do this, we just need to destroy the underground support columns on one side of the temple, that way, it will sink down one side, and tilt about thirty degrees."

"Yeah, yeah, enough with the math. So, which side are we going for?" He looks a little too eager, but I suppose that's to be expected when we're actually trying to destroy something. He never gets this worked up otherwise.

"Hmm…" I look at the temple and think about it a bit. "How about the western half? That should be good. All we have to do is smash the support columns from one side to the middle, and the whole thing should tip right over."

Natsu grins at me. "Let's do it!"

So we go into the basement of the temple, a floor above Deliora, and take a look at the columns. They are fairly thick, but no match for a couple of destructive dragon slayers.

Natsu splits off from me, heading for one of the columns. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" He smashes right through the column like it's made of smoke instead of stone.

I grin and face my column. "Wind Dragon's Talon!" I give the column a powerful kick, slicing the stone into tiny fragments that scatter all over the floor.

With that good starts, we start smashing through the columns with ease, working our way to the middle of the temple from the western side. Like this, the temple should tip over as soon as the outermost column goes down.

Natsu moves to the center of the temple, nodding at me at the other end. "Do it!"

With a smile, I face the last of the columns. "Wind Dragon's Roar!" The last column shatters into dust in an instant, obliterated by the force of the hurricane that shoots out of my mouth. And with that, the temple rumbles, the supports on the other side cracking under the pressure as the temple tips towards the west, breaking the path between the sky and Deliora.

Natsu blasts up through the middle of the temple and laughs as I race back over to him. "You know, I usually end up breaking stuff by accident. It's funny how hard it is when I'm trying to do it on purpose, even with my sister's help."

Lyon looks down at us with shock and contempt. "What are you doing here?"

Natsu stands his ground proudly. "We're knocking this place over! Then you won't be able to shine moonlight on that demon you got underground."

"Insolent fools! Just who do you think you are? You dare challenge me?" _Yes, we dare challenge you. Tipping this temple over is supposed to buy us the time to put you in the ground. You would know that if you knew anything about battle tactics._

"So you going to fight me or what?" Natsu shoots up in a column of fire and smashes Lyon's ice double. I roll my eyes and shoot up after him, but keep well out of the way of his fire. Even I'm not immune to that stuff, and I'm his sister for crying out loud.

Lyon is having a much harder time dodging the flames than I am. "What kind of ridiculous magic is this!?" _Dragon Slayer Magic. And you're about to get very familiar with it._

Natsu chooses to answer that question his way. "Fire Dragon ROAR!" Fire spurts from his mouth after the flames die around his feet.

But as he breathes fire at Lyon, the floor beneath him disintegrates, and he falls through. I have to fly after him and stop him from hitting the ground at lethal velocity. "You are so lucky that I'm faster than gravity…" I pull him up, much in the way that Happy flies him around. "Now let's go."

"Thanks sis!" He grins up at me. "By the way, nice save, you're getting really goo at that."

"Well I wouldn't have to if you would stop falling off buildings, moving trains, out of Happy's grip, and down cliffs." Honestly, my brother is more than a little careless.

The air gets a sudden chill, a chill coming from behind me. I bring him back up to face Lyon, a less than happy Lyon. "Once I defeat the demon, everyone will worship my name. Cold Emperor Lyon." He glares at us as I deposit Natsu on the floor. "I refuse to let a couple of brats tarnish it."

A strange little man behind us, who smells suspiciously of perfume, bows to Lyon. "As you wish." And he retreats from the room with Toby, leaving the two of us alone with Gray's old friend.

Natsu gets up in Lyon's face, still a little confused. "The thing looks half dead already!" That's true enough, there can;t be much power left in the demon after a whole decade in ice. "So let me get this straight…you're going to all this trouble to melt the ice just so you can fight it? That's pretty messed up if you ask me."

"I must rise above Ur's legacy." Lyon raises his hands to attack. "I will not rest until I've fulfilled my dream!" Ice eagles come shooting at us, forcing me to split up with Natsu as I take a place on the only surface not covered in ice. The ceiling.

"Why go this far!? Couldn't you just challenge Ur and be done with it?" _Ah…Natsu, there you go again with wanting to know the motivations of your enemy._ I get that he's a talker in battle, I'll admit that I'm one as well, but this is taking it a little too far. It's like he's trying to have a casual conversation with the guy who is currently trying to kill him. And he must have missed the part about Ur being dead.

"Well I would if I could, but Ur has been dead for years!"

Natsu calms down a little after hearing that. "I didn't realize she ended up dying when she sealed it."

"Yes. But she'd still be alive if it wasn't for Gray!" Lyon still blames Gray for what happened, even though they couldn't have been more than children at the time. Eight years old, tops.

An ice eagle smashes into Natsu from behind, and another one comes whizzing out of his blind spot. But I'm ready for the second one, and I blow it out of the air with one well placed wind bullet.

Lyon glares up at me through the icy mist. "You…"

I glare down at him from my place on the ceiling. "You try a sneak attack on my brother, you get my powers in your face, got it!? So fight fair, or I'm going to show you my version of Big Brother's magic!"

Before I can make good on that threat, the mist clears, revealing Natsu, who appears to be relatively unharmed. At least, I've seen him with far worse injuries than this before. "Look, I don't know what happened to you in the past, but I do know what you're doing in the present. And it's hurting a lot of innocent people. And since you don't seem to realize that yourself…" Natsu lights his fist on fire, a fierce expression on his face. "I'll have to knock some sense into ya!"

 _I hope you know what you're doing, Natsu…_

 _Of course I know what I'm doing! I'm going to knock his block off!_

 _That's what I'm afraid of…_ I would rather keep the guy alive for now, since I don't know if I'll need him to break the spell on the island or not. Though it's feeling less like a curse, and more like a different kind of spell. The last time I felt something like this was before Mest ran off on Gramps' last errand. His specialties are teleportation and memory spells. This feels like a powerful version of one of his memory spells. Although as far as I can tell, I haven't been affected by it, and neither has Natsu. _So what is the spell doing…? And how do we break it?_

Natsu is angry, angry enough to light his fists on fire and launch himself at Lyon. I groan and leap out of the way. This is precisely the reason why I have to keep explaining to everyone that I'm not immune to fire. I burn just like the rest of them. Well, not quite like them, I have a little resistance to magic fire, but not enough to protect me from the torrents of flame that Natsu spews all over the place. And the explosions of ice and fire magic are not helping.

Finally, there is a pause in the battle for Natsu to get a word in. "This could go on forever, so do yourself a favor and give up."

"I would never give you that satisfaction." Lyon stays as cool as a cucumber in a freezer. And he's not the only one in a freezer, I'm actually starting to shiver. Natsu is my heater, and as a wind type, I'm not all that warm. I'm better at cooling myself down than heating myself up.

Natsu's fist lights right back up again. "Then you're asking for it."

"Oh am I now?" Lyon glows with the force of his magic. It's almost pretty, except for the circumstances…

Just as this battle starts to heat back up, the wall starts cracking open, and Gray smashes his way through the wall. Natsu is just a little surprised. "Oh, it's Gray."

"Leave him to me." Gray steps into the room, making the completely arbitrary decision that this is now his fight. _Well, I can already see this ending badly._ "It's time we settled things once and for all."

"No way, man. You already lost to him once!" Natsu predictably puts up a stink about it. He's never been one to run from a fight, or let someone else take over one of his. And for all intents and purposes, this is now Natsu's fight.

"And it's not going to happen again." Gray stands between the two, glaring at Lyon. "I'm ready to end this, now."

Lyon is simply amused by Gray's appearance. "You seem awfully confident."

"You were right, Lyon. I'm the one to blame for our master's death." I frown at Gray, since there's got to be a catch to what he's saying. There's usually a catch with Gray. "But you're no better. You've threatened my comrades, brought harm to the villagers, and now you're trying to destroy what Ur gave her life to create. It's time we accept our punishment, together." That sounds very ominous, especially coming out of Gray's mouth. He's never been one to take punishment lightly.

Gray takes up a stance that I've never seen before. But Lyon has seen it, judging by his reaction. "That stance…not the Iced Shell!" He sounds both doubtful and wary, like it's a dangerous spell that he's not entirely sure Gray is going to cast.

 _Iced Shell…Iced Shell…where have I heard that name before?_ I run through every spell I know in my brain, looking for it. It's familiar, but I can't remember where I read it. _Okay, think. It's ice magic, the name is Iced Shell… Crap!_ It's the spell that Gray told us about, the one that Deliora is trapped in. _And if my memory serves me correctly… Doesn't that seal turn the caster to ice!? This should be forbidden magic, shouldn't it!? Natsu! Gray is going to kill himself!_

Natsu's panic is immediate, filling his whole being with raw anger and fear. _We can't let him do it!_

But Lyon seems to doubt Gray, where me and Natsu do not. "Are you insane? You wouldn't dare!"

"If you wanna live, change the villagers back to their human forms. And then, leave this island and never return!" He's offering his old friend an ultimatum. But it might not be one that can be delivered just like that. "If you'll agree to that, I'll stop. Otherwise, this is the end."

"Is that so?" Lyon smirks a little. "Well I don't believe a word of it. You're bluffing."

"No, I'm not." Ice magic whirls around Gray, and his face starts to crack.

"You'll die!" Lyon holds up a hand, casting an ice spell of his own. But I can tell easily that it's nowhere near the caliber of what this idiot is trying to pull off. Lyon gets blasted by just by the force of the spell's buildup.

I never actually thought Gray had it in him to produce this much magic power at once. He's reaching dangerously into Natsu's territory with this spell.

Gray is getting only more determined with every second. "All these years, I've lied to myself. I didn't want to admit that Ur died because of me. But she did, and it's time I took responsibility. So I will, here and now. I'm not afraid to die, if that's what it takes!"

"Stop this, now!" Lyon's voice sounds more commanding than fearful, but I can still smell the fear rolling off him in waves. On the other hand, I smell little to no fear from Gray. Though that might just be because the guy is a suicidal idiot trying to cast a spell that is not only dangerous, but way above a normal wizard's skill level.

But even that doesn't deter him. "What's it going to be, Lyon? Are we gonna die? Or are we gonna live? It's up to you!"

"You wouldn't!" Lyon is risking his own life on a gamble, one that he might regret making. "You're not brave enough to give your life! You're nothing but a coward!"

Gray is silent for a moment, and I can smell the rest of his fear vanish. "Just watch me." He lifts his head to confront Lyon, his magic spiraling almost out of control.

"Damn it Gray! Don't cast that spell!" I glare at him with anger and concern for his life, making no effort to keep my voice within reasonable levels.

But since he ignores us, Natsu punches him in the face, disrupting the spell and causing yet another fight to break out between our two resident idiots. Lyon looks surprised, but he's got nothing on Gray's furious reaction. "Natsu!"

But my brother isn't having any of Gray's bullshit. "You can't just bust in and steal the scene with a bunch of fancy talk! Get to the back of the line pal!"

"Back of what line?"

"I was here first, so it's my fight!"

"What? When I got here, the first words out of my mouth were 'leave him to me'."

I groan and shake my head. _And now they're bickering about who gets to take this guy down… They could just team up to do it, but they're both too proud to do anything but fight one on one, let alone team with each other._

"Yeah? And I said 'no way man', the second after that." Natsu, pulling another of his 'my logic is better than your logic' stunts. He's tried to defeat me with those arguments before. He never wins, I make his brain hurt too much.

"Why you…" Gray growls almost as convincingly as I do when I'm mad.

"What, you want some?" Natsu smirks like he knows he's going to win this argument.

"I don't care who said what. I've got a score to settle with him, you understand? And I'm ready to die if that's what I gotta do!" That last sentence alone is proof of Gray going way too far.

Now, Natsu is really pissed off, I can feel it in my own head. "Yeah? And how's dying gonna settle it? Huh?" Natsu's expression is really dark now, and I back away a bit. "Cause it sounds like you're running away to me."

The ground starts shaking, so I look around carefully. "Uh, Natsu, this might now be the best time for you two to be arguing. The temple is shifting back."

The temple untilts itself, which is kind of disorienting, since I'd gotten use to the tilt. And Natsu's little temper tantrum down there really isn't helping. He's wasting his energy pounding against the ice, when he should be focusing on Lyon.

Gray gets it. "This is bad. Now the moon's gonna shine on Deliora."

And just like that, a short creepy guy jogs in, uninvited. "Pardon the interruption."

"I should have known." Lyon turns to the newcomer. "I take it you did this?"

The short guy look all proud of himself. "Indeed, I did, Sir. The moon will be out soon, so I thought I'd take the liberty of straightening the temple for you."

Gray is more stunned than impressed. "That weirdo fixed it all by himself?"

I frown at the newcomer, while still focused on Gray. "Well it only took me and Natsu a couple of minutes to tilt it. With all the time we've wasted here, it's not that surprising that someone would find a way to fix it."

Natsu grumbles. "And after all that trouble we went through to mess it up…" His temper starts to get the better of him again. "Hey! So what'd you do to fix it, huh!?" Instead of answering the question, the strange little man just laughs at Natsu, ticking my brother off further. "Tell me how you did it, you jerk!"

The little man turns back to Lyon. "Now that everything else is in order, I suppose I should commence the Moon Drip ceremony."

"Hey! Would you quit ignoring me, you demon-haired freak!" Natsu's insults get more creative by the day, and I'm not certain that's a good thing. He chases the short wizard off to the other corner of the room. "Get back here!"

"Natsu!" Gray stares at Natsu, looking for an answer to his behaviour.

And does Natsu give it. "I'm gonna pound him a million, no, a billion times!" Somehow, I doubt that he can actually count that high. "I'll let you handle that ice guy. It'll look bad if you lose again. And not just for you, but for all of Fairy Tail!" He looks up at me and grins. "Keep an eye on them. Wouldn't want to have to come back here to find Gray on the ground again."

I roll my eyes and point out into the hall. "Just go! I'll make sure that Fairy Tail doesn't look bad. Promise."

With a nod, Natsu runs out, leaving Gray to be lectured by Lyon. "My, my, what a boisterous pair, you are."

Gray's serious expression replaces the smile he had only a moment ago. "Tell me something. A second ago, when I was about to freeze us both for good, you were counting on Natsu to stop me before I could finish, right?"

"No, the opposite in fact. I never thought he'd be foolish enough to come near a spell like that." I snort at Lyon's obviously dim wit. _My brother will go wherever the hell he wants, dangerous spells or not. If he wants something, he'll find a way to get it._

"So you were just gonna stand there and take the hit?" Gray's analysis of this situation is starting to take a very disturbing turn.

Lyon doesn't seem phased by this at all. "Exactly, because someone would come to rescue me. You, on the other hand, would be finished for good."

Gray grits his teeth in frustration. "I should have known."

"Certainly, it would be inconvenient to be sealed in ice, but my allies are as devoted to my cause as I am." His sense of self-importance is so inflated that it's a wonder it doesn't float away. "And as long as we're on this island, they could use Moon Drip to melt the ice whenever they saw fit."

"I didn't think of that. I guess the Iced Shell is completely useless here." That takes a powerful and dangerous move out of Gray's arsenal. Though I'm not complaining about that. I'd rather not lose one of my guildmates, especially one that I'm as attached to as Gray.

"Even so, you still want to fight?" There is a challenge in Lyon's words, a taunt. "After what happened last time?" Last time, Gray ended up knocked unconscious, and I had to fly him back down the mountain. "I suppose it's a good thing that we've got company, otherwise you won't be able to escape this time. You're fooling yourself if you think you could ever-"

"That's enough."

"What?" Lyon Furrows his eyebrows, confused at Gray's outburst.

"Just forget about Deliora."

To say that Lyon is aggravated would be an understatement. "What kind of nonsense is this? Your threats don't work, so you turn to begging? Does your guild have a dentist that removes your fangs, or are you just a coward?"

I bite my lip, hard. _Removes out fangs? Obviously you didn't get a good enough look at Natsu, because his fangs definitely show when he gets angry. And the same can be said for me as well._ And as I bite my lip even harder, I know that my left fang is starting to show a little, something I usually try to avoid, especially when smiling.

But Gray ignores the insults, focusing on his mission. "Lyon, there's something I have to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Ur is still alive." I gape at Gray, not quite understanding what I'm hearing. _Wait, what? Alive? But I thought that she died casting the seal. What's this about her being alive? What do you even mean by alive?_ I get my answer. "The Iced Shell doesn't kill its caster, it uses their body to form the barrier. The ice keeping Deliora sealed away, which you've been trying to melt, is actually Master Ur. She isn't dead. She lives on as that ice. I'm sorry I never told you the truth back then, Ur made me promise to keep quiet."

I sigh as I look at Gray sadly. _Oh Gray…I know how you must be feeling, but even if you consider the ice to be alive, it's not as though you can talk with it, hold it in your arms, or interact with it. If her spirit were attached, then maybe, but…_ It hurts just to think that way, especially after losing the only parent figure ever in my life.

"Of course." Lyon's voice is quiet, but I hear no hint of resignation or sadness.

"It's over." Gray is so convinced that he's gotten through to his old friend. "There's no reason to go through with this anymore."

But Lyon approaches Gray in a instant, placing his hand on Grays stomach, and using his ice magic to grow an ice tiger right out of Gray's back. And my friend collapses from the sudden sneak attack.

"You idiot, I know how the spell works." Lyon's voice is light, but cold. And I hate it, even more when it grows even colder. "I can assure you, she's not alive anymore. That's nothing more than a chunk of ice!"

"You knew? You knew all along?" Gray sounds like he doesn't want to believe it. But I do, Lyon seems more than cold enough to no longer care about the consequences of his actions.

"Knowing is one thing, believing is another. And if you truly believe Ur is alive in there, you're an even greater fool than I thought." It's a rather foreign concept to anyone from Fairy Tail, separating knowing from believing. Our beliefs tend to be very strong, no matter the circumstances. But for now, I've had enough.

I drop from the ceiling, right between the two of them. My gaze lands on Lyon, as hard and cold as the ice these two have been fighting with. "Back away now." I let my unsaid threat hang in th air, since I'm not even sure what I'm planning to do to him yet.

Gray struggles to his feet, despite his severe wound. "Ciara! Stay out of this fight! No matter what, let me fight this till the end!" I freeze in place. I want to help him, but I know that if I do, it'll destroy his pride. And pride is something I am well familiar with. Call it the ultimate weakness of dragon slayers, but pride is something that we respect above all else.

Gray growls at Lyon, rage in his eyes. "You knew the truth, and you still did this!?"

"And what of it?" Lyon sees nothing wrong in his actions, it's right there in his voice.

Gray snaps. And he punches Lyon right across the room. Since it looks like he's going to be okay, or at least some semblance of it, I retreat from the battle to hang out in the air again.

Lyon struggles to his feet after taking the hit from Gray. "Impossible, how can you move with that wound?" It's true, with the blood trickling from his side, Gray should still be on the floor. But that's the determination of a Fairy Tail wizard. We don't back down, even when we're beaten, bloody and bruised. And the proof of that is standing right in front of me, facing down this foe.

"I've had enough." It sounds like Gray is finally giving up. "I wanted to save you. But I give up now."

"You want the title of star pupil for yourself?" Of course, Lyon would jump to the most selfish conclusion possible. "Well, I'm sorry, but I have to fight against Deliora soon. And I'd rather not waste my magic energy on you."

Gray holds up a fist, boldly declaring a challenge. "Then we'll just use our fists."

"You want me to fight without using magic?" Lyon seems to be finding some amusement in the proposition. "That's fine by me."

But as soon as the two of them lock horns for the first time, Lyon plays dirty, driving a punch to Gray's stomach. "Aim for your opponent's weak spot, and hit it with all you've got! Ur taught us that, remember?"

I guess that it's a good thing Gray is used to fistfights, after the hundreds that he has had with Natsu over the years. He's pretty durable by now, and more than willing to pick himself up after going down. He's almost as stubborn as Natsu is. And that's saying something.

Since the angle I've got does not afford the best view of the fight, I float through the air and sit myself down on one of the spikes of ice ringing the room. And despite being thrown around pretty badly, Gray refuses to give up. It's exactly how Natsu always kept getting up no matter how many times Gray knocked him down.

Gray is on his feet again, going back after Lyon. "You have no right to speak her name! I won't let you!"

All that does is earn Gray a knee to the gut as Lyon aims for his weak spot again. It's starting to get really hard to watch. And when he gets thrown into the ice wall, it takes all of my self-control not to put Lyon in the ground myself.

Gray gets up yet again, proving that no one can keep him down. "What we're doing right now kind of reminds me of someone else I used to spar with as a kid." And as Gray goes flying again, I know that we're thinking the exact same thing.

Natsu. My stupid, inspirational big brother. The one who doesn't know what the words quit or impossible are.

Thinking about my brother seems to put the fight back into Gray. They used to spar all the time, and Natsu would never give up until he'd been knocked unconscious. And it's that kind of determination that Gray needs to see this through to the end.

"That settles it. You were no match for me after all." Lyon thinks he's won. But he is so wrong.

"Hold on." Gray pulls himself to his feet, glancing at me and nodding, telling me that he's okay. "This fight's not over just yet."

Lyon is far from impressed. "I should have killed you when I had the chance."

Now, he's pushed too far. "And when exactly was this chance?" I glare down at Lyon, my gaze icy once again as both of them stare at me. "I've been watching this entire time. If you make a move to actually kill Gray, I will push pride aside and stop you. Fight if you must, but know that I am very angry with having to sit idly by while all of you get to do the fighting. Sitting still is not in my nature, and the fact that I have managed it this long is nothing short of a miracle. Are we clear?"

I could swear that Gray shivers under my gaze, though Lyon stays aloof. "If you are going to do nothing but sit there, I suggest that you leave. I have no interest in you."

But his suggestion falls on deaf ears as my eyes flick back to Gray. "Take him down. Your pride as a Fairy Tail wizard is on the line. Don't make me finish your battle for you."

He nods, turning back to face Lyon. And without a shred of hesitation, he charges at Lyon, aiming a punch straight to the other ice wizard's jaw, and sending him flying across the room into an icy wall. "You're gonna have to step up your game if you wanna beat me!" Lyon appears from the mist, returning the punch, but Gray shakes it off and headbutts him. "I didn't give up against Natsu, and I won't against you! I'm not gonna lose, you hear me!?"

The two continue to exchange blows, wailing on each other in a fashion eerily similar to how Natsu and Gray used to fight as children. It both worries me and makes me nostalgic for those days, when things were simpler and easier.

Gray goes in with what seems like the hundredth kick. "You're going down!"

"You can never defeat me!" And yet, Lyon's assertion lacks the conviction that Gray's contains. And when he takes one last punch to the face, he goes sprawling and sliding across the icy ground.

It takes him a minute, but the fool gets back on his feet. "The Cold Emperor, defeated by the likes of you? I won't stand for it."

"Then get over here and fight." Gray isn't phased at all, he actually seems to be eager to get fighting again, despite his current injuries.

But the goading just makes Lyon break the rules and start using magic again, creating a dragon of snow and ice. I feel the burning sensation again, wanting to interfere so much. But I know that I will be destroying Gray's pride if I do.

The dragon bites Gray, tossing him across the battlefield and reopening his wound. "I thought we agreed not to use magic, Lyon."

"Don't be such a sore loser, this duel was pointless from the start." Lyon is breathing hard, his magic obviously starting to run out. "Deliora will be revived either way. Alas, it's far too late to stop me now." _It's also too late to stop you from putting that creepy look on your face. You look nearly as bad as Deliora right now._

Gray is back on his feet an instant later. "I won't stop trying."

"Try all you want, but Zalti is preparing to start the Moon Drip ceremony as we speak." E's overly confident in that assistant of his. But he's in for a big surprise.

Gray already knows what surprise I'm thinking about. "Natsu won't let him." Gray smirks. "Trust me, the second you underestimate that guy is the second you lose."

A surge of emotion runs through me, and a smirk rises to my face. "Oh boys…you might want to know that Natsu has tracked down the weird one. He's getting very excited." Then the feelings change, and I get even more excited. "Oh, and now he' panicking. That's always interesting…"

Gray knows full well what happens when Natsu panics. And it's never anything good. He tends to get very violent when things don't go as planned.

Suddenly, the temple starts shaking, which can't be a good thing. Gray looks around worriedly. "I get the feeling that's not Natsu."

"The Moon Drip ceremony is reaching completion." Lyon leers eagerly at Gray. "The ice sealing Deliora has begun to melt away. There's nothing you can do, it's too late to stop me. You and your friends have failed." He sweeps icy mist across the battlefield, covering it in a shining white sheen. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this moment, Gray? Since I saw you last, I've been gathering knowledge, and allies who will aid me. I was fortunate enough to discover this place, an island where you can collect the light of the moon. Galuna." Lyon's ice eagles rise up from the ground, creating large arrows of ice that pelt the ground all around Gray. "It wasn't an easy task, transporting Deliora from Brago. And the Moon Drip's taken three years!"

"You've been wasting your time on this stupid plan for three years!?" Gray sounds more astonished than anything. But while I can't imagine working on this kind of stupid plan for three years, I do understand the long journey in pursuit of something. It's been seven years, and still Natsu and I haven't found Igneel.

"Stupid!?" Lyon finally shows his true temper, letting his magic rage out of control. "How dare you say that!? You've spent the last ten years in some foolish guild, piddling your life away!"

As Lyon launches another huge eagle, Gray dodges it, looking stronger than ever. "Because I put my faith in what Ur told me! So I went west, and eventually made it to Fairy Tail. And she was right, the guild was so full of powerful wizards that I couldn't believe it." He grits his teeth, lost in a memory for a moment. "Gramps mentioned a way to melt the ice. I didn't know it at the time, but I bet the old man was thinking about the Moon Drip when he said that." I could swear that there's almost a hint of bloodlust in Gray's voice. "After everything Ur did for us, you'd killer her without a second thought. You make me sick."

Lyon brushes him right off. "Say what you will, I don't care. My entire life has led up to this moment. Our master is long dead. If we want to prove that we have surpassed her, what can we do in her absence? Think, Gray!" Lyon spring into another attack. "There's only one answer, Deliora! I will surpass our master by defeating what she could not!" _Again with Deliora…has he not figured out that reviving demons is not a good thing!? I remember what happened with Lullaby, and it looks like that thing was tame compared to Deliora._

As Lyon attacks, Gray goes about dodging him with ease. "Well, I admit that's a pretty ambitious plan. But I can't stop thinking that you might have missed the point somewhere along the way!" Because we wizards are famous for missing the point time and time again. "Someone as blind as you could never be better than Ur. Not in a hundred years! Wake up, Lyon!"

Gray slashes a sword right through Lyon, cleaving him at the waist. Or so he thought. But Lyon reappears behind him, having hidden after making that ice clone. "Fooled you, didn't I?" He holds out a single hand. "Ice-Make: Snow Tiger!"

The tiger races towards Gray, forcing him to act fast. "Ice-Make: Prison!" Gray cages it, proving that dual handed spell casting is more stable than single handed spell casting. "You see this, Lyon? This is what you are, a beast in a cage lashing out at a world he barely knows."

"Utter nonsense. I'll make quick work of that spell of yours." Lyon waves his hands, trying to undo the magic Gray used. But no matter how much the tiger rages, it can't break free of the cage.

Gray jumps to the ground to face Lyon one last time. "Single-handed spell casting is too unbalanced. Your creations will let you down when you need them the most." He slams his hands together, then props them up in the air. "Ice Cannon!"

The shot that goes off is deafening, and Gray blasts a hole through the temple and sends Lyon flying, effectively ending the fight. "Ur taught us that, remember?" The battle won, Lyon collapses, leaving Gray standing as the victor.

Gray recoils, still in obvious pain, and seals up his wound while I smile. "Nicely done Gray, you've done Fairy Tail proud. Though any longer, and I really would have stepped in to end the fight. I normally don't let things get this far, and you know that…" I shoot him a look that conveys exactly how annoyed I am with the present state of affairs. But there's work to do, and we have to get a move on.


	35. Moon Doom

**Here's another long chapter for you all. And with some light swearing, I think it's on its way to earning its current T rating. After all, dragon slayers aren't exactly known for their clean language and soft temperaments.**

* * *

A piercing roar echoes through the temple, so I get focused while covering my ears to protect myself from the sheer volume and terrible pitch of the roar. Dragon slayers have very sensitive ears to go along with our noses. So a sounds that should be able to be heard all across an island is definitely more than my poor ears can handle. "Gray, you can take your time getting downstairs. I'm going to go help Natsu!" I race down with the wind at my heels, following my nose and poor ears straight to my big brother, and a monstrosity of a freed demon. "Holy shit, that's bad!" And as I glance towards Natsu, I notice the aftermath of a battle. "You won, then?"

Natsu yells over at me, a little annoyed. "Of course I won! And of course this is bad, Deliora is awake!"

The shockwaves coming from Deliora are impressive, so I start carving magic circles into the ground with wind blades to stabilize the ground. "I'll reinforce this place, so get ready to fight that thing! We're going to have to deal with this ourselves!"

"Got it!" Natsu stands between me and the demon, watching over me protectively. "Do what you gotta do!" Then he notices a figure standing behind us. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

"Natsu?" I glance back to see Gray, and he catches my eyes as well. "Ciara…"

Natsu nods at me, then turns back to Gray. "There's only one thing we can do, we gotta take that thing down."

It would seem that there is an idiot who agrees, sort of. Lyon comes crawling in like an invalid. "Neither one of you are strong enough. But I am, I will defeat it. I'm going to surpass Ur, finally."

His arrogance and stupidity really pisses me off. "Hey idiot, keep quiet and watch, you're going to see something that will blow your mind."

Natsu scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, you can't fight. You can't even get up off the floor."

"I've waited so long for this moment. She was strong, but still not strong enough to kill that demon." Lyon actually defies our expectations and stands up, his body battered and broken. "I'm going to do the one thing Ur never could. Finally, my dream will be fulfilled."

But as easily as Lyon got up, Gray puts him right back on the ground. "You've caused enough trouble. I'll clean up the mess you've made." Gray goes and does something stupid, he prepares the Iced Shell again. "I'll seal the demon myself." This has to be the stupidest and most pointless thing I've ever seen Gray do, and I've been there for almost all of his stupid moments.

Upon seeing Gray activating the spell, Lyon comes around and lifts his head. "Don't do it, Gray! Do you have any idea how long it took me to melt that ice? Sealing it again isn't going to stop me. I will not rest until I've finally defeated Deliora!"

"I can't worry about the future!" Gray's body starts cracking from the power once again. "I have to do this to keep it from killing us all right now!" But since we're not about to let Gray go and kill himself just to put down a demon, Natsu and I stand I front of him, forcing him to end the spell. "Natsu, Ciara!"

"Why don't you let us handle this?" Natsu grins at me, then at Gray. "Just leave this to Fairy Tail's Dragonslayer Twins."

"Don't be stupid! Just get out of my way!"

"If I didn't let you do it before, why would I let you do it now?" Natsu's determination spills out of him, flowing into me as well. "We're not letting you go out like that!"

We've forced his hand, and he knows it. I turn to him and smile. "Don't worry, now. We can handle this, so believe in us." The demon roars again, so I huff impatiently and start us off. "Natsu, get ready to go, I'm starting us off!" I concentrate power in my mouth, releasing it in short bursts. "Wind Dragon's Piercing Bullets!" Small projectiles shoot out of my mouth at impossible speeds, hurtling towards Deliora and slamming into its thick hide, causing quite visible signs of impact that make it stagger backwards. _That's weird…shouldn't it be stronger than this? I expected it to have a much more powerful life force._

Regardless of Deliora's condition, it's Natsu's turn. He lights his hand on fire and charges the demon. "Fire Dragon's Iron Fist!" And by performing our two attacks in quick succession, when the demon goes fist to fist with my brother, Deliora starts to crack.

"More!" I yell at Natsu as I take to the air, wind swirling frantically around me as I float in the underground sky. "Let's hit this thing with an inferno! No holding back!"

Natsu grins. "You got it! Fire Dragon's-"

"Wind Dragon's-" I smirk as much as I can as my cheeks puff up, full of magic power.

We release it all at once. "ROAR!"

The torrent of wind and fire that hurtles towards Deliora is one of our most dangerous combinations, something that we actually restrict ourselves from using, since we could easily level a castle with it.

Bathed in our inferno, Deliora shatters into billions of tiny pieces as Natsu touches back down. "Huh? What the…? We're that strong? I thought it would take us at least a few more attacks…" Natsu is baffled and bewildered by the sudden turn of events.

"No, I sensed it, the demon's life force was already pretty weak, it must have been drained over time. That was nothing more than it's dying roar. By the time we smacked that thing with Dragon Slayer Magic, it was already at death's door." I shake my head, and start sinking towards the ground. "Well, either way, it was a bit anti-climactic."

Natsu grins up at me and holds out his arms. "Come on, I'll catch you!"

I roll my eyes as my silly brother and gradually let the wind around me disappear, allowing me to fall out of the air. "You better catch me, idiot!"

And despite goading him by calling him an idiot, Natsu catches me perfectly in his arms. "See, caught you." Then he turns to Gray, a smile all over his face. "Man, your teacher was pretty awesome."

I nod, smiling as well. "It takes a certain kind of wizard to pull off what she did. You should be proud to be her student."

I'm not sure if it's because of our praise, the defeat of the demon, or just old memories, but Gray starts to cry in memory of his teacher. Natsu grins brightly in satisfaction and his smile makes me smile even brighter as well. Ur can now rest in peace and become one with the ocean, becoming an integral part of nature, to watch over her students forever.

Now that all of the fun is over, Lucy and Happy come running down into the cave, trailing Erza behind them. _Oh great, I should have known that Gramps would send her after them. I wonder if she's been told that I'm on this job or not…_

* * *

After our group reunion, all that remains is to finish the request that brought me here, chasing my stupid brother. Breaking the spell that has befallen the villagers. To do that, we head outside into the open air.

"Oh yeah! That's right! We won!" Natsu bounces around, celebrating our victory.

"Aye Sir!" Happy joins him in the celebrations, floating up and down on the breeze.

Lucy seems quite relaxed after this crazy battle. "You know, I was kinda worried for a while there, but it all worked out thanks to your amazing teacher." She smiles at Gray, before hopping up to her feet to celebrate with Natsu.

"We totally finished an S-Class quest!" I shake my head at Natsu. _We haven't…all we did was beat Deliora._

Lucy practically has stars in her eyes. "You think Master Makarov will let us on the second floor now?"

But the mood goes quiet instantly as Erza catches everyone's eye. "Isn't there something you're all forgetting about?"

I roll my eyes. "We defeated Deliora, sure, but the request of the villagers still stands. Bringing down one demon isn't going to deal with a spell affecting people. So unless you're all planning on leaving me to deal with this curse on my own, we're not leaving yet. We've dealt with the dangerous part, now we have to clean up the environmental contamination from the Moon Drip."

"What?" Lucy looks sad and shocked. "Oh no…"

That announcement doesn't phase Natsu one bit, in fact, it makes him even cheerier. "Well, then we had better go and change them back!"

"Yeah, but we don't know how!" Gray turns to Lyon, who is sitting back against a rock. "Lyon, do you know?"

He eyes us with a bored expression. "To be quite honest, I don't have a clue."

"You don't know?" My brother expresses his skepticism well with his face. He's never been one for hiding his emotions.

Lucy tries to reason it out. "But they told us that the curse started about the same time you guys got here."

"When we first arrived three years ago, we were away that there was a village somewhere on this island. But we had absolutely no reason to communicate with the villagers, so we left them alone. And they never came to the temple to see what we were up to." I scrutinize Lyon carefully, looking for any hint of a lie. But his heart rate is steady, and there is no fresh sweat on his body, he also lacks the scent of fear.

Something still rings false to me. Luckily, Erza picks up on my suspicions. "In three years, you've never once met?"

Lucy's rational mind goes t work again. "I don't understand. The light from the Moon Drip is so bright you can see it from practically anywhere on the island. It's kinda weird that they saw it every night and never went to investigate."

Lyon shakes his head, understanding our assumptions. "The villagers weren't transformed by the Moon Drip. It doesn't affect the human body."

"Yeah right." Natsu calls out Lyon's bullshit. "You're just saying that so you ad your lackeys will be off the hook."

"Think about it. I've been exposed to it as long as they have, and my appearance hasn't changed one bit." That's another clue for me to work with, and slowly a few of the pieces start to come together.

I address Lyon myself, much more professionally now. "Logic dictates that unless you have a particular spell that can offset the effects of the Moon Drip, which I highly doubt, then you should not only factor in the length of time you've been exposed, but also proximity to the contamination. If it were really so simple, you would be in a much more advanced stage of this 'curse'."

He nods. "Exactly. I wouldn't trust them. Those villagers are hiding something. But…" He turns away sourly. "I'm sure you guild wizards can handle it."

"We're not done with you!" Natsu steps up, ready to vent some of his anger. "You destroyed the village-"

Erza cuts Natsu off by squeezing his cheeks together. "That's quite enough, Natsu. They were simply doing what they believed to be right, so there's no need to criticize them for it. Now, let's go."

"But, what are we gonna do to lift the curse?" Natsu turns to me. "You're good with curses, right? How do we change the villagers back to normal?"

I grit my teeth and try not to snap at my brother. "I'm working on it. So keep quiet and let me think. There's a lot of information to go over, and even the smallest detail might be what we need to fix everything."

Walking off with Erza, Lucy, Natsu, and Happy in tow, we head back towards the storage area while Gray catches up with us. But when we get there, the place is totally deserted.

"That's weird, where is everybody?" Happy takes the words right out of my mouth.

I sniff the air, searching for the strange scents of the villagers. "They left only a little while ago, an hour, tops. Their scents are still all over this place."

While Gray grabs bandages and the rest of us look around, one of the villagers arrives and approaches us. "You finally made it back!" He grins at us, entirely in demon form. "There's something you need to see! Please, follow me to the village!"

 _The village?_ I glance at Natsu. _But wasn't the village…_

 _Destroyed? Yeah, thats what I thought._

 _But then how…? You know what, never mind, let's just go._

We follow the villager along the path that leads back to where the village once stood. Except that as we approach it, it's clearly still standing. Even though I'm pretty sure that it was destroyed in our earlier right with Lyon's lackeys.

"Whoa!" Happy looks around incredulously. "Yesterday, it was a total mess. But now it looks perfect!"

Natsu knocks on the wall of one of the houses. "What's going on here? Everything's back to how it was! It's like the village went back in time!"

 _Back in time…?_ I start to get caught up in my own thoughts again. _But that's impossible…isn't it? I thought that time magic was Lost Magic. Okay, maybe now I'm the pot calling the kettle black, but it's not as though there are a lot of us around who still practice the ancient arts…_

* * *

 _So we've got an ancient dead demon, a spell that concentrates moonlight for seal-breaking purposes, and a village full of strange people who are supposedly turning into demons under the moon, and have never bothered the people up at the temple. Coincidence? Yeah right. And I suppose that it's a coincidence that they all smell like they're not human._

With an forming idea in my head, I find myself turning to Erza as she passes by me on a walk. "I have some thoughts on this so-called curse, but first, I need to know what's really going on."

She nods. "I have noticed a few things that seem out of place myself. Let us take a walk, and we can discuss the rest with the villagers in due time." That course of action is definitely one that I can agree to.

When we finish with our walk a half hour later, Erza and I sit down for a couple of minutes to discuss the mission a little. Erza looks at me carefully. "So, what exactly do you think is going on here?"

I take a second to organize my words. "I think that what is going on here is not a transformative spell as they believe, but a cognition altering spell. I've been sensing a memory spell floating around the island, but nothing that resembles a curse. I remember what it felt like the last time I dealt with a curse, and it felt much more sinister than this atmosphere. Especially now that Deliora has been destroyed, and Deliora felt more like Lullaby than a normal curse. Not only that, but there are no inanimate objects being thrown at me, which curses seem to enjoy doing. So, I think that the villagers are confused about something, and that's why they've been hiding things. There are several things that don't add up, but from their smell, and the sense of their magic, I think that they're not actually human at all. I haven't seen any of them getting near the temple, and Lyon claimed to have never even seen any of them. So if they haven't gotten onto sacred ground. Then maybe…"

Her eyes widen. "They're actually demons with memory loss instead of humans turning into demons. You suspect a memory-altering spell? Caused by the side-effects of the Moon Drip spell used on Deliora? That would explain why Lyon and his human followers remained unaffected by the Moon Drip. There is no way to accurately predict how demons would be affected by the concentrated power of the moon's pure light."

I nod. "The Moon Drip might have been strong enough to produce the spell, but I can't be sure. That's still my most convincing theory, though, especially if they're demons being affected by the pure power of the moon. I'm not certain, yet, but I'm convinced that it's a good theory. And the atmospheric currents here are also strange like there is a dome over the island. And if that dome is a result of the purple moon drip, then maybe it's hovering over the island and turning the moon purple, as well as causing the memory loss. Like the lens of a magnifying glass with color in it."

"Hmm…in that case, I may be able to help clear up a few things when we meet with the villagers." Erza smiles at me. "Shall we go and see if two S-Class wizards can lift the curse of Galuna Island?"

I grin. "Let's."

* * *

We approach the chief confidently, and Erza does the talking when we hear him rage about destroying the moon. "Destroying the moon is a simple task, sir." Then she glances at me and I nod. "But before I do that, I need to ask you all a few questions. Would you be so kind as to call everyone together for a meeting?"

And so, the chief calls together all of his people, and Erza starts asking them questions in order to confirm my suspicions. "Let me make sure we have the facts straight. The first time everyone in the village began to take on these demonic forms is when the moon began to turn purple. Is that correct?"

The chief nods. "Yes. During the day, we're fine, but when the moon comes out, we transform into what you see now." _Okay, so it only happens as a result of the contaminated moonlight. That makes sense._

"And the moon first turned purple about three years ago, right?" The exclamations confirm Erza's timeline. "We've learned that the Moon Drip ceremony has been performed on this island every night for the last three years. And each night, it produced a beam of light so brilliant that you couldn't possibly have missed it."

But in the middle of her speech, Erza interrupts herself by falling into Lucy's newly repaired pitfall trap and screaming like a little girl. Then she gets out of the trap without being fazed at all. "Seriously. Didn't you ever wonder where that light was coming from? I don't understand, why didn't anyone investigate?"

The villagers look at each other guiltily as the chief pipes up. "Well, we would have looked into it, but according to village lore, our people must never go near that temple." _Okay, suspicious village lore about a temple. Another coincidence? I think not…_

That doesn't sit well with Lucy. "Who cares about village lore when your own people are dying? You obviously knew there was a problem cause you contacted the magic guilds."

I've had just about enough of all the beating around the bush. "Alright, what's really going on? There are too many intersecting factors for all of this to be a coincidence. So what is it that you're not telling us?" _If I can get them to confirm what I think is going on, then I know what I'll have to do._ I look up at the sky, bothered by the air currents that seem to bounce right back down at us. _There's a dome up there…a magic dome. Made by the Moon Drip? I wonder…_

The chief coughs in response to my question. "To be honest, we don't even know that ourselves. Allow me to explain. We've tried to investigate the light many times, we'd take up weapons we've never had to use, I'd trim and style my sideburns, and then we'd venture into the jungle towards the temple. But we could never get near it!" And there we go! "We'd get close enough to see it through the trees, and then we'd be back at the village gates."

Lucy just doesn't get it. "But, how is that possible, it doesn't make any sense."

"We got into the temple without any problem at all." _Yeah, Natsu, that's because we're human. I stifle a laugh at my brother's confusion. Oh well, he'll find out soon enough._

"We didn't say anything to you earlier because we were afriad you wouldn't believe us."

"We're telling you the truth. We've tried to go back to the temple many times."

"But not a single villager has ever been ale to get inside."

I glance at Erza, and she returns my smile. _Bingo, we've got ourselves what we need._ I look to the sky, ready to break the spell over the villagers.

So to join me in preparation, Erza requips into her Giant armor. "Natsu, come with me. Ciara and I are going to need your help to destroy the moon. It's the only way we can change the villagers back to their human form." And hearing that, the villager start cheering. So I start getting into position.

The crowd starts cheering, but it's all a ruse. The point is to shatter the membrane in the sky. I would do it alone, but for my wind magic to be most effective, there has to be a hole poked in it first. Once there's a hole, I can shatter the whole thing no problem.

Natsu is excited as well. "Where do you think we should go? To the top of the temple? It's a lot higher up there."

Erza shakes her head. "We'll do it here. The villagers can't go near the temple, and they need to witness this. I can count on Ciara to make up for any of the shortfall with her wind magic." Next, she addresses the villagers. "This is Giant armor, it increases my strength and allows me to throw farther." The air around her shimmers and a giant spear appears in her hand. "And this is the Spear of Haja. It repels darkness."

"Whoa! I see what you're planning now! You're gonna use that spear to knock the moon out of the sky." _Leave it to Natsu to come up with the most outlandish theories…_

She turns confidently towards the moon. "That's right. But I'm afraid that I will need more strength than this armor can give me."

"That's where we come in." I grin at Natsu. "You use your fire as a booster to send it up like a rocket, and I'll give it a roar as soon as it passes me. That should give it the power it needs to get up high enough."

Erza nods in agreement. "When I begin to throw the spear, I want you to hit the back of it with your flames. It will take perfect timing, understood?"

Pumping his fist in the air, Natsu jumps up excitedly. "Sounds like a killer plan to me! Me and Ciara rock at timing!"

"The let's do it." Erza turns her back to the crowd and heads for one of the village watchtowers with my brother in tow.

I'm sure that skeptical Lucy and Gray are going to get seriously shocked by what we're going to pull off. But as I fly into the air, gaining altitude quickly, I find that I really don't care.

I zoom through the air and make a channel of alternating low and high pressure that essentially creates an acceleration tunnel. I need to guide the spear up, before I roar and give it enough acceleration to force it higher into the sky. If I fail, this whole plan fails as well. And then we'll have to go with plan B, which is me pounding the dome with dragon slayer magic until the thing shatters.

Everyone is excited and cheering, except our friends, who are rather apprehensive. So I take the opportunity to gather magic into my mouth, ready to release it at any moment. And with perfect coordination between Erza and Natsu, the spear shoots into the sky, made faster and faster by my wind tunnel.

It zooms past my face, and when the angle is just right, I open my mouth. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" The ensuing tornado plows into the back of the spear, accelerating it to the speed of one of Bisca's magic bullet.

It hits what looks like the moon, and causes cracks in it. Then the cracks spread beyond the outline of the moon, shattering a hole into the noxious purple dome over the island.

The shattering stops, which means that all there is left to do is dispense with the rest of it. I rise higher and higher into the air, approaching the cracked dome, and leaving the ground behind. "Now…Wind Dragon's Wing Attack!" Wind explodes outward from my arms as I twirl through the air.

Every place that my magic touches shatters, the cracks spreading further and further, until they reach the very edges of the gigantic dome, shattering the entire thing into a billion tiny particles of magic. I breathe hard, feeling the effects of flying so high so fast. _Well…that was fun…my brain feels like it's going to explode…_

Slowly, carefully, I make my descent back towards the island. Even with my excellent eyes, the people still look like tiny little ants. But from what I can tell, there's a lot of confusion, but a lot less fear down there.

As I finally touch down, I notice that the villagers stay in their demonic forms and their memories start coming back. The finally remember that they are actually demons with the ability to take on a human form. Thankfully, Erza does all of the explaining while I catch my breath.

As I walk back over, Erza greets me warmly. "So, is it all done?"

I nod. "Yep, one magic moonlight dome blasted into oblivion. I take it that some of the confusion is starting to wear off? I can't sense the memory spell anymore, but their memories might still be a bit jumbled for a little while, seeing as they were under the spell for a whole three years."

"Sounds like you two are quite the detectives." A voice comes floating from the crowd, one that I don't recognize. And the purple demon it belongs to approaches us, holding up a hand in greeting. "I knew I could trust you and your friends. Thanks wizards, I owe you one."

Gray points at him in utter terror. "You're the guy from the boat!"

"Bobo…" The chief starts trembling. Seems like this guy was supposed to be dead. As if it's really so easy to kill a demon.

And this Bobo backs that assumption up. "Getting stabbed in the chest hurt pretty bad, but you gotta do more than that to kill a demon."

Gray looks so confused, the poor guy. "But, on that boat…you just disappeared into thin air."

Bobo smiles and disappears once again, reappearing in the air with a pair of wings on his back. "I really hope you kids can forgive me for not telling you the truth sooner. I was the only one who didn't have any memory loss. I had to leave cause everyone went nuts. I knew I was a demon, but everybody else, suddenly, they thought they were cursed humans."

That little speech gets the chief bawling his eyes out as he flies up for a tearful reunion with his not so dead son. And quickly, all of the other demons fly up into the air as well.

"Yeah, they're definitely demons." Erza's smile is a nice change, considering how serious she's looked lately.

But Natsu just grins up at them. "I don't know. If you look at their faces, they kinda look…more like angels to me." My brother has an uncanny ability to see the truth and innocence in the hearts of others. And it's times like this when he puts it to good use.

 _Well angels or demons, we helped the people, right Natsu?_

 _Yeah!_

* * *

To celebrate, the chief declares that there is to be a huge feast to celebrate. And so, we start to party with the demons. It's almost as rowdy as the parties at Fairy Tail, which means that I find myself a nice cozy spot on a roof in order to watch the chaos unfold. And all the village girls go crazy over poor Gray, though I don't feel like going to save him from getting tugged al over the place. He can get himself out of his own girl problems.

On another note, the chief decides to open the island to humans and stop spreading around the rumors of a curse on the island. But right after that happy decision, some uninvited guests crash the party, inspiring a rather fast and unpleasant reaction from my friends, they're all ready for a fight.

I sail down from the roof I've perched on as Erza gets to her feet to confront this foe. "How can I help you?" The foe that is Yuka and Sherry, two of Lyon's lackeys.

Yuka leers eerily. "You Fairy Tailers are tough. The Cold Emperor's so banged up he couldn't even make it down here."

"That's why we've come to pay you a visit in his place." Sherry looks far more serious now that she's not going on about love.

Lucy springs to her feet. "Wait just a minute, I thought we were cool! Didn't Lyon tell you guys what happened?"

"Yes, but that doesn't matter to us." Yuka's words are bordering on being fighting words.

Sherry nods. "We wanted to settle things with you ourselves."

Natsu is more than happy to take up the challenge. "All right, why don't you show me what you've got!"

"Wait, Natsu!" Bobo steps forward. "Thanks for the help, but we can't keep relying on you. So let us fight them."

"He's right, we got these clowns."

"If we wanna keep our village safe, we've gotta protect it."

Erza diffuses the situation before a fight can break out. "Normally I would agree with you, gentlemen. But I think it's best that I handle this one." She approaches the two wizards, and I can already see exactly how this is going to end. Erza's appearance is somewhat deceiving. Despite the calm outward temperament she tries to maintain, she actually has little to no patience when it comes to idiots picking fights.

With a no magic restriction, courtesy of Yuka's anti-wizard magic, Erza just knocks each of them down with one well-placed kick, and another well-placed elbow. She really holds nothing back when she goes on the attack. _Jeez, try not to kill them. I don't want to have to clean up the mess._

Natsu stares at the two who have just had their asses easily handed to them by Erza. "Holy…" I detect a faint measure of sympathy for them in his voice. Though that's probably because he knows first hand what it's like to be beaten up by Erza.

Lucy is just as shocked. "She didn't even have to use any magic." But that's only to be expected, seeing as Erza's magic focuses around summoning items to be used in close quarters combat. Really, all her magic actually does is store all of her weapons and armor for easy use, instead of her having to lug all of them around and spend time changing. Her actual skills involve the use of those summoned items. It would make no sense for her not to be able to take on an enemy barehanded.

Sherry starts leaning herself up first, smiling weakly at Erza. "You're truly and amazing warrior."

"No kidding." Yuka struggles to his own feet, looking mildly ashamed of himself. "We're no match for you."

"Uh…wait-" Lucy interrupts their little exchange. "So you're not here to attack us?"

Yuka nods. "I doubt this is going to make up for all the trouble we've caused you, but we wanted to apologize in person."

"Oh, so you guys wanted to settle things in a good way." Happy smiles as he floats up into the air and settles himself in my arms. The little ball of fluff must be tired after all the crazy stuff that's gone down in the last few days.

"The Cold Emperor told us everything." Sherry's smile wavers a little, probably from painful memories. "Thanks to you, we can finally let go of the pain Deliora caused us so many years ago."

Unlike me, Gray seems surprised to hear it. "You mean you were victims of Deliora too?"

Yuka closes his eyes and sighs. "When we were children, the monster ravaged our village. We watched it murder all of our friends and family."

"The Cold Emperor had a plan to kill the demon once and for all. That's why we joined him."

"You see, we wanted revenge. And we were so focused on getting it that we never realized we were hurting innocent people." It seems that Yuka now realizes, at least in part, how much of a poison revenge is said to be.

"We were so blinded by our hatred that we ended up acting no better than the demon itself." _Well yeah, if you consider that you were willing to resort to murder as a first course of action._ "From now on we'll treat others with respect, and love." I don't think I'll ever understand her obsession with love, but I guess there are worse things to be obsessed with. After all, that's what started this whole mess in the first place.

All of this apologizing just hypes Natsu right up. "All righty then!" He always was one to forgive and forget as long as his friends aren't hurt. He pops up behind the two and wraps his arms around them. "You guys should stick around and join in on the feast!"

Yuka recoils a little. "But we were enemies a second ago."

Sherry sweatdrops a little. "I don't think it's a good idea, because I'm trying to watch my figure and-"

"Enough with the excuses!" Natsu drags them in for a tight hug. "Live a little, would ya!"

I roll my eyes. "One night of partying with my brother won't kill you. Well, it shouldn't…" I sigh a little myself as I watch Natsu drag the two of them off towards the tables. "But they're probably all going to be hung over in the morning…"

"Aye…"

I look down at Happy, still snuggled in my arms. "So, do you want to get back to the party, or come stargazing with me?"

"Stars!" Happy points up at the sky. "The sky isn't purple anymore, so let's look at the sky!"

"Stars it is…" I jump into the wind and it carries the two of us to the top of one of the nearby houses, high enough that we can get a great view of the entire sky. "It's finally over…"

"Aye."


	36. Punishment Time

**Alright, here's an end to the Galuna Island arc. It ended up being twice as long as I expected, but that's not so bad. And let's end it on a funny note, shall we?**

* * *

In the morning, I'm pretty sure that Happy and I are the only ones who woke up without a hangover. But seeing as Lucy is fussing over the new scar on Gray's forehead, and Natsu is chowing down on fire in a hurry, I'm sure that we'll be alright.

The villagers gather in order to send us off, and the chief approaches first. "I have the reward for removing the curse here. Please take it." He offers it to Erza, believing her to be the leader of our group.

Erza turns to me and smiles a little. "Technically, this quest was yours, which means that the reward is yours. The rest of us aren't actually supposed to be here."

I raise an eyebrow. "You sure? That's a lot of reward for me to keep to myself."

She nods. "Yes, I know that you've been planning to do some renovations and add a third floor to your house. And I'm sure that your library could use a few new books in it."

"I suppose." The surprised chief offers the money and key to me instead, and I do my best to accept them graciously. But then, I examine the key, turning it over in my hands. "Problem is, I'm no celestial wizard, so this key is useless to me, no matter how pretty and collectible it is." I toss the golden gate key to Lucy and pocket the money. "Consider that to be your 'Welcome to Fairy Tail' present from me. Have fun with that golden key, Lucy."

Predictably, Natsu starts whining. "Hey! That's not fair! Why does you get all the money!?"

I spin around and stare him down, silencing him in an instant. "If it weren't for you running off with this job, I wouldn't even be here. So you had better not pull a stunt like this again, because if your stupidity doesn't kill you, then I probably will!"

I don't usually use that tone of voice with him, but whenever I do, it shuts him up and has him sulking like a little kid for hours.

The warm, fuzzy atmosphere returns when Bobo steps towards us. "I can take all of you back to Hargeon when you're ready to go."

Erza smiles and shakes her head. "Thank you, but I have a boat waiting, sir."

Bobo turns to me, but I just laugh. "I've got a friend with a private dock in Hargeon. I usually keep a couple of small boats there, so I've got my own ride docked at the beach. Although…" I glance at Erza curiously. "When you say that you've got a boat waiting, what exactly are you talking about?" Knowing her, it's got to be something interesting.

* * *

About ten minutes later, we arrive at the beach. And docked in the water right next to my boat is a huge pirate ship. I turn to Erza with a wry smile. "You hijacked a pirate ship?"

"Not exactly…" She point up to the deck, where there are pirates nearly hanging over the edge.

"Ahoy, me beauty!" The one with the hat is probably the captain. And Erza sure has him and his crew charmed, judging by the way they're reacting to her appearance on the shore.

"Me beauty?" Lucy sweatdrops.

"That's right, they've become quite fond of me." Fond is not the word I would use to describe these pirates. I would personally go more for smitten. But Erza seems a little oblivious to her accidental womanly charms.

The captain seems more than happy to extend an invitation for a ride home. "Ahoy! Come aboard me ship, mateys!"

I laugh a little at him, then turn to Erza. "Well, I'll be heading off now. I'll beat you guys back, so I tell Gramps what went down. Better for me to break the ice than to let you guys do it."

"Very well, then I will see you back at the guild." Erza smiles at me before grabbing Natsu by his ear. "Come on, it's time to go."

My brother protests very loudly that he would rather swim all the way back. But I just shake my head as I uncover my boat and set some wind into the sails, and push it into the water, dislodging it from the wet sand.

As I climb into my boat, Bob approaches me. "You're going to beat them back with that tiny boat?"

I smirk a little and raise my arms, gusts of wind swirling around me. "I'm the Wind Dragon Slayer, getting places quickly is my specialty. But if you guys ever need help again, send me a letter at Fairy Tail, okay?"

"Alright!" Bobo grins and salutes as my boat starts to float away from the shore. "Hope to see you again soon! We'll have an even bigger party next time!"

"Sounds good!" I wave back at the villagers as the wind catches in the sails. Then I turn to the swelling white fabric and take a deep breath. "Breath of the Wind Dragon." And the gust of air that rushes from my mouth blasts against the sails and turns my sailboat into a speedboat as I zoom past the large pirate ship.

 _I wasn't kidding when I said I would beat them back to the guild._

* * *

I walk back into the guild with my pack over my shoulder. And as I walk in, I can see everyone turning to stare at me. I've gotten plenty of stares before, but they were never this quiet. It must be because I left the guild in such a bad mood before.

Finally, Macao breaks the silence. "So how did it go?"

I sigh and toss my pack behind the bar, then sit down. "Idiots found, more idiots dealt with, demon killed, curse investigated, spell lifted, villagers happy, and no one got too badly hurt. I got paid enough money for my renovations, and I gave the zodiac key to Lucy. All in all, it could have been worse."

Gramps eyes me carefully. "So, where are the others?"

I sigh quietly. "I came back before them so that I could explain the situation before Natsu got back and inevitably stuck his foot in his mouth."

"I see…" He nods at me. "Go on. Tell me what happened."

I take a deep breath, since this is going to be a long story, and I would rather get as much of it out as quickly as possible. "The villagers on the island seemed to have thought that they were humans who had been cursed to turn into demons. In reality, they were demons under the influence of a memory spell. The memory spell had been the side effect of the magic dome created by the Moon Drip spell that an old friend of Gray's was using in order to melt a demon free of an Iced Shell prison. Ultimately, the Moon Drip worked, and the demon was freed, but Natsu and I took it down in less than a minute. After that, we got back to the village, where Natsu, Erza and I blasted the magic dome hovering over the island apart, breaking the spell. There was a ton of fighting along the way, but thats the short version of the story." Once finished, I take another breath. "So?"

Gramps stares at me, before closing his eyes and meditating on my explanation. "I see…so in order to help the villagers, your group defeated a demon, the people who were trying to resurrect it, and dealt with the Moon Drip spell, huh?"

"That about sums it up." There's a lot of other details to it, but it looks like he's gotten all the important points. And frankly, the details can wait until later.

"Hm…" He opens his eyes and smiles at me. "Very well, you've completed the job, and I will take its success into consideration while thinking up a punishment for those four idiots."

 _Well, at least he's not kicking them out._ Gramps makes it a point not to kick anyone out unless he absolutely has to. He wouldn't be this calm about it if he were going to kick someone out. Besides, Natsu, Gray and I are some of his favorite kids, and Lucy is brand new here, so she'll get some slack.

I cough quietly, clearing my throat. "Uh…you might also want to know that while we were there, Natsu and I kind of tipped over a temple, and destroyed the village."

Gramps goes white as a sheet. "You did what!?"

I hold up my hands to stop him. "Okay, it's not what you think. The village only got destroyed because we were protecting the villagers from a gigantic bucket of acid jelly that got dumped on the village by a giant flying rat, and we tilted the temple over because we were trying to stop the Moon Drip spell from succeeding." Somehow, my explanations don't make it sound any better. "And it's alright, the temple is no longer tilted, and the village is back to the way it was before the attack. There is no permanent damage left. Well, except for the scar on Gray's forehead, but that's not serious."

Color floods back into Gramps' face. "Very well…as long as the two of you didn't do anything permanent. I don't want to have to deal with any more complaints about you two."

"I know…" He's had more than his share of complaints about the two of us already. Natsu more than me, of course, but whenever I'm with my brother, things tend to get heated, literally. "Trust me, you won't be getting any. The villagers love us so much that they've clearly expressed that they want us to come visit. And they even threw us all a big party after we finished the job. If anything, the only complaints you'll get from them is that it's been too long since our last visit."

Gramps nods approvingly. "Very well, then I'll take the clients' satisfaction into consideration when deciding how to punish your brother and the idiots who went with him on that forbidden mission."

"Thank you." Knowing that Natsu is going to get off easy makes me happy. But I'm still looking forward to seeing the idiot get punished for pulling this stunt. Getting off easy and getting off scot-free are two very different things.

Gramps stretches and stands up on the bar. "Now, if you'll all be good while I'm gone, I have a meeting to get to." He turns towards the door and walks right out. But before he disappears, I catch of a whiff of his next words. "Stupid last minute meetings…"

* * *

When I return to the guild a day later to see my brother, since the others should be back from their job now, what I find is definitely not what I was expecting.

The guild is in utter chaos.

No one is calm, it's even more of a madhouse in here than usual. "Oi! What's going on!?" I raise my voice loud enough to be heard across the entire guild hall. "Someone tell me, right now!"

In the middle of the chaos, Levy runs up to me, tears in her eyes. "Please, Ciara! You're the one who knows the most about ancient magic, right!? You've got to help us!"

I frown at her. "I will once you tell me what's going on."

She shoves a flyer into my hands. "Natsu read the spell there, and it switched him and Loke into each other's bodies, as well as Gray and Lucy, and Erza and Happy. I got Gray and Lucy switched back, but now everyone else is in a different body!"

"A soul transfer spell?" I read the flyer over, then I feel a deadpan expression cover my face. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Changeling? Really? This all happened because of an ancient prank spell?"

"Prank spell?"

I growl irritably and storm into the middle of the guild. "Yeah, a prank spell. Some ancient wizard came up with it as a way to mess with people he didn't like." I slam the flyer on the table right in the middle of the guild and raise the level of my voice right to the sky. "Alright, everyone shut up and sit down!"

Instantly, the guild quiets, and everyone's eyes turn to me. And one by one, everyone sits themselves down on tables, benches, or even the floor as they look to me for answers. Lucy sits next to me and looks at me curiously. "Are you going to reverse the spell?"

"Yes…" I look back at the flyer and go over the wording. "So all of you just keep quiet and let me focus. One word out of place, and I might accidentally blow the guild up. Ancient magic is volatile and hard to control, let alone understand. So if you all want to live through today and get back to normal, you'll do exactly as I say, got it?" There is a flurry of nodding head around the room, so I take that as the signal to get started.

The spells I plan to use is a difficult one. I learned it a few years back as a curse-breaking spell, but never found a situation in which it applied. Now, I've actually got the chance to put it into action.

 ** _"Tilted on its axis, the world spins out of control. Wash out the tides and calm the raging waters. Balance the scale and bring light to the darkness. Turn back the clock and bridge the seasons. Now, reverse the spell and bring order to the chaos!"_**

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V.

I have no idea what Ciara chanted, it was in some ancient language that I've never seen before, let alone heard spoken out loud. _She's amazing… Most people can't read ancient languages, let alone understand them. And she's actually using one!_

As she says the last words of the spell, a warm wind swirls around her, and magic circles appear everywhere on the floor, beams of light engulfing all of the guild members. Well, everyone except for me, Gray, Levy, and Ciara.

The beams of light burst like fireworks, dimming pair by pair. And when all of the light finally fades, everyone starts whispering.

"I'm back!"

"Me too!"

"She did it!"

The voices get louder and louder, and Ciara sighs. "Well, looks like that's over with." She picks up the flyer and rips it in half. "Next time you guys find a flyer with an ancient spell on it, don't touch it, just call me right away and let me handle it. I really don't want to find this place in chaos again just because of some stupid prank." She rips the flyer again and again, tearing it into ever smaller pieces. "Got it!?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Of course, ma'am"

"Whatever you say."

Then she turns to Gramps, who is thankfully no longer in Mira's body. "Hey Gramps, could you let Natsu off the hook for his punishment?"

Gramps raises an eyebrow. "I suppose that they've been tortured enough. But why?"

Ciara walks over to Natsu, dragging him up by the ear, to which he violently protests. "Hey! Ciara, let go of me! That hurt!"

"Since you're the one who started this whole mess, I'm going to give you a lesson on the dangers of ancient magic!" She drags him by the ear and walks straight out the front doors with him.

I hear a few sharp intakes of breath around the guild, and Gray visibly shivers. "I hate her lectures…they always end with something hurting. And it's never her."

"Lectures?" _That sounds more like a torture session than a lesson!_

 _This guild is scary!_

* * *

 **Up next, Phantom Lord attacks.**


	37. Attacked

**Welcome to the start of the Phantom Lord arc. It's not going to be as long as Galuna Island (I think), but I do hope to convey just how much certain characters pissed me off. No grudges held though, since they turn out to be awesome later. Well, some of them.**

* * *

After the Changeling spell incident, I'd hope to relax a little, go back over my book collection, and maybe practice a few of those dozens of spells that I've been putting off for months.

Getting pretty wrapped up in one of my books on transportation magic is an excellent distraction from the chaos that my guild causes. I love them, I really do. But sometimes, they're a bit too much, even for me. And I have to deal with Natsu, for crying out loud.

Speaking of Natsu…

* * *

I must have fallen asleep reading my book, something that happens a lot more often than you'd think. Because the next thing I know, I've got Natsu screaming bloody murder in my head.

 _Ciara! Get over to the guild right now! We've got serious trouble!_

 _What…have you gone and accidentally spelled the guild again? If you have, forget it. I've done enough curse-breaking this week. Solve it yourself._

I hadn't realized how cold and sour his voice was, but now I hear it. _The guild has been attacked. So get over here right now._

It takes all of my self-control not to drop my book on the floor and rush over there right now. But I have great respect for books, so I take a moment to put the book away, before charging out the front door of my house and sprinting for the guild, the wind flashing around my feet as I make it there in only a few seconds.

As I look up at the guild, my heart drops into my stomach. _Attacked…? You're not kidding. What happened!?_

 _We're in the basement, we're getting the explanations down here. But from what Mira said…_

 _It's Phantom Lord…_

 _Yeah._ I can just feel the anger boiling under my brother's skin. He's the type to take it more personally if someone attacks his friends than if someone attacks him. And what I'm seeing in front of me is basically the single most insulting thing to my brother.

The guild hall is wrecked. There are huge iron poles sticking every which way out of the building. Wooden beams, bricks, and foundation stones are scattered around the grounds, some hanging precariously in places that could really hurt somebody.

Swallowing a sour taste in my mouth, I walk through the ruined front doors, and hear some noises coming from the stairs leading to the basement. Down there, huh? I walk to the stairs and descend into the basement, where I find our guild's regulars drinking and scowling. I would probably be joining them, but I haven't had more than a couple of minutes to take in the situation.

Then again, I might just pull a Natsu and storm the Phantom Lord guild hall for what they've done. With a plan, of course, but then again, storming in, for me, is quite literal. They're going to pay dearly for what they've done. And I know that I'm not the only one thinking exactly that.

I find Natsu going off and yelling about getting payback on the Phantom Lord guild for doing this to our guild hall. "It's not fair! Those Phantom creeps started it!"

While Mirajane tries to reason with my brother, I walk over to him and grab him, then slam him into the floor. "Natsu, cool it. If you keep going off like this, you won't be able to properly plan things out. If you want revenge, then you need a plan, you can't just storm in, you need to focus. A focused enemy is more dangerous than one who is fighting with no direction."

He looks up at me, then frowns. "Fine, you're right. But don't expect me to just sit still and do nothing. You know that I can't just let this slide."

I nod. "And neither can I. But we need to be smart about this. Use those impressive battle instincts of yours, you know I'm right."

"Yeah…" He sighs and finally calms down. "So, do you have a plan?"

I frown angrily. "Not yet, but I will."

Mira shakes her head. "We can't retaliate, it's forbidden by the Magic Council. And the master won't condone it."

"You think I care?" People always say that Natsu and I are really different, despite being twins. The truth is, sometimes we aren't nearly as different as people think. "They've attacked our home, and they could have hurt someone. I know that Gramps would say to let it go and prove that we're better than them, but sitting around is no way to prove that. Believe me, a day, maybe two, and that's all it will take for him to crack and allow us to bring the fight to Phantom Lord."

Erza frowns and shakes her head. "If the master's decision is to not retaliate, then we must respect it."

"He'll change his mind…I guarantee it." I've been here a while, almost as long as Erza, Mira, and Gray. I know Gramps well enough that one more push is all it's going to take for him to get on board with this fight. And knowing how much those jerks in Phantom Lord hate us, after an attack like this, they'll probably strike again by the time we wake up tomorrow.

* * *

Everyone is on edge, especially since all of this means that there are Phantom Lord members hanging around town. Oak Town isn't far from here, so it would be no problem for them to just come and go. But they're too vindictive for that. They'll want to make sure that we've got an aura of fear hanging over us, not knowing when exactly the next attack is going to happen.

Before I leave the guild, Natsu chases me upstairs. "Hey, wait up!"

"What is it Natsu?" My brother must want me to give him an idea for how to break into Phantom Lord without being stopped at the front door.

Natsu grabs my wrist, looking worried. "They're still in town right now, so Mira said that we should have a bunch of sleepovers to make sure that no one gets attacked."

I hadn't considered that they might attack us in our homes. But now that I think about it, it's a very real possibility. "So what are you suggesting? Do you want to sleep over at my house?"

He shakes his head. "Come back and sleep at my house, it's farther away, so they probably haven't found it yet."

His concern for my safety is cute, but highly unnecessary. "Natsu, I'll be fine at my house. There are plenty of spell that I can put up in order to make sure that they can't get in. But you should really go sleep over at Lucy's house, she'll need the protection." I know that Lucy isn't helpless, but she's by no means strong enough to take on Phantom Lord members if they sneak up on her in the middle of the night.

Natsu looks a little pained for a moment, then he smiles. "Alright, I'll take care of Lucy, then. If you see any Phantoms, give them hell, alright!"

"Alright. And don't worry, there's no way that a couple of Phantoms would be able to take down a dragon slayer." I nod reassuringly, enough to get Natsu to let go of my arm and let me go home.

I stop at the front steps of my house, feeling a slight chill as the sensation of malevolence washes over me. _Of course they would find out where I live. I'm one of Fairy Tail's more famous wizards, despite how hard I try not to be. And living this close to the guild is a dead giveaway._

But I pretend that I can't sense a thing, and simply go about my work. I wasn't kidding when I told Natsu that there were plenty of spells I can use to keep danger away. I swipe my hands through the air as magic circles start to appear.

 _ **"When chaos alights, and intruders about, keep malevolence at the threshold."**_

The entire house starts to glow a bright silver as the spell takes effect. In essence, this first spell will keep anyone that I do not recognize as a friend from setting foot within the grounds of my home. And next, a spell to keep magical attacks from striking the house, just in case an attempted intruder gets angry at not being able to sneak in.

 _ **"Twenty four hours and twenty four seals, keep attacks at bay all hours of the day."**_

Last is a simple barrier spell, no incantation required. Magic circles appear on the walls of the house, as well as on the fence, glowing brightly in the evening light, before dimming and fading completely.

With this, my house should be properly protected from anyone who wants to hurt me. And if anyone gets within thirty feet of my house, I'll know instantly. And if I'm asleep, the spell will wake me up in order to alert me. In short, I am going to be perfectly safe in my own house.

The same may not be true for the rest of my guild…

* * *

Morning brings with it a feeling of dread. Even though nothing happened to me all night, I won't know that everyone else is safe until I go to the guild for an update. Though it's strange, whoever attacked the guild must have been the one watching me put the spells on my house, otherwise I would certainly have had an unwelcome visitor show up at least once during the night. To make an impact, you either have to go for someone vulnerable, or someone high profile. I fit the high profile, but my house is untouched, and I'm safe and sound.

 _Something is wrong…something has to have gone wrong…_ We're members of Fairy Tail, the most dangerous and rambunctious guild on the continent. So if we can actually go a night without anything weird happening, it's a miracle. In a situation like this, it's impossible.

I don't trust my assumptions. I can't afford to, not in a situation like this. So I leave my house and start walking towards the guild. But something catches my eye. It's the people, they're staring at me and whispering, obvious fear in their eyes.

So I approach one woman and try to smile. "Can you tell me what has all of you so scared?"

She points towards the park, her hand shaking. "I think…you should see for yourself. It's horrible…"

"Horrible?" My blood starts running cold, so different to one of my brother's hot-blooded reactions to everything. _What happened?_

I race to the park, looking in every direction, trying to figure out what's wrong, what's going on. But as I come to the crowd in the middle of Southgate Park, I freeze in my tracks, my once cold blood now running like lava through my veins. "Those bastards…"

Bolted to one of the largest and most central trees in the park, are Jet, Droy, and Levy, who has a Phantom Lord emblem painted on her stomach. They look like they've been through hell, and then put up on display for all the world to see.

My hands clench tightly as I walk up to my brother, who is equally furious. "Natsu…"

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down."

"I wasn't going to." I bite my lip, nearly drawing blood. "They have to pay. I don't care what anyone says. Black Steel Gajeel is going to pay for this." It's obvious that the one known as the Iron Dragon Slayer is the one who did this. And it makes me wonder if we're going to find that little Shadow Dragon Slayer there as well.

Gramps finally takes the time to show up, marching right through the crowd of onlookers and up to the tree. And as he gazes at the spectacle, his eyes produce that same fire that is flickering in Natsu's heart. Rage. "I can take our headquarters being reduced to rubble. But I will not let harm come to my children without taking revenge!" Magic erupts around him, proof of his fury. He'll no longer be playing by the rules. "We have no choice but to go to war!"

Those are exactly the words that Natsu and I have been waiting to hear. But first, there is one very pressing issue. I leap into the air, spinning halfway and hitting the tree, planting myself there with wind magic. These restraints are pretty tough, but they'll be no match for an angry dragon slayer.

"Natsu, be ready to catch her!" I grasp two of the restraints holding Levy to the tree and rip them off. She sags a little, gravity working its own magic on her. And as Natsu approaches the tree, rage still obvious on his face, I rip off the other two, and Levy falls towards the ground.

Natsu catches her easily, even gently, before passing her off to Erza. "Send me Jet next!" I comply with his demand and slide over to Jet's restraints, tearing them off with my bare hands. As Jet falls from the tree, caught by Natsu and Gray, I move to Droy. Once his restraints are gone, he falls as well, Natsu catching him alone after passing Jet off for Gray to handle.

This cannot be forgiven. And act like this will never be forgiven, not until we have our revenge. Justice is an illusion to us, and we don't plan on deluding ourselves with fancy notions of how this is just the right thing to do. No. This is an eye for an eye and then some.


	38. This is War

**I got the idea for this chapter title from one of my favorite Fairy Tail AMVs, made with "This is War" by Thirty Seconds to Mars. It's good, and I highly reccommend it.**

 **Anyway, it's time to show another side to Ciara, one that doesn't really play too well with others. Well, except for her big brother, that it.**

* * *

Since there's nothing more dangerous than a couple of angry dragons, Natsu and I are the ones to lead the charge on Phantom Lord, all the way over in Oak Town. And for the first time in a long time, my fury is equal to his. And my fury is never equal to his.

At the front doors to our most hated rivals, Natsu and I look at each other once, and nod. "Fire Dragon's…" "Wind Dragon's…" We leap into the air and spin quickly, bringing our feet down on the door. "Talon!" We smash right through the front door with two powerful kicks, and take most of that wall section with it.

Smoke billows around us and Makarov's voice booms forward. "Fairy Tail has come calling!"

"My turn." I crouch down as the Phantom Lord wizards start getting to their feet, and I spring forward, twisting through the air. "Let's see how you like this!" Wind wraps around my arms, creating tiny cyclones as I fly through the wizards. My magic erupts outward, slamming into everything in sight. In an instant, tables are upended and wizards are sent flying. But I couldn't care less if they're getting hurt. They messed with Fairy Tail, so of course we're going to give them a beating.

My brother follows me in, taking the second strike for himself and whipping a stream of fire from his foot. "Alright! Who wants to play with fire?!" Natsu goes nuts, and in an instant, fire and wind rush around the room. Natsu and I knock down so many wizards that I stop keeping track. Wizards start falling left and right, and Phantom Lord seems to be a lot weaker than I expected. Good, because now I can just crush them to my heart's content.

Makarov goes giant sized and starts scaring the shit out of these idiots. "He's a monster!"

"And you dared to lay your hands on this monster's children! Were you foolish enough to believe human laws would protect you from my rage!?" Gramps can be scary with his normal voice, but hearing him in giant form really is like listening to a monster speak. He could probably make Deliora shit itself. "Jose! Show yourself!"

I can smell him, he's somewhere in the guild. Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer. He's got that same dragon-like scent that me and Natsu have, like that kid, Ryos, had. He must spend a lot of time hanging out in here, because the whole place smells like him. That, and the air tastes of iron.

So I team up with Natsu, and we wreak havoc on their guild, sucking up half of the elemental spells they throw at us. And that is when the Phantom Lord wizards realize that we are like Gajeel.

"He just ate fire!"

"She sucked up my wind spell like it was a snack!"

"You don't think that they're-"

Natsu grins at them as they finally get it, before giving them all a face full of fire. "Roar of the Fire Dragon!"

We are dragon slayers in full fury. And with Gray at our backs, we wreak elemental havoc that destroys all of the furnishings in the hall, as well as knock down several of the wooden beams that hold up the rafters.

Natsu and Gray slam back to back, so I give Natsu a few inches to be having his little bromance. "You're not doing too bad for being a snowman."

"I could say the same about you, you pyro." Their pet names for each other are so cute sometimes. And at others, it's annoying. Today, though, it's cute.

I grin as I back up towards them. "You ready to wreak some more havoc? Or am I gonna get these guys all to myself?"

"No way! We're not letting you have all the fun!" Natsu bumps his shoulder against mine, touching our emblems together. "You and me, let's kick their asses!"

That's when Gajeel finally joins the party, coming right down at us from the rafters and splitting his guild's sign in half. It's obvious that me and Natsu are the only ones who can fight him, because Nab tries to attack, not happy about what Gajeel pulled. "You attacked Levy!" And he gets pounded in an instant. And in that same attack, Gajeel takes out over a dozen of his own guild mates.

Gajeel hits the floor, grinning at us. "Show me what you got. Unless you scum are too scared to face the great Iron Dragon Slayer!" _Oh…he just issued a challenge that he's not ready for. Me and you will see to that, won't we?_

 _Hell yeah, we will._

"Too scared!?" Elfman seems to take that as a personal insult to his manhood. "Real men have no fear!" He launches an attack on Gajeel, obviously not thinking things through all that well.

Natsu's emotions poke me right in the head, and he's both eager and angry. _Ciara, I wanna hit Gajeel. Think you can give me a boost?_

No problem. I smirk at Natsu's back. _Of course, that depends on how hard you want to hit him._

 _Full strength._

 _Got it._

Gajeel and Elfman face off, and Gajeel looks rather amused. "Not bad, big guy."

"Well, that's cause I'm a real man." Right now is probably not the time for the manliness speeches, but I doubt that anyone is going to tell Elfman that in the middle of a battle.

"Yeah?" Gajeel grins. "Then let's see how a real man handle this!" Half a dozen iron poles comes shooting out of his now iron leg. But instead of targeting our members, Gajeel goes after his own, knocking down several of his own guild mates.

"They're Phantom! You attacked your own men!?" Attacking our own is a foreign concept to us, and Elfman is no exception.

Gajeel plays dirty. "Cause I knew it'd distract you!" He turns his arm to iron and punches Elfman straight in the jaw.

When Elfman goes flying back, I place my foot against Natsu's. "Alright, big brother, go!" And I send Natsu flying at Gajeel.

Natsu collides with Gajeel, or rather, his flaming fist collides with Gajeel and sends him flying backwards into the bar. And as I take a few steps forward, just so that I can watch Natsu's back, Natsu gets himself all fired up. "Allow me to introduce us. We're Fairy Tail's dragon slayers." Natsu grins back at me. "Hey Ciara, why don't you keep back a bit, I want to go one on one with him. That cool with you?"

"Sure, sure. I guess I can hang back for a bit. Just don't take too long, or I'll get bored." I wave my hand at him, and sit back to enjoy the show.

Gajeel doesn't seem to like the introduction, and he pulls his hand back for an instant. "Iron Dragon Club!" His whole arm turns to iron, expanding into a long pole that hits Natsu right in the stomach.

Despite Erza's concern, Natsu is a lot stronger than she thinks, and he catches the club between his hands. He is not happy. "You destroyed our guild hall, and you attacked Levy and her team." His hands light on fire, the burning hot rage of a dragon pouring out of him. "I'll make you pay!" He tosses Gajeel up into the rafters, which the other dragon slayer uses as his own springboard, leaping back at Natsu.

As soon as Natsu has Gajeel back in range, he gives the pierced freak another good punch to the face. Gajeel ends up flying face first into a pile of rubble, only to throw it all off a few seconds later. "I'm still standing."

"True. You won't be for much longer, though." The look in my brother's onyx eyes is the same one he gets whenever he's in a good fight. Determination and fire, as well as a surprisingly cool and collected head.

"Oh yeah!?" Gajeel grins and sprints at Natsu, almost like a bolt of lightning. He catches Natsu just off-guard enough to send him flying across the guild instead. He walks over to stand over the pile of rubble my brother is trapped in. "Aw, what's the matter? You can dish it out, but you can't take it? Maybe you should send your sister to fight for you."

"Don't tempt me…" I growl at Gajeel, not caring that I'm showing that slightly less human side of me. "If it weren't for Natsu's pride, I would already be kicking your ass."

Gajeel opens his mouth to say something, probably about what he would do to me in a fight, but he's interrupted by my brother blasting his way out of the rubble in a haze of fire. "It's gonna take more than that to keep me down."

"You seriously think you can beat me, you pyro?" Okay, it's cute when Gray calls him that, not so much when Gajeel does. I may not be totally normal, but I do draw lines somewhere.

"What do you mean 'think'? I know that I can." Natsu lights his fist on fire once again, ready to pound Gajeel into the ground. And I'll be right there to help him if he wants me to.

The only problem is that we dragon slayers seem to be a very prideful lot. Natsu is pretty proud, and I know I share that flaw as well, Gajeel easily passes from pride into arrogance, and even that tiny dragon slayer from three years ago had that same pride, mixed with quite a bit of obstinacy. Thankfully, I see no twelve year olds around, otherwise I would be worried about hurting the kid. _I guess he didn't join Phantom Lord after all._

"We'll see about that!" Gajeel launches his pole of an arm at Natsu, getting it caught right in my brother's flaming fist.

That move is enough to enrage Natsu, though. "Your steel beams can't even touch me!" He lights his whole body on fire, his eyes nearly glowing with anger. "You better start stepping up your game!" He crushes the end of the iron pole, forcing Gajeel to retract it for his own safety.

"The rumors are true, you're way more powerful than you look." Gajeel's iron arm goes back to normal, apart from the ominous steaming as he shakes it out. "That actually burns a little." Knowing that Gajeel's seemingly indestructible arm just felt the sting of my brother's flames helps to satisfy my slightly sadistic side, that one part of me that no one really gets to see. "So, is that all you got, Salamander?" Now that nickname sounds much better coming out of an enemy's mouth.

"That was just my warm up, I'm just getting started!" Natsu lights back up again, everyone staying clear of the two of them. A battle between dragon slayers is not one that anyone wants to get in the middle of. "You ain't seen nothing yet, you metal freak!"

Since the two of them seem to be a little busy with their fire on iron fistfight, I look around at the idiots are me, and I smirk. "Well, Natsu is having his fun, so I should as well." A pair of silvery wind wings form on my back, and spread out over fifteen feet. "Now, does anyone feel like having some fun with the Wind Dragon Slayer?"

"Dragon Wing!"

"It's Dragon Wing!"

"One of the Dragonslayer Twins!"

Hearing them all yell out in fear makes me feel good. These idiots deserve to pay for what they've done. Attacking our guild, bad move, and as I swipe my hand across my field of vision, those fools are sent flying violently against the walls and floor. "Yes, I am Ciara 'Dragon Wing' Dragneel, the Wind Dragon Slayer, and the younger of the Dragon Slayer Twins. And you…you are all dead meat!"

The fools try to charge me all at once. And it's something that I think they're going to live to regret. Wind explodes from my body, and while it blows most of them back, a couple of them stay standing. I smirk at the two of them, flipping onto my hands and spinning on them, slamming my feet into both of their guts.

After I finish having my fun bashing his guild-mates, Gajeel takes to the rafters, so I join the two of them up there. Though the building starts to shake when Makarov uses Giant's Wrath upstairs. I grin at Natsu, and he grins back. "Sounds like Gramps is going at it!"

"No kidding." I glare at Gajeel. "So while the old man fights upstairs, why don't we have our own little dance party up here?"

He leers at me, his scarlet eyes wide and eager. "Sounds like fun. But I don't know how to waltz or tango, sorry."

I chuckle. "That's fine, I wasn't planning on putting on any music anyway."

But our verbal sparring ends when a small figure falls through the ceiling and lands in the middle of the hall, clearly the victim of an air spell, Drain, if the lack of magical power and the stale taste in the air is anything to go by.

I completely freak out when I see who is lying there on the floor. "Gramps! No!" It's not often that we speak in sync, but this is one of those times. And our identical speech matches the identical looks of rage and horror on our faces. But unlike me, Natsu heads straight for the ground, while I continue to glare at Gajeel.

"Hmph, the fun's over, and just when things were starting to get good." And as chaos erupts down there, he scoffs with amusement. "Well, I can see where this is going."

Since his magic is gone, Gramps can't fight anymore. So Erza takes command. "We must retreat! Everyone back to the guild at once!"

I glare over at Gajeel. "I'm still here. Why don't you and I try going head to head? And we'll see how much of this guild hall is still standing by the time I'm done here."

He smirks at me. "Maybe some other time, Pinky. Looks like the red-head is pulling everyone out. You should run along while you have the chance. Just like all of those other gutless cowards."

Gajeel disappears and I growl in frustration. But I drop to the floor and glare at Erza. "Are we seriously retreating after all of this?"

She nods. "We can't hope to win without Master Makarov. And you know what he said right? What he said when you came back from that S-Class job? He said that if there came a time when something happened to the guild, and he couldn't protect it, that it was up to us to protect everyone. We can't protect anyone if we keep fighting like this."

That burns me in so many ways that I can't even keep count. "But I'm a Dragon Slayer, a damned Dragon Slayer! If I let loose, I'm sure I ca-"

"No!" She glares at me with tears in her eyes. "One wrong move and you could kill us all, you know that! We have to retreat."

I hate to admit it, but she does have a point, but just on the part about me accidentally killing everyone. I still want to stay and fight, though, that much hasn't changed. And it's not just me. Our strongest fighters still refuse to give up, so Natsu and I stand back to back, sucking up elemental attacks from around the room.

Erza continues to order a retreat, so I cover the retreat and stay with Natsu. There's no way the two of us are going to leave until everyone else is gone. And once we're the only two left, he hears something that he really doesn't seem to like.

"Gajeel!" He growls, obviously hoping that his voice will be enough to tempt Gajeel into staying. But even that doesn't stop Gajeel from leaving with a big bulky guy perched up in the rafters. That plan a failure, he grabs my arm and turns me to face him. "Ciara! Lucy needs our help! You up for a rescue mission?"

I nod. "You know I'm always up for a rescue mission. So, what are we waiting for?"

"For me to get us some answers." Natsu walks over to one of the Phantom Lord wizards and grabs him by the collar. "You're coming with us, got it!?"

The guy looks like he's going to shit himself. "No! The Salamander, and that cat!" Then he notices me, standing around with my arms cross. "And Dragon Wing? Why…?"

"You got it, buddy." Natsu lights himself on fire, engulfing the Phantom as well. "And we need to chat." Then Natsu proceeds to drag him out of the guild hall with us.

* * *

Neither of us are in the mood for fun and games as we walk away from the guild hall, Natsu dragging one of Phantom Lord's stupid wizards behind us. I glance back at the fool who has so infuriated my brother. "You know, the faster you give us the information we want about Lucy, the less painful this is going to be for you."

The man just continues to struggle against my brother's death hold on his shirt. "What are you talking about!?"

Natsu snarls loudly, though I'm not sure if it's at the wizard, or at all of Phantom Lord for putting us all in this mess. "All right pal, where is she? Tell me."

"How should I know? I don't know a Lucy." The guy sounds like he's choking, but I couldn't care less if Natsu is nearly asphyxiating the guy. I care even less when Natsu starts to set him on fire. "AHHHHH! AHHHHH! It hurts so bad!"

Natsu is in no mood for games, hence jumping straight to the barbecue option. "Start talking."

"I already told you, dude. I don't know nothing." He's in a real panic now. "I'm serious dude, now put out the fire!"

"If you Phantom guys hurt another one of my friends…" A very dark look crosses the normally happy and cheerful face of my older brother. "I swear I'll burn every one of you into a pile of ashes."

I roll my eyes and snort with laughter. "Leave some for me. You know how bored I get when you're the only one making death threats."

That seems to be the straw that breaks the camel's back, and the guy starts screaming. "I told you man, I've never heard of this Lucy chick! If I knew who she was, I would have told you by now!"

That is not the answer Natsu wants to hear. "Funny you should say that, cause I was just thinking that I should have burned you to a crisp by now."

"Aw…but it would be much fun to hurl him around in a tornado first…" I pout a little at Natsu. "You know, make him puke his guts up first. Then we can barbecue him and dump him in the lake for the sea serpent to munch on. You know what she's like when she gets hungry." I know that I'm going a little overboard, but hey, when you've somehow managed to make a half friendly sea serpent think that you're one of its children, there's a lot of stuff you can get away with. "No one would find the body, not even Erza."

His last resistance shatters. "Our headquarters is up ahead. If I had to guess, I'd say they probably got her locked up there, okay!?"

"You should have said that in the first place." Now, Natsu is just pissed because we've wasted a ton of time. If we had gotten the guy to talk earlier, we could have flown there and saved us a half hour of walking.

Now that there's no point in hauling this guy around any longer, Natsu drop him, turning around to glare at him. "Now run. I never want to see your sorry face ever again, got it!?"

The wizard nods and spins around, running for his life in whatever direction he seems to think will take him away from the two of us faster. I shake my head, then look over into the distance at the enormous headquarters. "Well, are we doing a covert rescue mission, just in and out, or are we storming the place? Because I think that Lucy should be our top priority, no matter how good revenge sounds."

Natsu nods. "We grab her the first chance we get, then we book it home."

"Then let's do this!" I break into a run, headed straight for the towering castle.

Natsu's eyes widen as he catches up with me, and he picks up the pace even more. "I can smell her!"

I glance up and down the headquarters, my eyes focusing on the tower. Her scent is definitely coming from up there, I can tell that easily, and I haven't had as much time to memorize her scent as Natsu. "She's up there!"

"Seriously!?" His eyes travel up, narrowing as he spots her as well. "Lucy! Hold on! We're coming for you!"

But as we draw closer, Lucy gets close to the edge of the tower, ultimately falling out a window. I panic a little, before rapidly cooling my head. "Natsu jump in front of me, now!" He doesn't even question it, he just does exactly as I tell him, angling his body towards the tower, towards Lucy. And as soon as he jumps, I gather up magic power in my foot, aiming it straight at his feet. "Wind Dragon's Talon!"

I'd never tried using that move for acceleration before, but as Natsu is blasted away from me and straight at Lucy, I know that it's going to work. And as he zooms towards her, I can hear her loud and clear.

"NATSU!"

Her wish for a rescue is our command, and Natsu catches her, before slamming right into a stone wall. Though judging from the angle of the impact, Lucy should be unharmed, and Natsu shouldn't be too badly bruised. Hell, he probably didn't even feel it.

I sprint the rest of the way towards them, skidding to a stop with Happy flying just behind my head. "Hey! You two okay!?"

Natsu groans a little, his face pressed under Lucy's chest. "Mmmm fffnnn." And I'll take that to mean that he's fine.

Lucy rolls over and sits up, freeing Natsu from underneath her. Her hands are tied together, so I walk over and crouch down behind her. "I got this." With just a tiny blade of wind, the ropes are cut, and they slide to the ground as she goes about rubbing her wrists.

Natsu sits up, looking very worried. "Are you okay?"

"I think so." But she sure doesn't look okay. It looks like she's just been traumatized.

"That's good news." Happy lands and puts away his wings in order to conserve magic. "Okay, we'd better head back to the guild."

I can tell immediately that now that we have Lucy, Natsu wants to go in and bring down their whole guild, despite our earlier plan. So I shoot him a dangerous look. "No, I a not going to take Lucy back to the guild myself, and if you plan to stay here alone and fight their master, then I will spin you in a hurricane and knock you out before dragging you back to the guild myself. And whether I drag you across the ground or through the air, I promise that you will hit your head on everything that I can manage. Got it?"

Natsu growls at me. "What, are you afraid of them?"

"No, I'm not." I stare Natsu down, something that we've gotten quite used to over the years. "I just don't think that it's a good idea for the two of us to storm in there without backup, with a wizard saint in there, as well as their main forces, all the while having to protect Lucy and Happy not only from their attacks, but from our own as well. You need to think before storming into a place like this. A small guild hall is nothing compared to a fortress like this. We could get lost in there before even finding the members!"

"Ciara! You're being a coward!"

I'm not proud to say it, but I will. I snapped. I grab Natsu by his scarf, the third time in our lives that I've ever done it. "You listen to me. I want to go in there and storm the place as much as you do. Trust me, I do. But we have everyone else to think about. For all we know, they could be under attack right now from a retaliatory strike from Phantom Lord. What will you say to them if we miss the battle because we were here being stupid!? You know that I would follow you anywhere, even leave the guild if you got kicked out. So don't you dare call me a coward for trying not to get either of us killed unnecessarily."

"I'm sorry." Natsu and I both freeze, our argument halted by Lucy's voice. "I'm so sorry." Tears drip from her eyes, and she starts sobbing quietly. "All of this, everything…it's my fault. But I don't wanna leave. I wanna stay with you guys." She looks up, her face covered in desperate tears. "Cause I love being in Fairy Tail."

Natsu panics, as I'm the only girl he's used to seeing cry, and even then, I don't cry often, especially not in the last few years. "Hey, what's wrong? You're crying. Why are you upset?"

"You can tell us." Happy floats over, probably trying to be some kind of animal therapy for her.

"You're one of us, you don't have to leave." Natsu is trying to comfort her, but I'm not entirely sure if he's saying the right things. Then again, we don't know what's actually going on, so even I don't know what the right things to say are.

Happy flutters up and down anxiously. "Come on, let's go back to the guild."

"Yeah, okay…" Natsu sighs, a little weirded out. "I guess we oughta." He turns to Lucy, crouching beside her. "Time to get up. Let's go, Lucy."

Happy chides Natsu for moving too quickly. "Don't be so rough with her. Remember, girls are delicate."

Natsu glances at me briefly. "You're right…" He turns back to Lucy. "How about I carry you on my back? Is that cool with you?"

Lucy starts crying harder, so Happy hacks Natsu on the head. "Look what you did! You made the poor girl cry again!"

"I was just trying to help!" Natsu really has no idea how to handle girls. And he had enough trouble handling me when he knew exactly what to do. He's just not good at taking care of people.

So I wave him away and kneel on the ground next to Lucy. "Here, hop on. Happy can fly Natsu back, and I'll take you. I'm not as warm as Natsu, but we'll get home faster this way. Is that alright?"

She sniffles a little more, and she looks up at me. "O-okay."

After she hesitantly climbs onto my back, I settle her there carefully and get to my feet. Normally, carrying someone as big as I am would be a slight problem, even if I am gifted with more physical strength than the average mage. So in order to take the pressure off my body, I rise into the air, riding the wind up higher and higher as Happy grabs hold of Natsu.

I nod at Natsu, giving him a faint smile. _Let's go home._

 _Yeah…home._


	39. Heiress Ransom

**So, on the not of whether Juvia sees Ciara as a love rival or not, I'm planning on having Ciara take Juvia aside (after our rain woman accuses the wind dragon of trying to get back together with the icy cold stripper) and tells her very clearly that she has NO interest in getting back into that disaster.**

 **At least, that is what I've been planning.** **I figure that if I do it like that, Juvia might be more willing to get close to Ciara and ask her for advice, and the maybe...team up with Mira later and give a certain dragon a little push in the romance department. I'll leave it to your imaginations who that might be (if I haven't made it blatantly clear already).**

 **I'm not talking about Ciara ;)**

* * *

Between Happy flying Natsu, and me carrying Lucy, the four of us manage to make pretty good time getting back to the guild. But it's still wrecked, and it makes my heart sink to see how many holes have been poked in it. All they've managed to do is board the holes up. The actual repairs will have to wait until we're not in a state of impending crisis.

The four of us touch down, and Lucy quietly climbs off my back. She doesn't say a word as we walk into the guild, or even into the basement, where everyone is preparing for battle. The atmosphere is definitely a lot more tense than I've ever felt before. For such a carefree guild, we can get deadly serious when it comes to war.

Macao raises a hand to us and waves. "Good to see that you three got back with her. We were getting worried."

Natsu smiles, a little painfully, at Macao. "Yeah, we did the job good. She's fine."

"Good…" Macao stares back down at the table with a map on it. "Alright…so…"

I turn to Lucy and get her sat down on a chair. "Hey…you mind telling us why you think that this crazy rivalry mess is your fault? Because last I checked, we've been at odds with Phantom for as long as I can remember."

She sniffles a little, wiping away the remnants of her dried tears. "Their master said that it's because of my father. Because…" She sniffs and blinks the fresh tears out of her eyes. "My name is Lucy Heartfilia…"

My eyes go wide as I recognize the name. "As in…the daughter of Jude and Layla Heartfilia?"

She nods. "You know about them?"

"Yeah…" Though to be honest, not all that I've heard about her father is good. I've heard that he's terribly strict and very cold. I can't imagine what it was like to grow up in a house like that. "I have some very rich clients, so word gets around. I've heard a few rumors about your father, and judging by the fact that you seem to have run away to join a wizard guild, I'll assume that at least a few of them are true."

"So they kidnapped you for the money?" Natsu sure knows how to get straight to the point. "What selfish jerks!"

Lucy nods quietly. "Their master said that attacking Fairy Tail was a means to an end, that they would wipe out the whole guild to get to me. It's all my fault…"

Gray glances at Lucy, and decides to try his hand at cheering her up. "Don't worry, we'll get them back for this." _Smooth, Gray. Every girl is like me, and therefore enjoys the promise of revenge. So go ahead and suggest it to Lucy, she won't mind at all._ The sarcasm in my mind would probably devastate his delicate ego, so I keep my thoughts to myself. Although it means that I know very well how to bring his ego down a peg if I have to.

"I know…I'm not worried about that. It's just…" She looks like she's going to start crying again. "All my fault." She says it over and over again, like the more times she says it, the more it'll sink in. But none of us are soft-headed enough to blame her for something she can't control.

"Being targeted by dangerous people is just one of the downsides of being rich." Elfman's two cents are a little blunt and straightforward, but at least he's trying to make things simple. "At least you're protected by a real man like me!"

Gray snaps fast. "Hey! Would you give it a rest already!"

"I gotta say, I was shocked when I heard the news." Happy walks over nd looks up at us. "Why'd you hide the truth from us, Lucy?"

I growl loudly and glare at Happy, something I almost never do. "That's enough Happy. People have reasons for hiding the truth. Sometimes it's dangerous to tell the truth, and sometimes it's unpleasant. Natsu and I got so much crap from everyone when we told them all that we were raised by a dragon. Hell, most of them still don't believe us, even though my ribbons are made of dragon skin. Things would have been a whole lot easier for us if we hadn't told anyone. But we did, and we paid for it."

That shuts Happy up, but Lucy just shakes a little. "I wasn't trying to hide anything." Her red and puffy eyes are almost pitiful looking now. "I mean, there's no way to bring up the fact that I'm a runaway in casual conversation. I've been gone for a year and my father hasn't cared. Now all of a sudden, he wants to force me to come home? He's done all those horrible things just to get me to go back. I hate his guts!" She sighs and hangs her head. "Still, if I hadn't run away in the first place, none of this would have ever happened."

Elfman scoffs. "Come on, don't be ridiculous. Your dad's the one to blame."

"Idiot!" Gray clicks his tongue and shakes his head. Elfman really did say the wrong thing here.

I turn to Lucy and smile. "Seriously, don't worry about it. It was only a matter of time before Phantom Lord cooked up a reason to come get us. They've picked fights with us plenty, so this was just their excuse to get into more than a simple street brawl with us."

She just won't listen. "No. I'm the one who brought trouble to the guild, and it's all because of my own selfish choices." The light in her eyes starts to die out. "I'm so very sorry…I'm just gonna go back home, and hopefully all this will be over with."

"I don't know about that." My silent brother finally decides to speak up. "I can't see you playing the part of the pretty princess sitting around in your mansion." His grin starts coming back. "Laughing with us in this filthy guild hall, going on adventures even though you freak out all the time, that's who you really are." Once in a while, hell know all the right things to say. "You said you wanted to stay with us, right? Why would you ever go back to the place you ran away from? Come on, who are you trying to kid? You're Lucy of Fairy Tail." Now his grin is back in full force. "No more running, cause you belong here with us."

Gray ruffles his hair awkwardly as tears start pouring down Lucy's cheeks. "Aw…don't cry, its just not like you."

"Yeah, please. Real men are weak to womanly tears." I roll my eyes at Elfman. _You never said that when I used to cry. You're just trying to explain away your inability to deal with crying girls._

On the other side of the room, I hear Mirajane freak out, and she breaks the communication lacrima. She was supposed to be contacting Laxus to ask for his help in this fight, but judging by her violent action, her conversation with Laxus must have gone badly. Of course, that's no surprise, the guy hates everyone, all he cares about is power. He's arrogant and selfish and sadistically cruel. And he's been a pain in my ass every since Natsu and I first arrived here. He's also given me the most shit about Igneel since we told everyone about our unconventional heritage. _Just wait until Natsu and I find Igneel, none of them will bully me about it ever again. And then, I'll tell him all the mean things Laxus has said, and let Dad stomp his ass!_

A loud rumble shakes me out of my slowly darkening thoughts. _That…can't possibly be good. Natsu! What the hell was that!?_

 _I don't know! Why are you asking me!?_

 _Well I don't know what's going on, so I had to ask someone. Don't worry, next time, I'll ask someone smarter than you._

 _Hey!_

We would probably keep our mental battle going a little while longer, but the tremors continue, and Alzack comes hurtling down the stairs. "Outside!" It almost feels like…

Giant footsteps.

I rush out of the guild right behind Natsu, and when we catch sight of what's headed this way, his mouth drops open. "What is that thing!?"

I wish I didn't recognize it, but I do. "Natsu…that's the place we rescued Lucy from." Except that their guild hall is now on mechanical legs, and walking towards us like a spider.

Happy looks just as shocked as Natsu. "It's a guild hall with ginormous legs!"

"Is it Phantom?" Loke sounds almost like he wants to hide, and I don't blame him, that fortress was big enough when it was stationary. Now it's a whole other kind of scary.

"How do we fight that thing?" _Very carefully, Wakaba…very carefully…_

The thing stops in the middle of the lake as Erza comes running out in her towel hair still damp from her shower. She stops dead in her tracks, staring at the monstrosity. "I never anticipated this. I can't believe they'd go to such extremes to attack us!"

As the giant moving guild hall settles itself in the lake, new parts start moving, until they finish aiming a huge magic cannon at us. Then, it starts charging.

Erza sweeps her hand in front of her, grabbing all of our attention. "RUN! GET OUT OF HERE NOW!"

A huge ball of magical energy forms at the end of the cannon. But if Erza expects me to just run and not try to stop it, then she's dead wrong. But instead of sticking around to make us leave, Erza charges ahead.

"Erza!"

"Don't be stupid!"

But the protests fall on deaf ears and she requips into her Adamantine armor, standing before us to take the blast herself.

"She requipped!"

"What are you doing!?"

She stands proudly and desperately out there with her shield. "Protecting the guild hall!"

"That's her adamantine armor!"

"Is she gonna try to block the cannon's shot!?"

"But there's no way her armor's gonna hold up against a blast that strong!"

"You're just risking your life! This is ridiculous!"

"Just stay back!" I knew, I already knew that there was nothing we could do to stop Erza from standing up to protect everything that she holds dear. And the conviction in her voice only strengthens that belief in her. So instead of doubting her abilities like the others, I clasp my hands together and silently pray. _Erza…don't you dare die on us. Block that shot and survive!_

Unlike me, Natsu is not content to just sit back and watch, so Gray has to hold him back. "We're not gonna be able to stop her! We just gotta have faith in her!"

And as though 'faith' is the magic word, the cannon goes off, and Erza slams the two sides of her adamantine shield together, creating a huge magic circle in order to protect all of us from the blast.

The energy blast hits the shield of her armor and she really does block it. Her armor starts to crack, before cracking some more, and ultimately shatters. But because of all the power she managed to divert before falling, she only gets blasted to the ground with the last trace remnants of power from the ball of magical energy.

Unfortunately, that leaves her in absolutely no condition to fight, let alone take another blast. Natsu rushes to her, kneeling on the ground next to her. "You okay!? Say something!"

Jose finally decides to address us over the loudspeaker. "Makarov has fallen, and now Erza can no longer stand. Any chance of victory has slipped through your fingers. Surrender Lucy Heartfilia immediately. You have no choice." His ultimatum triggers an outcry from our guild, to put it mildly.

No one is going to just hand Lucy over to Phantom Lord, not if the cheering and jeering are anything to go by. And just to be a defiant friend, Erza raises her head. "We would never betray her like that! You'd have to kill us first!"

Natsu is pretty pissed off himself. "You can stop asking now, cause we're not gonna give you any other answer! We're taking every one of you jerks down."

Despite the situation, a smile curls my lips, and I take a few steps forward. "Actually, I've got a different answer for you, if you're willing to hear it."

The cheering starts to die down, and I hear mumbles of confusion from my guild mates. They must be wondering what I'm up to. Jose also seems to be wondering. "Oh, and what answer would that be?"

I smirk at the cannon as I rise into the air, floating towards the water. I'm presuming that Jose is sitting on the floor right above it, since that would be where I would sit if I were as arrogant and puffed up as him. "Wind Dragon's…Talon." I flip head over heels and slam my foot down towards the water, shooting an huge, sharp blade of wind out of it. The blade rips across the water, and slams into the Phantom Lord guild hall, sending up a huge spray of lake water. "That answer is that you had better be ready to go to hell! Cause you just picked a fight with the wrong people!"

I can practically feel his growl of indignation, and that's without the loudspeaker. "If death is what you want, then I'll give you a second helping of Jupiter!" That must be the name of the cannon he just fired at us. "You've got fifteen minutes to ponder the folly of your actions!"

With that challenge ahead of us, I turn to Natsu, grinning. "Hey, you think that we can wreck that thing in less than fifteen minutes?"

He smirks at me. "I like your thinking. Let's do it!"

But before we can put our plan into action, or rather, our lack of a plan, there's trouble. Spooky looking specters made of what looks like living shadow come flying out toward us. I've never seen that kind of magic before, but since it must be Jose's it can't possibly be good.

"You're in quite a quandary, aren't you, Fairy Tail?" His voice comes booming out of the loudspeakers again. "There are only two ways this situation can play out. Either my troops will tear you apart, or you'll be blown away by Jupiter."

"Are you kidding me?" Macao freaks out, which is strange, since I though he would be sitting this battle out because of his injuries. "If he fires at us, he'll kill his own men!"

"Surely, he's bluffing. Who'd do something like that?" Obviously Wakaba hasn't looked at these soldiers, because they sure don't feel or smell alive to me.

Cana seems a little better informed. "No, he's gonna do it. Those phantom soldiers were created by Jose's shade magic. They're not human, so it won't matter to him if they're destroyed." Frankly, I don't know if he would care even if they were human. He seems to have a callous disregard for life to begin with, so I wouldn't put it past him to fire on his own men.

 _We're dealing with ghosts…great._

Cana growls almost as strongly as me or Natsu. "We've got to do something to take out that Jupiter cannon."

"In that case…" I grin at Natsu. "Fifteen minutes is all we need!"

He grins back. "Let's go smash their whole guild hall to pieces!" He raises his hand in the air and starts running towards me. "Come on, Happy!"

"Aye, Sir!" Happy's wings appear, and he grabs Natsu, pulling him into the air as we zoom over the surface of the lake.

As we zoom around each other, I link up to Natsu's head. _Alright, so should we do this together, or split up?_

 _What do you mean!? We're a team, remember?_

 _Yes…but we should still have a strategy in place in case something goes wrong._

 _Oh…I gotcha!_ Happy drops Natsu right on top of the Jupiter cannon so that Natsu can smack it with some flames. _Damn, this thing is tough to crack! That punch should have at least made a dent!_

 _Then let me help!_ I focus my power, then whip my hands through the air, sending blades of wind in every direction, trying to find a weak point. But it's like there's no weak point on the outside.

Natsu's frustration is starting to get the better of him. "Crap, I'm barely even scratching the surface!"

I groan and shake my head. "Then try hitting it from the inside! Fire can do a lot of damage in tight spaces, right!?"

Natsu looks up at me, confusion plastered on his face. Then he grins. "Oh yeah!" He grabs the rim of the cannon and swings himself down and inside. "I'll go at it from in here! Why don't you stay out here and try to blast some chunks off their building?"

I roll my eyes and wave him away. "Sure, fine, just go! We've got less than twelve minutes left before the cannon fires again!"

"Crap!" Natsu turns his back to me and starts running into the cannon. _Good luck!_

I sigh and give him a nice mental smile. _You too, big brother…you too._ Now, I've got an annoyingly large guild hall that needs to be reduced in size. _What am I going to do about that…?_

Since there's only one thing that I really can do about it, it's not too hard to come up with something of a plan. If I can get the thing to collapse, then it'll definitely be hampered. My one major concern is that if I rock the place too much, I might end up hurting Natsu and Happy by accident.

As I look down at the lake, I notice a trail of ice heading from the shore, all the way to Phantom's guild hall. _Oh no…did Gray go inside to help Natsu?_ Even if those two pretend that they hate each other's guts, they sure do make a lot of rescue attempts in order to bail each other out of trouble. You'd think they were brothers or something. Not that I'd want Gray to be my brother. That would have made things really awkward a couple of years ago. Though I guess he's close enough to being my brother now, so it doesn't really matter much anymore. Either way, I now have at least one more reason to try not to shake the guild hall too much.

 _Damn it...why do you boys have to make things so difficult?_

* * *

 **Oh, and if it so happens that I actually haven't made it blatantly clear who I was referring to at the top, tell me, and I'll try to drop in some more hints at the end of the arc, when I do a special P.O.V. switch that hasn't been seen in a while. Until then, imagine away.**


	40. Hands Tied

**Well, the semester is over, and exams are done, which leaves me a summer full of writing , cleaning, and no doubt lots of paperwork in preparation for September when I head right back to university.**

 **In the meantime, enjoy continuing the Phantom Lord arc. Comments and questions are welcome, and if you have any flames (which honestly you shouldn't, since this story is becoming a lot more awesome than I expected) then please go ahead and feed them to Natsu, I'm sure he'll enjoy them more than me.**

 **Oh, and I've rearranged a couple of the events, since they make more chronological sense than in the order the anime shows them. Because honestly, there's no way Gajeel would have made it back so fast with a hostage if he'd waited until after the defeat of the Element Four to come back with Lucy. I know that dragon slayers are fast, but that's just not possible without attracting a ton of attention, plus some teleportation magic. And he goes through an small torture session before Natsu finds him IN THE SAME BUILDING. So…time management, I hope that I do it a little better.**

 **Oh, and on the pronunciation of Ciara's name, it's see-ar-ah, though when hearing is, it would probably change in Japanese to she-ar-ah, adding in an h sound. I know the name is a little odd, but it's one that I really like. Plus, the names in Fairy Tail come from all over the world, so it's not actually so weird.**

 **BTW, I do love my subtle puns, jokes, and jabs, so see how many you can pick out in this chapter.**

* * *

With Natsu on the inside, no doubt wreaking all kinds of fun havoc, I focus on what I can do out here. This giant guild hall is built like a fortress, so it'll take a ton of magic to bring it down from the outside. So my best bet is probably to fly up and find a way to get inside. I would go in the same way as Natsu, but there's probably a guard in there at the cannon, and I don't think that getting caught up in my brother's fight is a good idea. Neither is putting myself right in the path of the cannon.

So I rise into the sky, higher and higher as I race up the side of the needlessly large guild hall. I can feel Natsu's energy fluctuating, a clear sign that he's in the middle of a battle right now. I'd like to cheer him on, but it feels like he's concentrating hard, so it would be a bad idea for me to distract him. The last thing I want is for my brother to have his ass handed to him by one of those Phantoms.

Zooming up the side, I find one of the towers and circle up around it, landing on one of the outer balconies. And it's just my luck that a horde of Phantom Lord wizards are stationed up here.

One of them points at me. "It's a fairy! Get her!"

I roll my eyes and shrink down a little. "Oh please, like any of you are a match for me." Obviously, none of them saw what me and Natsu did to their branch guild in Oak Town, otherwise they wouldn't be underestimating me right off the bat.

As the fools rush at me, some of them coming in for physical attacks, others preparing spells, they have no idea what's about to happen to them. "Wind Dragon's…ROAR!"

The typhoon that explodes from my mouth hurtles forward, blasting all of them over the sides of the balcony and onto the protruding balconies of the floors below. Though I'm fairly certain a few of them missed the balconies and are now headed for the water. But they're wizards, one way or another, they'll survive that fall.

Since the guards were nothing I couldn't handle, I pop myself in through one of the tower's windows, and drop down an entire floor. The inside of the guild is decorated lavishly, though it's not really to my tastes. I'd go for a slightly more casual look, and less like a freaking royal castle. But hey, I'm not their interior decorator, so it's not my call.

As I navigate my way through the hallways and towards what I think is the center of the guild hall, a huge explosion rocks the building, and a euphoric feeling of triumph races through me, though the emotion is not my own. _Seems like Natsu pulled it off…that cannon has got to be out of commission now._ That feeling of satisfaction follows me as I explore the upper floors of this very foreign feeling building.

But as I continue to walk through the halls, an eerie series of vibrations comes to my attention. I touch the wall, trying to pick up on where it's coming from, but I can't pinpoint the location. _What the hell is going on here?_

As if to answer my question, the building starts shaking violently, and the halls start tilting, moving around and almost giving me a mild case of vertigo. _Damn it, why does this place have to start moving again all of a sudden?_

But as I hover in the air, it occurs to me that the guild hall itself is what's moving, not the legs supporting it. _Is it transforming? What the hell kind of guild hall is this? Fairy Tail can't pull of this kind of crazy!_ Though honestly, our guild hall probably could if anyone thought that it was a good idea to have a morphing guild hall. And I'm sure that there's someone in our guild who would be more than happy to make it happen.

To combat this feeling of vertigo, and the fact that I'm staring to slip backwards down the hall, I rise into the air and continue moving through the hall, now tilted upwards, with my wind magic. I hadn't wanted to use any magic yet, since it could give away my location to anyone looking hard enough for intruders. But it looks like I have no choice in the matter. I've got to keep moving, otherwise I'll be stuck here, and be forced to blast a hole in the wall just to get out. And if I'm going to destroy something, I'd rather be somewhere where I can cause a lot of damage very quickly.

The movement soon stops, and Jose's voice echoes through the air. "Kneel before me, you detestable brats, or you will fall victim to my wrath. Savor your last moments because soon, I will end your pathetic little lives."

"Damn it!" I bite my lip and look around. _This must be that weapon we've heard about, Phantom's Giant. But I never thought that it was their guild hall that transformed into it! I thought it was some kind of magic spell!_

Jose's voice rings out again, which means that there's something happening outside. "Nice transformation, but you can't fool me, young lady. I knew from the start that Lucy Heartfilia wasn't here."

My heart pounds rapidly in my chest. _Mira transformed into Lucy? Did they send Lucy away to keep her safe? But if he knows that then he's got to have sent someone after her! I sniff the air, and my nose confirms it for me. Jose sent him…the Iron Dragon Slayer. I can't smell him here, and what I do smell is faint, hours at best, days at worst._

"Did you really think your little parlor trick would fool me?" I shudder at the sound of Jose's voice, as well as the sound of Mira's scream. "As punishment, I'll crush you to death as you watch your friends perish."

For a minute, I debate between going to save Mira, and focusing on stopping this giant. And it's a tough decision, it freezes me right in my tracks, unable to choose. That is, until a feral roar rips through the air. Elfman…? No way, but that roar means… It means that the fool is trying for a full-body takeover, the first in two years.

But my sense of his magic confirms it. And if he's fighting, it means that he's probably fighting for Mira's sake. I can leave that battle to him, and focus on finding my way through the giant. Hopefully, I'll be able to find Jose or one of his Element Four in here. Or better yet, I might find Gajeel Redfox. Now that would be a battle.

I make it to the center of the building, and so far, I see no one of note. _Alright, if I were as pompous and stuck up as Jose, where would I hide? I glance up at the ceiling, and a grin spreads over my face. Up at the top of the main tower. Duh._

I crouch down, smirking at the ceiling. "Here goes…" Wind swirls around me, moving at a ridiculously fast rate. Now! I jump into the air and shoot straight through the veiling, punching holes through each floor as I make my way up the tower.

About six floors up, I land in a room that smells very familiar. _Well, seems like I haven't found Jose, but I should still be in for an interesting fight._

"We meet again, Pinky."

I whirl around, and lo and behold, there stands lack Steel Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer. He and I stand still for a minute, sizing each other up. Then I smirk. "Well, I guess I shouldn't pretend that I wasn't looking forward to this. I've been itching for a one on one match with you, Metal Head."

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I was hoping to find Jose, but one of his Element Four will have to do for now. The guy tried to sneak up on me, but apart from the sudden blast of wind, I could smell him coming a mile away. It doesn't stop him from knocking me on my head, though.

"How sad." The guy appears right out of a whirlwind. I will make your wings of fire wither and fall, and all that will remain is a dragon's corpse."

"Say what!?" _Does this guy honestly think that taking a dragon slayer down is so easy?_ He's pissing me off.

"Watch out." Happy flutter nervously beside my head. "This guy's one of the Element Four!"

"My name is Aria." The guy raises his head, and it almost looks like he's crying behind the bandages. "I am the strongest of the Element Four. I've come in hopes of hunting a dragon."

 _Hunting a dragon? Yeah right, like that's going to be easy._ There's something more than just familiar about this guy's energy. And he smells a little familiar as well. "Let me guess, you're a wind wizard, right? I've dealt with your kind before."

Happy doesn't seem too sure about my chances. "Yeah, but this guy's a lot stronger than Erigor."

I snort with laughter. "Erigor isn't the only wind wizard I've fought. Are you forgetting that we've got a way stronger one in our guild?"

Happy frowns, then his face lights up. "Oh! You mean Ciara!

"Yep." I clench my fist, trying to contain my excitement. "I've trained plenty with her. I know how to dodge wind attacks, so all I have to do is find this guy's weakness."

Happy backs off a little, since it'll be safer for him not to be in the line of fire. "Alright Natsu, give him what's coming to him!"

I sink low to the ground, ready to attack. "Aye, sir…"

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

It's been a minute of sizing each other up, and I have to say, this guy is not messing around. He's built like a stone statue, and not one of the pretty ones. He's got three piercings above each crimson eye instead of eyebrows, two on each side of his nose and three in each ear, a piercing in his lower lip, one in his chin, as well as piercings up and down his forearms. All in all, he's got more piercings than anyone should have. Though somehow, he can pull them off. It must be the whole Iron Dragon Slayer thing.

"You're starin' at me pretty hard, Pinky." His leer stretches all across his face. "You lookin' for some fun?"

A smile rises to my lips as the wind begins to swirl around me. "Actually, yes. I was rather disappointed that we didn't get to go at it while me and my brother were wrecking your guild. But I guess this is as good a time as any to get some payback."

He sneers. "As if you're as strong as Salamander."

"Well, you're right." I've got no problems with admitting where I fall short. "I'm not as strong as my brother, and I'm not ashamed of admitting that. But I've got a few things that he doesn't."

"You mean like a nice rack?" His eyes drop to my chest, his expression unchanging.

I sigh, a deadpan expression replacing the smile. "Pervert." _I should have known…_

I'm not exactly sure what it is, but for the past year or so, I've gotten more than a little attention from all the men around the guild. I don't even get why, I mean, I'm not as well endowed as Erza, and I certainly don't have Mira's sparkling eyes. In fact, because of my height, I should put people off by reminding them too much of Natsu. The only things setting the two of us apart are my still very much present womanly assets, and my two long ponytails.

Shifting slightly, I lean forwards a little. "Are we going to do this, or are you going to ogle me all day?"

A sharp smirk twists his face. "Gi hi hi hi. Let's do this, Pinky."

"Stop calling me that!" I disappear in a flash, reappearing behind him and giving him a solid kick to the back. Though I should have known that an attack that weak wouldn't do much to a guy made of iron. And I'm hardly endowed with my brother's physical strength. Wind is fleeting, soft, and powerful all at once. But it's not solid, unlike iron. _This is not going to be easy…_

"Is that really all you've got?" Gajeel makes a grab for me, but I jump back quickly, kicking off the back of his head. "You're pretty light on your feet, aren't ya?"

"You have no idea…" The wind around me speeds up, enveloping me in a tornado similar to Erigor's barrier. Except that this time, the blade-like magic is on the outside. Instead of a defensive power, this one is clearly offensive.

What I like most about wielding the wind instead of fire, is that wind is well balanced. With it, I can attack, defend, as well as provide support to my allies. It makes me faster, and more able to dodge and strike, but also provides me the ability to fight at all ranges, no matter how close, and no matter how far away. As long as I can breathe, I can use my magic.

The giant starts to rumble, and the whole room tilts sideways. I nearly lose my balance as my spell dissipates, before jumping into the air and hanging out up there instead of on the unsteady ground. Gajeel looks quite disturbed, but it doesn't seem to be about our impending battle, so much as the giant itself. He's likely anchoring himself to the ground using those same spikes from back in his other guild hall. But that provides a perfect opening.

With a split second to prepare before Gajeel gets his mind back on the fight, I launch myself right back into battle. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" The cyclone heads straight for Gajeel. Perfect aim for what should be a perfect hit.

But instead of knocking him into next week, the cyclone just tears at his clothes and whips his long, spiky mane of hair around. _Damn it, he must have anchored himself deeper than I thought! There's no way he should have been able to stay there otherwise!_

"Nice try, Pinky." He growls in what sounds like amusement. "Now it's my turn." He uncovers his face, after having used his arms to protect himself from my attack. "Iron Dragon's Roar!"

At first, I don't really expect much out of it, since it's hard to imagine a roar made of iron. And frankly, it would take up too much power for him to hurl one huge chunk of iron at me. Then I see exactly how wrong I am to take him so lightly.

The whirlwind of iron slivers that come shooting at me travel at blinding speeds. If I were a normal mage, I would be shredded to bits in an instant. Luckily for me, I've got more than a few tricks up my sleeve. "Wind Dragon's Wing Attack!" Wind bursts into being around me, and as I swirl the power around me, the iron slivers are shot away from me, peppering the ground and walls with the shards.

I land on the ground as the giant finally grinds to a halt. "Sorry, but you're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me."

"That so?" He grins, like he's actually having fun. A sadistic, cruel kind of fun, but fun nevertheless. "Well then, I'll be sure to knock you out next time."

"Just try it." I crouch down, waiting for him to make a move. "Just remember that I'm faster than you are, so most of those tricks are going to be absolutely useless."

"You wanna bet?" He holds out his arm, smirking. "Let's see how you like this, Pinky!"

In seconds, his arm turns to iron, and poles start shooting out of in in every direction. One comes shooting straight at me, and I dodge it easily by heading straight into the air. But as I get into the air, more poles start coming out the the ones poking out of his arm. They grow progressively smaller and smaller poles, shooting in every direction as I fly through the air, dodging every last one of them.

 _Damn it, I wasn't expecting him to be able to create so many!_ Normally, dodging isn't a problem, it's what I'm best at. But in a confined space like this, with the poles burying themselves in the walls, making almost an iron spider web, dodging is becoming steadily more difficult.

Prof of that reveals itself when I dodge around one pole to avoid another, only to receive the impact of a smaller one jabbing right into my leg. I bite my lip, hissing in pain. _This idiot! He's making it impossible for me to move!_

Then a sudden realization hits me. _But if I can't move…then neither can he!_ I look down, and there he is, standing in exactly the same place as before, his arm held out to support all of the iron poles embedded in the structure. _Bingo._

Despite the fact that it leaves me wide open for an attack, I stop in mid-air and take a deep breath. "Wind Dragon's Roar!"

Just like that, it shoots straight down at Gajeel, and goes right through the mess of iron poles. He must see that he's trapped, so he withdraws all of the poles as fast as he can. Not an easily accomplished feat, as there's got to be over a hundred of them.

The roar hits him straight on, blasting him across the room. But, as though the building itself wants to help him win, a piece of the mangled ceiling comes crashing down, right on top of my head. It crushes me against the floor, squishing me like a bug.

Except that I'm not a bug, I'm a dragon slayer. And I'm not going to go down nearly that easily. "Screw you…you didn't have to go and wreck the room, you know." I toss some of the debris off me, finding blood dripping from my face. The rubble must have cut my cheek, though only a little, judging by the very slow flow of blood. I can feel some blood dripping down my arms as well, as they were what protected the rest of my head from the wayward piece of ceiling.

Groaning, I blow away the rubble, only to come face to face with a grinning Gajeel. "Nice, so you let the building do your fighting for you?"

He chuckles menacingly. "Hey, it was my power that brought the ceiling down, so it's no different than hitting you myself. Except that I didn't get any blood on me."

"You coward…" I reach for my hair, planning to take out the ribbons tied there, despite the many ironclad restrictions about doing so. _If I just take them out, I'll crush Gajeel easily. There's no way he'll be able to stand up to my power!_

But just as I get ready to pull, a voice interrupts me. "Hey Gajeel, what do you want us to do with the blond chick?"

I freeze. _Blond chick? Lucy!? But how?_ But my eyes don't deceive me, as two wizards, a man and a woman, drag Lucy's unconscious form into the room. "Lucy!" _Damn it! I can't attack with her in here!_ If I were to attack full force with Lucy in the room, she would definitely die, making all of this pointless. My hands have been tied.

A voice comes on over the speaker system, Jose's voice. "Attention you pathetic Fairy Tail worms! Listen carefully because I'll only say this once."

Gajeel grins as he picks Lucy up from the ground, kicking her awake. "Come on Blondie, time for you to scream for me." He picks her up by the hair and drives a punch into her clearly wounded side.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Lucy's scream echoes off the walls, picked up and magnified by the loudspeaker.

"We have captured your precious Lucy Heartfilia. Which means our first order f business is now out of the way. And that leaves us with just one more thing, my favorite part." Jose seems to laugh a little in anticipation. "Wiping all of you miserable brats right off the face of the earth!"

As the noise from the loudspeaker dies, I focus my attention on Lucy. "You bastards…" I know very well what they've done to her. She looks like she's been beaten right to a pulp.

Gajeel turns to me, tossing Lucy to the ground and pressing his foot onto her back. "So unless you want me to do even worse to her, you should probably lie down like a good girl."

I grit my teeth angrily, my brain working a mile a second. _I could roar him off her, but he would have a second to see it coming. That's more than enough time for him to react, to hurt her. I could jump at him, but his friends are close enough by that they would have a shot at her instead. I could ram him off her and make a grab, but that would leave me wide open while I try to run off with her. I'm fast…but am I fast enough to dodge all three of them while making an escape with a passenger?_

Gajeel's grin turns into a leer. "Come on now, Pinky. Time for you to choose. You gonna give up, or am I going to have to hurt her in a special way?"

I grit my teeth, my hands tied even tighter now. "Fine…"

His subsequent smirk is one that I really want to smack right off his face. "Aw…what a good little fairy." He holds up his hand and something gray shoots towards me, dragging me backwards and slamming me to the wall. I look down to see a huge hunk of iron nailed into the wall, fastened securely around my waist.

I struggle, trying to remove it, but it's half a foot thick. It's not going anywhere. "Damn it…"

"Aw…are you feeling a little trapped?" Gajeel appears right in front of me, a sadistic smile on his face. "Don't worry, that one is about to be the least of your worries." He grabs me by the throat, leaving a piece of iron there to hold my head to the wall. "No screamin' now, that voice of yours is loud and annoying, ye hear?"

I bite back a groan as he twists my arms up fastening them to the wall above my head. Even my legs aren't left loose, bolted to the wall even more securely than my stomach. _Damn him…focusing all of the pressure on the parts that a dragon slayer uses the most…smart…_

Gajeel steps back to admire his handiwork, then he turns to Lucy and stares gleefully down at her. "Now, Blondie, entertain me." He knocks her towards me, letting her crash against the ground. She lets out a small whimper of pain, but Gajeel obviously isn't satisfied. "You gotta sing better than that." As she shakes on the floor, Gajeel almost sounds bored. "Too bad. Your heart's just not in it."

A few more members make their presence known, on of them seeming to have a conscience. "Hey Gajeel, hasn't she had enough? Besides, the master said he doesn't want her gettin' hurt or nothin'." He must be taking into account whatever Gajeel did to her on the way here, because he's barely done anything in front of me yet. Though at least he hasn't done anything too serious to her. Nothing like driving a spike into her back just to spite me. Even if it's going against orders, I have a feeling that Gajeel isn't going to stop playing around.

 _I should have ended him when I had the chance…_ I curse my own kind heart, since I was more concerned for Lucy at that moment, than for what Gajeel might do later.

Gajeel turns to his guildmate, sneering. "But what else am I supposed to do? I can't believe he's doing ." Gajeel fumes, his red eyes glittering. "He leaves me to watch over Blondie here, while he gets to have all the fun."

"Yeah, but…if the master catches you doing this, we're all going to be in trouble."

Undeterred, Gajeel smashes his guildmate in the face, effectively shutting him up. "Shut up. I know Master thinks she's important, but she's just a piece of Fairy scum to me. Even girls are still wizards. She should have known what she was getting into when she joined the guild." He turns to me. "That one has, no doubt about it. You live for danger, don't you?"

I stubbornly stay quiet, since I have no reason to answer that stupid question, at least not out loud. _Of course I don't live for danger, you nitwit. I live for the thrill of adventure, for the joy of using my magic to help others and make a living. I sure as hell don't live my life just to risk dying every day. That's why I've trained so hard, why we all train so hard._

"You're takin' this way too far, man. Let it go!"

"Master's gonna lose it, isn't he?"

"Well, then I'll tell him it was all your idea."

The two still watching deadpan. "Please don't do that."

His eyes leave his guildmates and find me, and his grin widens. "Well, I suppose that I've got one other plaything. So maybe I'll give Blondie a break for now."

I glare defiantly at him, daring him to finish me. Instead, he just covers his arm in scales, even his nails. One creepy grin later, and a horde of projectiles come shooting at me from his hand. As each of them hit me, they pierce their way into my flesh, reminding me of something that I haven't thought of in years. The sharpness of Igneel's shed scales.

Gajeel leers at me. "Come on now, Pinky. If Blondie won't sing for me, how about you? None of that shrieking though, I don't wanna bust my eardrums."

I grit my teeth and clamp my mouth shut. _As if I'll be giving you any of that satisfaction. I'm as stubborn as a dragon!_

Lucy starts to get back up, rawing Gajeel's attention away from me. "Aw, I feel kinda sorry for her. Her fellow guild members didn't even want her back till they found out her old man's loaded."

I open my mouth to argue, but close it again when Lucy chuckles. "Geez, you're dumb. I can barely even believe it. It's just sad." She struggles to her feet, leaning against the wall right next to me. "I actually feel sorry for you."

Gajeel raises an eyebrow, and his guildmates seem to think that Lucy is some kind of suicidal for talking to Gajeel like that.

"Phantom Lord, huh? Ruler of the spirits? Oh, please." She smiles defiantly at Gajeel, and my respect for her skyrockets. Anyone who can face down a dragon slayer without fear has guts. Especially one as vicious as the one in front of us. "You don't scare me at all."

"You shouldn't have said that." Gajeel's irritated smile flashes away for an instant as he smashes Lucy into the wall. "It takes some nerve to go runnin' your mouth in a situation like this, Princess. I gotta admit, you got guts." Lucy falls to the floor as Gajeel retracts his arm. "Make some noise! But not this trash talkin' act yer puttin' on. I want screams. And if I don't start gettin' what I want, you're gonna be sorry."

"Then why don't you just go ahead and do it?" Lucy looks back up at Gajeel, her defiance still not leaving her face. "Finish me. Then you're gonna be sorry. Just you wait."

Gajeel finds her even more amusing now. "Yeah? Who's gonna make me? I'm curious."

"Fairy Tail." Lucy's eyes travel to me, a reassuring smile on her face. "You may have her locked up now, but if I'm gone, there'll be nothing to stop her from tearing you apart. They'd never let you get away with this. They'd take revenge." She takes a painful-sounding breath, her eyes glittering now. "They'll never stop. And if I were you, I'd be watching my back from now on, cause the world's scariest guild'll be after you…as long as you live!"

I laugh weakly, blood dripping from my mouth. "I've got the scent…the scent of iron and blood." I glare at Gajeel, trying to let my eyes bore into his very soul. "The scent of the enemy."

Gajeel returns my gaze eagerly. "So you're gonna come after me, huh? Sounds like fun." He turns his arms to iron, just ready to pound the two of us into oblivion.

But I refuse to go quietly. I close my eyes and focus hard. _Natsu…I need you…_

 _Ciara? Where are you!?_

 _I'm…with Lucy…_ I groan and shake a little. _Give me a second. Get ready to track my blood and my voice._

 _What? What are you talking about!?_

Instead of answering him, I take in a deep breath, filling my lungs with air. Lucy turns to me, confused. "Ciara? What are you doing?"

And Gajeel turns to me, his interest piqued. "I told you to stay quiet, Pinky."

"Yeah right…" I press all of that air deep inside me, but I'm not planning on using it in an attack. With my ribbons in, I can't muster the power I'll need for another attack. Plus, if I use much more magic, I'll have Natsu yelling at me for pushing myself too hard and getting sick again.

I open my mouth, and I'm sure that Gajeel wishes I hadn't "NAAAAAAAAAATSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" I scream for my brother at the top of my lungs, my voice echoing through the building and bouncing off all of the walls. If I didn't know better, I would almost mistake it for a dragon roaring. But I don't because I know my own voice better than anyone.

As my voice slowly fades from the room, Gajeel glares at me, his hands over his ears. "What the hell was that, Pinky? You really think that Salamander is going to come rescue you? He's probably lying on the floor because of Aria, right now."

He's wrong, I can feel it. Natsu is coming for me, coming for us. Between the sharp scent of my blood, and the deafening scream that gave away our location to the entire city, there's no way that Natsu won't be coming for us.

A terrifying roar and a burst of extremely powerful magic rocket through the building. And it's someone that I know very well. _Natsu…_

My brother is always one to make an entrance, and today is no exception. He comes rocketing right up through the floor in a blaze of fire, filling up the entire room as he punches Gajeel towards the opposite wall.

His anger explodes, along with his fire as he regards the enemy. "GAJEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!"

I hang my head, feeling very tired. "Natsu…"


	41. Fire, Wind, and Iron

**I realize that I seem to have severely underpowered Ciara in the last chapter, but there is a reason for it. It's because her fighting styles differ depending on whether or not Natsu is with her. If they're together, she tends to do more support and more combination attacks. If she's alone, it's all destructive natural force. Natsu gets called a natural disaster, but he's got nothing on her... Meaning…hurricanes and tornadoes all over. Imagine what would happen if Lucy got caught in THAT crossfire. She's very aware of the danger of her own power, if you remember what happened when Natsu pulled the ribbons out of her hair. If he had been normal, getting sent flying through the wall like that would probably have killed him. And Ciara is a lot stronger now than she used to be. And I'll be exploring exactly how strong during the Nirvana arc. It's going to be a hell of a mess.**

 **Oh, and I'm adding a new P.O.V this chapter. I'll start doing that when it suits the story, but there will be a few extra P.O.V.s that show up now and again just because some people either aren't around, or they're unconscious. Let's welcome Gray!**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

After blasting Gajeel across the room, Natsu jumps over to me, his eyes blazing with anger. "He did this to you, didn't he?"

I nod slightly. "Can you just get me down?"

"Ack!" He recoils a little from his own stupidity. "Yeah, sure…" He grabs hold of the iron around my neck first, slipping his fingers under it and brushing my skin. "Don't move." I roll my eyes as he pries the first piece of iron from my skin, dropping it to the floor. He goes for the iron around my waist next, wrenching the whole thing off in a single pull. Then, he unshackles my feet from the wall, likely so that I'll be able to catch myself instead of hitting my head on the floor. Last, he jumps up, ripping the iron around my hands from the wall. He quickly hits the ground, catching me in his arms as I fall from the wall. "You good now?"

"Not yet…" I breathe in deeply, something I hadn't been able to do much after being nearly suffocated by Gajeel. "But I will be. Just give me a minute to catch my breath." Natsu should know exactly what I mean when I say that I need to catch my breath. Catching a breath is never so simple for a wind dragon.

But interrupting us is an irritating voice that I hope I never have to hear again. "Gues it ain't too hard to catch a Salamander is ya use the right bait!"

Natsu growls, and fire rages around him once more. "Unlike you Phantom creeps, I watch out for my friends. I won't let you lay a hand on them."

Lucy sits up, gazing at my brother. "Natsu…"

"Stay back." Natsu takes a step forward, putting himself further between the two of us and Gajeel. "This could get ugly."

Gajeel seems to take that as the challenge it is, and the two of them rocket towards each other, fire and iron clashing head to head.

I slump against the wall and start building up some strength, sucking up small gusts of wind to replenish my magical energy. I hate feeling like this, it's almost like my soul has started to drain out of my body.

As Natsu tosses Gajeel and smashes him into the opposite wall, the Phantom wizards start running for their lives. And I can't blame them. Sticking around where there are a couple of dragon slayers fighting is a sure way to get yourself flattened.

An explosion fills the room, so I grab Lucy and cover her head with my arms. "Stay down! You don't want to get in the middle of this!"

More dust fills the room with each impact as Natsu goes after Gajeel in his fury. And through the smoke, I can faintly see the outline of his fire. "Fire Dragon Talon!"

As the rumbling calms a little, I uncover Lucy's head. And right on time, Happy comes bounding up to us. "Hey! Are you two alright?"

"Hey there, Happy…" I sigh tiredly and look over at Natsu. "You're just in time for the show."

He blinks, then turns towards Natsu. "Is something wrong?"

Lucy shakes a little as she gazes at Natsu. "I've never seen Natsu like this."

"Aye." Happy raises his hand in agreement. "He's more fired up than ever before. I wouldn't want to be that other guy."

I watch my brother, examining his every movement. "He's angry, really angry. This has only happened a few times before, and it's never ended well. If we're not careful, we could end up barbecued along with Gajeel."

Gajeel cracks his neck after that last hit. "For being Fairy scum, you sure are cocky."

"You're the scum here, pal. As payback for what you did to Lucy and my sister, I'm gonna use my firepower to melt your ugly iron face!"

Gajeel just laughs at him. "Sounds like fun. So give it a shot!" He's soon going to wish that he hadn't challenged my brother like that. He's a monster when he gets angry.

Natsu charges at Gajeel with a fist full of fire, and Gajeel counters it with an arm made of iron. They're pulling no punches in this dragon on dragon battle. It's the perfect combination of martial arts and dragon slayer magic, proof that some wizards are hardly the helpless kind when a push turns into a punch.

Suddenly, Gajeel's arm changes form, becoming longer and flatter, with spikes all along the blade. He swipes it at Natsu, who dodges it and gets some distance. "That's a pretty gnarly lookin' toy!"

Gajeel smirks. "This is the Iron Dragon Sword." The blade starts moving, getting faster and faster until it's humming like a chainsaw. "Anything it touches is cut to shreds! I thought I'd give you an up close and personal demonstration!"

"Oh, I'm so scared!" I roll my eyes at my brother. _Please, because you know the meaning of the word fear._

 _Oh shut up, it's called trash-talking!_

 _I know…_ I shake my head exasperatedly. _Whatever, just try not to kill anyone._

Lucy's eyes widen in fear. "How is he doing that!?"

"It's Iron Dragon Slayer Magic!" And if I thought that Lucy's eyes had gone wide, then Happy's look like dinner plates now. The poor little guy has never seen anything like this before, all he's had the chance to see is mine and Natsu's dragon slayer magic.

Gajeel goes right after Natsu, swinging that big ugly sword around like a club instead of a sword. Then again, it must be pretty heavy if he's using it more for smashing than for cutting. The Iron Dragon Slayer isn't pulling any punches now. "Not so cocky now, are ya, kid? I think you're scared!" Gajeel dances around after Natsu, who dodges every attack with inches to spare. "I'll give you credit for bein' such a nimble little Fairy."

"You're no slouch, yourself." Natsu takes the pause in the fight to catch his breath.

Gajeel retracts his iron sword, since he's probably figured out by now that Natsu can dodge it as long as he can keep swinging it. "But we still got a score to settle from the other day. No time like the present, wouldn't you agree?"

"Tch!" Natsu wipes some dirt off his slightly bruised face. "Let's go, Rivet Face. I'm all fired up now!"

With nothing he's tried so far working, Gajeel pulls out all the stops, exuding a huge amount of power, and covering his entire body in that same layer of iron scales from earlier. He glares at my brother with horrific eagerness. "Are you ready, Fairy!?"

"Alright, this is definitely not good." I pick Happy up and hand him to Lucy. "You two need to stick together. This is about to get very scary, very fast!"

Lucy's eyes turn to me, fear hiding in their depths. "You know what's going to happen?"

"Well, no." I search my memory for a powerful enough spell, since this isn't a childish game like at the guild. "But I know what my brother is capable of, and I'll need to take appropriate measures." Luckily for me, all of their fighting has created a breeze in here. I can't go around sucking up stale, stationary air.

I inhale deeply, pulling as much of those faint breezes into my stomach and lungs as possible. Unlike Natsu eating flames, I use both my stomach and my lungs. Sucking up all of that air just into my stomach would cause a round of burping that no one wants to see. Dragon slayer level burps are far more dangerous than normal ones.

Gajeel goes on the attack just as I slam my hands together and my barrier goes up. "Iron Dragon Hard Fist!" At first it just looks like a normal punch. Until it sends Natsu flying backwards, an enormous bruise blooming just below his elbow.

The iron freak just laughs at my brother's pain. "Hearing you hit that wall was music to my ears."

Lucy gasps. "He took Natsu down with just one hit!"

"That's because those scales on his fist are made of steel!" Happy flails around worriedly, the poor little guy must be worried about Natsu's chances.

I just focus on stabilizing the barrier, since the spell is just about done. "Don't worry about Natsu, he's been through worse than this." I glance back at Lucy with a smile. "After all, this isn't the first time he's tussled with another dragon slayer." Though I still wince as Gajeel punches Natsu around with hard iron fists. "I've been training with Natsu for years, he can take a lot more punishment than this before passing out."

But seeing as the punches aren't doing nearly as much damage as he'd like, Gajeel aims a kick at my brother's head. The kick misses, and instead creates a huge gusts of wind that rockets through the room, nearly blowing Happy away.

Lucy holds down her skirt desperately. "Is there seriously that much wind coming from his kick!?"

"Sure is!" I'm definitely not one to waste this golden opportunity. "Time for lunch!" The small gale that the moron's kick create might not taste the best, but it's definitely better than those tiny breezes from earlier. As I suck it into my body, I can feel my magic power regenerating quickly. This is exactly what I needed to get charged back up.

But while I'm feeling a lot better, Natsu sure isn't after he tries to punch Gajeel in the face. The iron freak just thinks it's hilarious though. "Poor little Fairy. That had to hurt, huh? Hate to break it to you, but your puny hand can't even scratch this steel."

"It's like he's got indestructible armor!" Lucy watches as my brother recoils from the punch, the pain in his hand leaking over our connection and making me wince a little.

But of course, Natsu has to go and make a complete fool of himself as he rolls across the floor, screaming. Drama queen doesn't even begin to describe him. "I'm fine! That didn't hurt at all! Nope! Not at all!"

When he finally gets to his feet, Gajeel is there to greet him. "Cut the act, punk!" He headbutts Natsu straight into the ground. "You just don't want your friends to see you cry like a baby!"

I sweatdrop a little. "But…I've already seen him cry like a baby. A lot…"

Happy sighs. "Aye…"

I'm not sure if Natsu heard my comment or not, but he quickly gets back up, sliding back as he dodges another of Gajeel's attacks. "Alright, you walkin' garbage can, time to blow you away!" Ciara, double roar, now!

My eyes widen, but only for a split second. I step right out of my barrier, place myself at an angle to Natsu and Gajeel, and take a deep breath. "Wind Dragon's-"

"Fire Dragon's-" Natsu's cheeks puff up with magic, ready to attack.

Gajeel doesn't seem to want to be left out, and he puffs his cheeks out too. "Iron Dragon's-"

"ROAR!" Three roars explode outward, two of them aimed at Gajeel, and his aimed at Natsu.

My roar converges with Natsu's beating back Gajeel's and holding it off in the center of the room. And the ensuing blasts of wind from the collision make for a good snack after expelling such a powerful attack. Though on the downside, we've managed to completely wreck the room and blow a hole in the side that leads straight outside. Though that could be considered an upside, since I really don't care if this place gets wrecked.

Gajeel smirks at us, thinking he's won. "Looks like there are some pretty big difference between fire and iron dragons, aren't there, Salamander?" He glances at me, his smirk growing wider. "Not to mention weak-ass wind dragons. You two can shower me with flame attacks 'til you run outta hot air, but it's not gonna crack my armor. On the other hand, just one of my iron blade breath attacks can rip yer puny body to shreds."

Natsu finds some amusement in that, and as I follow his eyes to Gajeel's face, I see what he's laughing about. "I can't crack your armor, huh? Sure you're not feelin' a draft, buddy?"

And just like that, the tiny cracks I'd seen on Gajeel's face earlier crack again, spreading down the right side of his face from around his eye.

Natsu grins. "Look, I don't just breathe regular old fire. The Fire Dragon's Roar can destroy anything it touches!" Natsu throws off his jacket, and a cloak of flames starts swirling up around him. "I think its time we stopped playing around! Let's get down to the real fight! I'm gonna shatter you into a million pieces!"

Gajeel is more than ready to take up that challenge, his magic springing forward to envelop him just like my brother. "Lets go!"

Mimicking the two of them, all of the wind in the room, coming in from the outside starts to swirl around me, giving me a nearly silver glow as my magic pours out. _I'm ready when you are, Natsu._

Natsu glances back at me, looking very serious. _Ciara, I want you to go outside and do whatever you can to protect the guild. I can handle things alone here._

I grit my teeth, trying to contain my irritation. _Are you sure? He's no pushover. One wrong move and it's all over._

 _Yeah, I'm sure, now get going. The others need you more that I do right now._

 _Fine, just don't let him win. If you do, then I'll have to hit him full force. And you know why I don't want to do that…_

Natsu smirks at me from around Gajeel. _Yeah, I got it. Now go!_

Since I can concede his point, a very rare occurrence, I suppose that I can leave this fight to Natsu. While I would rather get some payback for the dirty trick that Gajeel puled, using Lucy to force me to back down, our biggest priority must remain the safety of the guild.

"Black Steel, I'm ready when you are." Natsu turns his attention from me and back onto Gajeel.

"The sky's not big enough for three dragons." He grins at us, thinking that I'm going to actually be participating in this fight. "So I'll just have to take you two down."

"You say the sky isn't big enough for three dragons!?" The wind swirls faster around me. "Then why don't you two go ahead and find out!" My power explodes, blowing the roof off the room and shooting the two of them high into the sky. I quickly turn to Lucy and Happy. "You two stay here. I'm going to go help the others. They're probably still under seige by Jose's shade magic. They're gonna need me. Hold down the fort here, got it!"

Happy raises his paw in salute. "Aye, sir!"

I smile at my little blue fuzzball. "Good. I'll see you when this is all over."

I zoom out the open wall and into the sky, heading towards a huge sphere of purple energy floating over the guild hall. The sphere feels like dark magic, and it's using spectral fists to destroy the guild hall. The natural recourse is to approach the sphere and try blasting it with my dragon slayer magic. And blast it I do, I try just about everything short of my secret arts. A roar, a claw, a talon, but no matter how much I throw at is from the outside, it doesn't make a dent.

But even as I try to prevent it, roaring for all I'm worth, the guild hall collapses. _No! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!_ My magic surges around me as my emotions start boiling. The most prominent one is rage.

In my anger, I freeze all motion of the air, then supercharge it and speed straight into the center of the sphere. _I won't let you hurt anyone else!_

The darkness is heavy and thick, and every second, it feels like the air is being squeezed from my lungs. And it almost feels as though my soul is being torn out of my body. I draw myself into a ball, trying to protect myself from the evil influence of the dark magic. I refuse to be overwhelmed by dark magic. If I let myself be beaten by this, Natsu would never let me hear the end of it. He sent me to protect everyone, and even if I couldn't protect the guild hall, I will protect its members by any means. And if that includes drawing on magic that I've never practiced before, then so be it.

 _If this is a sphere of darkness, then maybe one of my curse-breaking spells can handle it._ I focus on drawing an appropriate magic circle inside of this dark pocket dimension. I have no light pens to draw with, so I'll have to make do with what I have. Wiping blood from my face, and biting into my palm to draw fresh blood, I conjure a small breeze, letting it carry the blood away from me, and forming it carefully into the runes that my magic circle requires.

 _Now…the spell._ I take a deep breath and exhale slowly. **_"Where once there was light, lies now only darkness. Heal the wound and banish this force of evil."_** Silver light shines around me, the activation of the spell. _**"Now! Send away the darkness and replace it with the light!"**_ The silver light shoots out in all directions, mixing itself with the darkness. _Please…please let this spell work…_

Then, the darkness becomes less heavy, less stifling, and I feel it becoming easier to breathe. As the orb of darkness dissipates, light returns to the world, and I'm greeted by the beautiful blue sky. But that spell has depleted my magic, and my wind magic can no longer keep me floating in mid-air. I plummet towards the ground and crash into a pile of rocks.

I feel warm magic suffusing the air, blinding light shines overhead, and it's clear that Makarov is casting Fairy Law, vaporizing the rest of Jose's shade magic. _Gramps must be putting an end to Jose…for him to resort to a spell like that…_ I'd heard about this spell a few times, but this is my first time seeing it. And it's just as beautiful as I imagined it would be.

I try to move, but find that it's impossible. Clearly, I managed to smack into everything possible on the way down, and my head has blood dripping from it. Seeing as there's no way I'll be able to stand up, I just sit still and wait. Someone should be coming to get me soon.

My eyes flutter shut, and the pain lessens a little as my earlier exertions put me to sleep.

* * *

Gray's P.O.V.

My body aches after all of that fighting and running around. _I'd have preferred a straight up fight, instead of all the cat and mouse games. Well, at least now we don't have to worry about Phantom ever coming to attack us again._

I run into Cana in the wreckage of the guild hall, and she looks more than a little worried. "Hey Gray, have you seen Ciara?"

"Huh?" That rings a little strange to me. "Shouldn't she be with Natsu or something? If there's a battle going on, those two usually stick together."

Cana shakes her head. "No, she came flying out of the giant and flew straight into the big bubble of darkness that was attacking the guild hall. I thought that she was crazy, but a few minutes later, the whole bubble just disappeared. She was there for a second, but then she fell out of the sky, and I haven't been able to find her since."

If it were possible for my blood to run any colder, I'm sure it would have. Regardless of where we've stood in the past, that girl is still family to me, and there's no way I'm gonna let her get left out here in the rubble. "Alright, then let's find her. Where was the bubble?"

Cana points to a place in the sky. "It was up there before she fell. But I already checked, there's blood, but she's not there, I would have seen her."

I bite my lip and look at where Ciara should be. And it's true, I can't see her. But maybe… "There's a lot of rubble over there. Could she have slipped through the cracks?"

"Could she have…?" Cana's face goes pale. "Why didn't I think of-" She stomps hard on the ground. "Damn it! I should have known!"

That's all the information I need. And while I'd like to run over there and find her, if she's really slipped down under the rubble, then I have to be careful not to make any more of it fall down on top of her.

After climbing over what seems like a million rocks, I hear the sound of quiet, labored breathing. "Ciara?" But there's no answer, just more breathing. I climb carefully over a few more rocks, finding a small crevice. The breathing is louder now, so I take a look inside.

Lying there covered in blood is Ciara. _Damn…she must have fallen pretty hard, and then hit everything she could on the way down._ "I'm comin' for ya…" But I have to do this very carefully. "Ice-Make: Shield!" Obeying my will, a shield of ice forms, not in front of me, but over her feebly stirring body. I can't risk bringing down more rubble on her, otherwise it might really kill her. So, it's time to get some help. "Hey guys! Over here! I need some help digging her out!"

Cana jogs over immediately, followed by Macao, Alzack, and Bisca. "You found her!?"

I point down into the crevice. "I've got her covered, but we need to dig her out. She's hurt bad."

With nods of assent from everyone, we set about digging her out of the rubble, carefully keeping anything from breaking through the shield and hitting her. It takes several minutes, but once the rubble is cleared away, I remove the shield and reveal Ciara, her bleeding slowed nearly to a halt. If there's anything good that can be said for her dragon slayer training, it's that she's more tenacious than she looks.

"Alright…up you come." I slide an arm under her legs and another around her shoulders. But she doesn't stir at all. "Man, you must have really gone overboard this time." And as if to prove me right, her skin feels as cold as ice. "You need a warm bath when you get home."

"I'll take care of that."Cana touches my shoulder and smiles. "It wouldn't be a good idea to leave that to one of you guys. Better for one of the ladies to do it." She glances over at Bisca. "Feel like helping me out with our little dragon slayer?"

"Yeah, sure." She elbows me lightly in the ribs. "So lets get over to her house. I've always wanted to see what it's like inside."

"Alright…" I glance down at Ciara's face, still covered in blood from the battles earlier. "Time to get you home."

* * *

 **The next chapter is going to start out with a different P.O.V. and it's one that you should all recognize, seeing as he got an entire chapter to himself. We never really get to see the aftermath of the battle for Phantom Lord, so that's what I'll be writing up next.**


	42. Disbanded and Disappeared

**Time for us to check in again with a certain little boy who is just trying to make his way through the world. That, and he hasn't had a P.O.V. in a while, and won't again for a long time. A short little chapter to finish off the Phantom Lord arc.**

* * *

Ryos' P.O.V. - Two weeks after Phantom-Fairy War

A hundred thousand jewel, a pretty big reward, considering that it was another pity job. They don't get me much, but it's better than nothing. At least I'm surviving. I can complain about it all later. You can't complain if you starve to death, and with this money, I should be able to put food in my stomach for a while. I just wish it hadn't taken so long to get there and back.

Why do I call it a pity job? Because my idol, Black Steel Gajeel, a member of the local guild, Phantom Lord, gives them to me once in a while even though I'm not a member. I really want to be a member, though I'm only twelve, so most would consider me too young to be joining a guild. That doesn't mean that I'm not good enough to take jobs. It's just that they don't believe that I can do it, despite succeeding at every job I've gotten so far. Regardless of what they think, I need the work, since it's not as though I have a parent to provide for me anymore.

I walk back through Oak Town, the place I've been living for the last three years. Well, living as in camping out near the Phantom Lord guild hall. But it's better than nothing. However, the town is quieter than usual, which is kind of odd, considering how active this place usually is.

Passing by one of the bakeries that line the main street that leads to the guild hall, the shopkeeper inside bursts out of the door and stops me. She's the one who sometimes gives me food in between pity jobs. "Hold on, you're that kid that's always hanging around Phantom Lord, right? Are you headed for the guild hall?" I nod quietly, and the baker frowns. "Well, just to warn you, a lot happened this past couple of weeks. I think the last of your friends are packing up now."

As she retreats back inside the bakery, a shiver goes down my spine. _Packing up? What are you talking about?_ And I've never referred to any of them as my friends. It seems a little too up close and personal for me. But for now, I need to find out what's going on over there. If anything serious happened to damage my chances of getting into the guild, all my plans will be ruined.

I walk quickly towards the guild hall, trying not to seem overly excited or concerned. But as I get closer, something definitely seems wrong. For one, the front doors haven't just been blown off their hinges, but the entire section of wall is missing. _What the hell happened? This place looks like it got hit by a hurricane!_

Since there is literally nothing stopping me, I walk straight into the guild hall, even though I'm not really supposed to be there. The problem is, there's basically no one around to stop me.

The guild hall is wrecked, to put it mildly. And there's only a scattering of people inside. The tables are in pieces, strewn about the hall, and the rafters have been broken in places, giving this whole place a feeling of instability. There are plates and cups littering the floor, along with banners that have been torn to shreds. Honestly, it looks like this place could come crashing down on my head any second. And that's not a feeling that I like. _Who could have done something like this?_

One of the few wizards here, Sue, I think her name is, approaches me. "Hey kid, what do you want?"

I stare up at her, unafraid of her slightly hostile reaction. "I was hoping to see Gajeel. But what happened here?"

Her mouth twitches, then she looks around and sighs. "Gajeel isn't here, Phantom Lord's been disbanded. We're just here cleaning out some stuff."

"Disbanded?" The word rings in my ears like a bell. "What do you mean disbanded!? Who did all this?"

"Look kid, that's none of your business." She glares down at me for a minute, before her face soften a little. "We fought with Fairy Tail. Gajeel attacked their guild hall and a few of their members, so they came storming in here and wrecked the place. Well, most of the damage here was done by those Dragonslayer Twins; Salamander and Dragon Wing. And after it all, the Magic Council decided to break up Phantom Lord."

Break up Phantom Lord? I start seething with anger. "What about the other guild? Fairy Tail?" _Is Fairy Tail disbanded too?_

She huffs impatiently. "They're still together, they're back in Magnolia now. I heard that the Magic Council questioned them for a week about what happened. They rounded up most of us as well, asked a bunch of questions, then let us go. But in the end, they got to stay together, since we were the ones who picked the fight. So give up, kid. Gajeel left already. He could be anywhere by now."

"Left…?" _I don't get it, why would they disband Phantom Lord? Didn't Fairy tail get in trouble too?_

She shakes her head and sighs. "Sorry, kid. But you're gonna have to find another guild to get job handouts from. We're just about done here, so we'll be gone by the end of the day."

"Oh." There isn't really much else to say in light of what's happened. "Alright…"

I turn away from the wrecked guild, heading back down the hill towards the town. T _hey were defeated in battle? By Fairy Tail? But how…? And Fairy Tail has dragon slayers? No wonder those jerks tore this place apart. I will never forgive Fairy Tail for this!_

All of a sudden, my chest starts burning. I suck in a breath and look down, quickly realizing something different. _No…it's not my chest that's burning, it's something on my chest. Could it be…?_ I reach into the folds of my clothes, fumbling around for the only thing I carry there.

Pulling it out of my jacket, I look down at the tiny silver dragon pendant. It feels hot against my skin, something that it hasn't done in a long time. Sometimes, the thing will start burning for no reason, drawing my thoughts back to that pink-haired dragon slayer that left me here three years ago.

 _I wonder if she's okay…?_

I clench the pendant in my fist and look up at the darkening sky. _Looks like I'll have to find somewhere else to go… Maybe this time, I'll see her again._

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I kind of feel like I'm floating, but not floating at the same time. There's something soft, yet firm below me. I'm lying down. It's my bed, which means that I must be back in my house. And there are voices around me, whispering hurriedly. I'm not alone.

"Are you sure she's gonna wake up?" _That's Gray's voice…_

"Of course I'm sure! I'm her brother! I think I would know when my sister is finally gonna wake up!" _Natsu…_

"Keep your voice down, she obviously needs her rest." _Hah…Erza is scolding them again…_

"Natsu…if you really think she's going to wake up, then fine. But if this is a joke, I'll make sure to put you on building duty for the rest of the month." _Gramps…? What is he doing here? Why are these four in my house? Why am I in my house?_

 _What's going on…?_

"Hey! She just spoke!"

"What? What are you talking about, Flame Brain?"

"In my head! She asked 'What's going on?'!"

I groan a little as my head starts to spin from all the noise. _Keep it down…_

"Oh, sorry." Natsu really does sound like he's sorry. But he also sounds too excited to shut up. "How are you feeling?"

I take a deep breath, and try to force my eyes open. "Like you after getting on a train…"

"Whoa! She's actually awake!" I slide my eyes open and look towards the sound of Gray's voice. As I blink through the sudden introduction of bright light, I see his dark mop of hair sitting beside me, framing a very happy looking face. "Hey, you had us all worried there for a while."

I groan again and look to his side, where Erza is sitting, staring cheerfully at me. "It's good to see that even an incident like that can't keep you down."

Nodding, I try to sit up, only for my brother's hands to appear out of nowhere and push me back down. "Oh, no you don't. You've been asleep for two weeks. You know what that means, right?"

Natsu's eyes come into focus, two big pools of shining onyx. And after digesting his words, I nod slowly. "I overdid it…"

"Yeah! You over did it by a lot!" Suddenly, his shining eyes look more like they're throwing sparks, and his earlier soft tone has been replaced by a very angry one.

 _I'm in trouble, aren't I…?_

The sparks in his eyes focus right on me, paralyzing me. T _rouble doesn't even begin to cover it…_

 _Okay…but we won, right? Tell me that we at least won._

Natsu huffs and rolls his eyes. "Yes, we won." But I can see the beginnings of a grin on his face, which means that he must be proud of himself after that battle.

Erza clears her throat and captures my attention. "After the battle, we started cleaning up the guild and the reconstruction has begun. However, we've had Porlyusica watching you for the past week, while the rest of us were questioned by the Rune Knights."

"Oh…" A small knot forms in my stomach. "Then I think I'm glad I missed it."

Erza nods. "Yes…they wanted to speak with you as well, but seeing as we were unable to wake you up, they simply had to do without your testimony."

I swallow nervously, worried about what she means by testimony. "Has there been a trial? I mean, both guilds kinda smashed the inter-guild treaty to pieces, so…"

Gramps smiles and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Fear not, child, Fairy Tail has escaped judgment by the Magic Council, for now. However, Phantom Lord has been disbanded, and Jose stripped of his title as a Wizard Saint."

"I see…" _Well, I guess that's alright then. If they were going to disband Fairy Tail, then they would have announced it at the same time as the disbanding of Phantom Lord. Well, at last now we won't have to worry about Phantom getting organized for another attack. And it's one less guild in hostile competition with us. We really don't need any more enemies._ "So what happened after Fairy Law?"

"Ah…not much." Gray chuckles and leans back in his chair. "Cana came running for me, begging me to help her find you, since you kinda disappeared after taking out that orb of dark magic. You fell through some crevices in the rubble, so it took a while to dig you out. Don't worry though, I made sure not to let anything fall on you. Didn't want to make your injuries worse."

Despite a round of protests, I lift up one of my arms, only to see it covered in bandages. "How bad were my injuries?"

Gray pushes my arm back don, grimacing. "Well, you managed not to break anything, though I'm not really sure how. But you had several deep cuts. We thought that a few of them might scar but when we took you to Porlyusica, she said that as long as you let yourself heal for about a month, there shouldn't be any scarring."

"Huh…" I glance at the bandages curiously. "It's not like I care about a few scars or anything but…who has been changing my bandages? These feel clean."

Erza raises her hand immediately. "I didn't think it appropriate to let Gray change them, and Natsu would have wrapped you up so tightly that you wouldn't be able to move. I deemed it to be in your best interest for me to take care of your bandages while Porlyusica wasn't here. She made an exceptional visit into town this past week to tend to you while the rest of us were hauled off for questioning."

"I see…" I smile and grab Erza's armored hand. "Thanks, Erza. I guess that means that the next time you get in over your head, I'll be the one playing nurse, huh?"

Brown eyes blink, and she bursts out laughing, a rarity for Erza. "Very well, I will remember that."

Being surrounded by friends and family as soon as I wake up is nice, despite them being determined to keep me in bed. They should know very well by now that I'm terrible at sitting still and doing nothing. And if Natsu has his way, that's exactly what I'll be doing for the next could of weeks.

On the other hand, I'm also the better liar between me and Natsu. I turn to look at my brother and smile. "Alright, I guess I'd better rest up a while. Don't worry, I promise to take it easy." It's not technically a lie though, since I do plan to take it easy. Well, take it easy by not going on any jobs for a while. But that doesn't mean that I have to stay cooped up in my own house.

Natsu's smile glows a little. "Well, I'll make sure to come bring you some food later, okay?"

"Okay…" I nod lightly. And that's when I notice that there's one other person in the room. And I strain my neck to look down at my stomach, where Happy is curled up and purring. For some reason, he's always like curling up against my stomach. Maybe it's just because my body temperature isn't quite as warm as Natsu's. "Happy…"

"Aye, sir…!" He yawns a little and pushes himself up on my stomach, stretching out a little. "I thought Erza could use a hand watching you, so I've been hanging out here with you."

I lift my hand and give Happy a soft scratch behind his ears. "Thanks Happy…that means a lot."

"Aye…" He yawns again and rolls off my stomach into Natsu's lap. "Now that you're awake, it's time to eat. I could really go for some fish…"

Natsu stands up and leans over to plant a kiss on my forehead. "Seeya later lil sis. Let me know when you wanna eat."

"Alright…" I smile at him as the four of them file out of my bedroom. I guess that since I'm awake now, they figure that they can leave me to take care of myself for a bit. Otherwise, there's no way that one of them wouldn't stick around.

As soon as the front door swings closed, I smirk and sit up. _Natsu is such a worrywart, I can sit up just fine._ I swing my legs over the side of the bed and wobble a little as I get to my feet. Two weeks in bed hasn't done anything good for my muscles, but at least I haven't been out of it long enough for them to take an damage. I'll just need a little time to get used to walking again.

 _Now…time to get packing. The sooner I can get out of here, the better. The last thing I need is Natsu tracking me down and stopping me._ Sometimes Natsu can get a little overprotective. I know that he means well, but he takes overbearing to a whole new level.

I pull my favorite suitcase out from under my bed and plop it down on my blankets. _Clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, a couple of magic books, light pens, and…_ I toss each of the items into my suitcase a little haphazardly as I move around my room. _What am I forgetting?_ I check inside my suitcase, scrutinizing the contents. Ah! I rummage in my top drawer and pull out a pretty blue one piece bathing suit. _Gonna need that for swimming at the beach!_ I toss it into the suitcase with all of my other stuff and seal it closed. _Done._

With my suitcase all packed, I check my house over one more time to make sure that I'm not forgetting anything, before heading outside and locking it up with a spell. _Good, now I can leave this place and not have to worry about anyone breaking in while I'm gone._ I stick a note to the door to let Natsu know that I'm gone for a while. He'll probably be mad at first, but he'll forgive me. Besides, it's not as though I'm actually going to be pushing myself like usual. This is to relax, it's pleasure instead of business, the total opposite of my usual routine.

 _Now, it's time for a much-needed vacation. Akane Resort, here I come!_

* * *

 **So, next up is the Tower of Heaven arc. I'll let you all take a guess at what ability Ciara accidentally unlocks during this confrontation. Here's a hint…Dragon Slayers have the stupidest appetites, Natsu has the stupidest plans, and poor Ciara gets dragged into her brother's chaos, again.**


	43. A Vacation Includes Massages and Poker

**Okay, so this is officially my most reviewed story, and that makes me feel all nice and fuzzy inside. Anyway, with the end of the Phantom Lord arc comes the start of the Tower of Heaven arc. It's basically going to be one big mess, especially as I didn't have a lot written in my notes for this arc to begin with. But, I'm gonna do my best and see how it turns out.**

 **Oh, and as you may have noticed, Natsu is not nearly as much of an idiot in his head as he is outwardly. That is on purpose, because honestly, Natsu isn't a complete moron. He sure acts like it sometimes, but he's perfectly capable of being serious and coherent when it suits him.**

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

Ciara never called me last night to ask me to bring her food, so I figured that she just decided to go back to sleep. After that battle, I wouldn't blame her for wanting to sleep for a whole month. But after she didn't call for me this morning either, I've been getting really worried.

Instead of going straight to the guild like I usually do, I walk out of the woods that surround my house and head down the street from the guild, straight for Ciara's house. I'm conflicted. Sometimes, I like having a whole house for just me and Happy, with no girls around to bug us, but sometimes I miss sleeping in the same hammock as my sister. We've been living apart for a few years now, but the feeling still sneaks up on me from time to time. And it's only getting stronger as I walk up the steps to her front door. _Well, time to see if my sister is finally awake._

I raise my hand to knock, before spotting a piece of blue paper stuck to the door at eye level. _What the…?_ I rip the paper from the door, and my eyes glide over it, reading it as fast as I can. My eyes grow wider with every word, nearly popping out of my head by the end. _The hell!?_

Biting my lip in frustration, I try and fail to contain my anger. "Damn it!" I punch the wall next to my sister's door. "What the hell is she thinking!?" I clutch the note in my hand, reading it over one more time.

 _ **Dear Natsu,**_

 _ **First of all, don't worry, I'm taking it easy just like I promised. But you know that I can't stay cooped up at home, unless you want me to go crazy. So in the interest of my mental health, I've decided to take a much needed vacation. No jobs or anything, nothing strenuous. I just need to get out and about, so I figured that I might as well get some of that r &r that I've been neglecting for the past half year. And yes, I did the math, I've been on jobs for almost six solid months. Time sure flies when you're running all over the kingdom sorting out other people's problems.**_

 _ **Oh, and there's no need to come looking for me, I'll be perfectly fine in the hands of the resort's professional security staff. And they will be well informed about my current injuries, so that they can prevent me from acquiring any more. So by the time you see me again, I'll be fully healed and nicely de-stressed. And I'm sure that the spa staff will be able to do wonders for the muscles that I stretched too far during all the fighting. I've heard that their masseuses are excellent.**_

 _ **Tell everyone else that I say hi, and that I'll be back home in a couple of weeks. And I took a train, so don't even think about trying to chase me down. I promise a motion sickness party if you do. And we both know that you don't want that.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **Your little sister**_

 _ **P.S. Don't you dare break any part of my house in your frustration, I've just arranged for renovations to start, which means that I'll finally be adding that third floor that I've been planning for a year. If there's any damage to my house when I get back, I'm blaming you, not the people doing the renovations.**_

 _I told her to take it easy! And the first thing she does as soon as I turn my back is go running off!_ I know that Ciara calls me stupid once in a while, but this has to be one of the stupidest things she's done. She's supposed to be in bed, resting and getting better. And that's something that she's never been good at doing.

With the note in hand, I storm back to the guild, the dragon in me blowing fire everywhere and nowhere. "She's gone!" My voice accidentally comes out in a snarling growl.

Gray pays me more than enough attention as his brow furrows. "Who's gone? And why are you so mad?"

"Ciara!" I slam the note onto a table, getting Erza's attention. "She left a note and disappeared!"

The scary monster in human form comes walking over after putting down a piece of lumber. "Ciara left? What do you mean?"

I point to the note, grumbling. "She's supposed to be in bed, but she ran off!"

"I see…" Erza's eyes scan the letter, then she folds it up and sighs. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now, she's long gone. Besides, it might do her some good to take a vacation. She's been working so hard for the last few months that she deserves one."

"But-" I want to argue, really bad actually, but Erza has a point. "Fine…but that doesn't mean that I have to like this."

"No one's asking you to." Gray glares at me a little. "She's a big girl, she can take care of herself."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it already!" I know very well that she's grown up now, and that means that she doesn't need me to protect her like when we were kids. But that doesn't stop me from worrying about her. With our history, how can I not? I'm her big brother, and no matter how old we get, it's always going to be my job to at least look out for her, if I'm not outright protecting her.

Erza knocks me on the head and shoves the letter into her pocket. "I'll tell the master that Ciara has gone to recuperate at a resort. I have a good idea which one she decided to go to. But in the meantime, we have a guild hall to build. So chop chop. Back to work, you two."

"Fine…" I grumble a little and heft a piece of wood over my shoulder. _But when she gets back, I'm so gonna tell her what I think about her little disappearing act._

 _Stupid motion sickness…_

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I take the elevator up to the top floor, then stride down the hallway to a set of large doors. _Ah…looks like this is going to be home for the next couple of weeks. I guess it was a good idea to save up all that money just in case I wanted to splurge. Even after the room costs, I've still got half a million jewel to spend. And all of that is after putting in an order to a couple of Magnolia's best home renovation specialists to add a third floor to my house. I must be a financial genius. Still, I should probably get back to work after this vacation. I've only got another five million saved up, and I doubt I'll hit it big in the downstairs casino._

When I open the doors, a penthouse suite greets me, freshly cleaned and adorned with many vases of sweet-smelling flowers. But they don't smell too much, which was one of the features that I requested at the front desk. I am recovering, after all, and it would be best not to overwhelm my sensitive dragon slayer nose with too many strong smells.

Dropping my bag onto the big king-sized bed, I head to the bathroom and take a long look in the mirror. Because of the two weeks I spent asleep, most of my injuries are healed to the point of no longer needing bandages. But considering that the cuts aren't quite fully healed yet, there are some bandages that I should probably keep on just in case I do end up overexerting myself and ripping the newly healed skin open. After all, I did promise to take it easy, and that's precisely what I'm planning to do.

Since I've heard that this place has a great spa, I head to the elevator and take out a pocket guild for the hotel. The first floor is the reception and indoor pool area, the second floor holds the casino, the third floor is the spa and salon, and the fourth floor is where the rooms start, all the way up to the twelfth floor, where the penthouse suites are located.

I push the button for the third floor, since I might as well get someone to work the tension out of my muscles before I go ahead and start having some fun. Luckily for me, the package that comes with the penthouse is all-inclusive, which means that I can order as much room service as I want, and get massages whenever I feel like it. And I can also sate my dragon slayer appetite.

The doors open to reveal a beautiful lobby with marble floors and columns running the entire length of the room. The front desk is being operated by a short lady with bright blond hair. And looking at her reminds me a little of Lucy.

She looks up at me, then bows a little. "Good day, Ma'am. How may I help you?"

Stepping up to the front desk, I give her a warm smile. "I'm in the fourth penthouse suite. I was hoping to see a masseuse today."

The first sentence has her scrambling excitedly. "Ah! Of course, you must be the young lady who just checked in! The front desk called earlier to inform us that we might be seeing you soon."

"I see…" The hotel must do this often for their top floor guests, because this seems a little too practiced. "Also, I should inform you that I am currently recovering from injuries…" I slide back my sleeve to expose my bandages. "They're mostly healed, but they'll require some special care."

She nods quickly, pressing a green button. "You're in luck, one of our currently free staff specializes in massage therapy and physical therapy for injured wizards." She squints at me from over the desk. "You are a wizard, correct?"

"Yes." I laugh a little at the question. _She must have figured that I'm probably not a mercenary, and no member of a dark guild would be caught dead at a place like this, so she must have just assumed that I'm a wizard who got hurt on a job._ I glance at my shoulder, where my guild mark would be visible, were I not wearing a long-sleeved shirt to cover my bandages.

A bell rings, and the lady ushers me towards one of the doors leading off the lobby. "She will see you now. And let us know if there is anything we can do to make your say more comfortable."

I nod and take a step through the door, to be greeted by the soft smell of massage oils and the flickering heat of a room lined with aromatic candles. Surprisingly, none of it overwhelms my nose, and I can breathe without being knocked on my ass by the smell.

"Ah, you must be the client." A soft voice emanates from the opposite corner of the room. There, a young woman with short dark hair is dressed in a short, cream colored dress with matching pants. "I will be your masseuse today."

She doesn't look like much, but that says nothing. I know very well that appearances can be very deceiving. You need only look at half of Fairy Tail to see how true that is. I mean, not everyone can be as scary as my brother while rocking pink hair. It's just not done.

She gestures to the cushy-looking table in the middle of the room. "There are towels for you to use here. I will give you a moment alone to change."

After she retreats through a second door, I get to work stripping off my clothes. Frankly, they're the easy part. The hard part is getting my bandages off without ripping or stretching them.

Once I'm stripped down and wrapped in a towel, I lie myself down on the table and work myself into the most comfortable position I can find. _And let the rise to heaven begin…_

She returns to the room just in time to see me almost starting to doze off. "Ah…now I see why you were sent to me. You look like you've been through quite the battle recently." She approaches the table and her fingers lightly trace my guild mark. "That must have been during the fight between Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail that we've all heard about."

"Yep…" _Of course everyone's heard about it… When the top two guilds in the kingdom suddenly decide to hash it out, there no way that no one would hear about it._ "I got thrown around a little during the fighting. But there are others who were injured just as badly, if not worse that I was. I'll be fine once this vacation is over."

"Well then, I'll be sure to do my best to help you with your recovery, Ma'am." As she presses down gently on my back, her fingers covered in lightly scented oil, she hums contentedly. "I see…it would seem that you have quite the impressive musculature for a girl…that explains why your injuries seem mainly superficial. Would that happen to have something to do with your magic?"

I nod, or I nod as much as I can with the side of my face pressed to a pillow. "Dragon Slayer Magic tends to be a very physical kind of magic…so a little extra muscle is both a requirement and a side-effect of practicing it."

"I see…" She rubs my back a little more firmly. "Would that also happen to be why the front desk specified that there be no strong scents used around you?"

"Mm'hm. Dragon slayer's nose…" I sigh and relax further into the pillow. "Strong smells block out everything else and make it impossible to think. But this room is only lightly scented, and the strawberry and vanilla scents remind me of my friend's strawberry shortcake."

"Splendid! That would be the scent of the oil I've decided to use." She rubs a little more of it into my skin, the pressure reaching deep into my aching muscles. "I'd noticed that you still had some cuts that had not finished healing, and this oil should work well to help prevent any scarring."

 _And there someone goes again with the scarring… Has no one realized yet that I don't care if I get a few scars? I'm a wizard, which means that injuries just come with the territory. And if there's a serious wizard out there who has never earned themselves a scar during the course of their work, then I have never met them. I've just been lucky so far._ As long as I don't earn myself any scars that compromise the functioning of either my body or my magic, then I really don't care if I get myself a couple.

* * *

After a few wonderful hours of massages, I finally feel like heading downstairs to check out the casino. I've never really been into gambling, but there's plenty of games down there that I'd like to try out, and if luck happens to favor me, I might end up with a little extra spending money.

The elevator doors open this time to reveal a room that honestly looks like a rainbow threw up on it. It's extravagant and glitzy, and makes me very happy that I decided to change into a dress after my afternoon of massages.

I head to one of the token counters, changing fifty thousand jewels into tokens for playing. _Now…what to play first…_ A poker table catches my eye, reminding me of the few times that Mira and Cana have dragged me into a girls only poker game. And according to them, I've got an excellent poker face.

Gliding towards the table, I smile at the gathered players, who appear to have just finished a round. "Do you mind if I join you?"

I get a few raised eyebrows, but one of them slides a chair out for me, a smile on his face. "Of course not, please sit. Is this your first time here?"

"It is." I sit gracefully, keeping folds out of my dress. "But I'm quite familiar with this game, so I thought that I might give it a try."

"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow amusedly. "And where does a young lady such as yourself learn to play poker?"

"Oh, just with some of my friends. They enjoy dragging me into their poker games whenever I make it home safely." I place my tokens on the table as the dealer starts prepping for the next game. "Their reactions would make you think that I'm constantly in danger."

His eyes glitter at me, obviously becoming more interested by the second. "And what is it that you do?"

I open my mouth to reply, when suddenly a voice rings out behind me. "Ah, Miss Dragneel, could that possibly be you?"

Turning to the sound of the voice, I come face to face with someone I haven't seen in over two years. "Mr. Shizu, It's good to see you again."

He slides himself into the empty seat beside me, his face alight with joy. "I had never imagined to see you here! How have you been?"

I wince a little as I remember the fight a couple of weeks ago. "I've been better. There was a scuffle half a month ago, and I've come here for recovery. But aside from that, I've been quite well."

The man who invited me to the table flicks his eyes between the two of us curiously. "I had no idea that you were acquainted with someone quite so influential."

"Well…" I shift my left sleeve up to reveal my guild mark. "As an S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail, I'm contacted by many influential clients. My specialties include monster hunts, criminal capture, and curse-breaking. Mr. Shizu here required a session of curse-breaking after the purchases of a suspect piece of furniture. It was my first time dealing with a curse, and it went much better than I expected, despite the danger involved."

His eyes go wide, before narrowing a little as a smirk crosses his face. "Well, then it seems we will have to be wary, we have a wizard playing. And a talented one at that."

I stifle a laugh and shake my head. "My abilities will have no bearing on the game, much to my friends' delight when we begin out games, and to their dismay when there is nothing for them to blame when I win. However, speaking of the game…" I smile up at the dealer. "Shall we play?"

Two hours and many rounds of poker later, my measly fifty thousand jewels worth of tokens has multiplied many time. I walk away from the casino in the evening with an extra million jewel in spending money.

And there are still so many games left to play.


	44. Rescue Mission

**I'm going to be as careful as I can about the development of Juvia's speech, since referring to herself in the third person starts to really take over later on, wheres at first, it's more a mix between first and third person.**

 **Also, Juvia is going to warm up to Ciara VERY quickly, and it all has to do with Ciara's relatively straightforward and blunt personality. She draws the line in the sand very clearly, leaving no room for misinterpretation or doubt. But that's just how she is, since she's often getting into misunderstandings with Natsu, she's quick to make things as clear as she can before something gets smashed.**

 **And I just have to slip some teasing in there with Gray, otherwise it just wouldn't be funny enough. Ciara has a merciless sense of humor sometimes.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

After a whole two weeks of kicking back and relaxing, and beating every rich snob who thinks that a girl can't play poker, it's almost like there's nothing that could possibly go wrong. It's a feeling that I don't get very often, since danger at the most inconvenient times is just part of being a Fairy Tail wizard. Knowing my luck, something should have happened by now.

I've spent the entire day relaxing in the hotel's spa. After all, I did promise in my letter that I would spend this time relaxing and recovering. And a whole day of massages to end my vacation sounds like the perfect way to do that.

Ciara! My brother's voice suddenly echoes through my head, much more vividly than if it were my imagination. _Ciara! We've got an emergency!_

I sigh heavily. _Of course… What is it Natsu? Did Happy fall into a shark tank or something? Why are you even here anyway? Did it take you this long to figure out that this is where I came for my vacation?_

 _It's Erza!_

That turns off my complaints and irritation in a heartbeat. _What happened? Tell me everything, I'm on my way to your location now._

I push myself up from the massage table, startling the attendant. "I'm sorry Ma'am, have I done something wrong?"

I shoot her a kind smile and shake my head. "No, it's all fine, wonderful in fact. But my brother is here and he's just called for me." I regretfully drop the smile from my face and regard the attendant sternly. "However, there seems to be an emergency, so I would advise you to wait here for a little while. Knowing my brother, someone might have gotten hurt."

Without waiting for a response from the bewildered masseuse, I pull on all of my clothes as quickly as I can. _This had better be one hell of an emergency, or Natsu is going to rue the day he decided to interrupt my vacation._

I race out of the spa, hopping a little as I pull my boots on. I half expect to run headfirst into someone as I follow my nose into the casino, trailing after my brother's scent. This place seems peaceful enough, so I don't immediately see a problem.

 _Wait…_ I look around and frown. _This is way too peaceful…where are all the people? This is a resort, not a graveyard._ I'm aware that it's not going to be as rowdy as our guildhall by any means, frankly there is nothing as rowdy as Fairy Tail at dinner time, but there should still be a throng of people milling about, enjoying themselves. _There's something very wrong here…_

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I know that I'm going to get an earful from Ciara when she gets here, but that'll have to wait. We've got bigger problems than why I'm mad at her and why she's going to be mad at me. While I was out, Erza disappeared.

Lucy looks at me suspiciously. "Natsu, what are you doing?"

I frown, watching the door carefully. "Waiting for my backup to arrive."

"And your backup is here…though I had to cut my massage therapy short." My sister's irritated voice floats towards us from over by the elevators. And as I turn my head, I see her standing there, looking quite angry. "Now, what the hell is going on, and you had better tell me everything."

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Instead of just Natsu, what I find is that Lucy, Gray, and a girl with blue hair are also there with him. And strangely, I don't recognize the girl, though she's wearing a Fairy Tail emblem as a huge gold pendant. "And you are…?"

She blinks confusedly, only just registering that I'm talking to her. "Oh! Juvia! My name is Juvia!"

"Okay then…?" It wasn't very informative, until I place her name. "Ah, a former member of Phantom Lord, and one of the Element Four. Juvia of the Great Sea, correct?" She nods, which both confirms my suspicion and confuses me more. "So what are you doing here? I assume that since you aren't unconscious on the floor, that you mean no one any harm, and weren't knocked out for it."

She shakes her head quickly. "Not at all."

"Good." I turn to Natsu sternly. "Now tell me what the hell is going on here and why this place looks totally trashed."

Natsu takes a deep breath, which can't possibly be a good thing. "Well you see, there was this blockhead and his buddies who came crashing in here and attacked us. They asked us where Erza was, kidnapped Happy and Erza, nearly killed Gray, tied up Lucy, and the blockhead shot me in the mouth! And it really hurt!" A single breath, that's all that it took for Natsu to explain the situation to me. And I think I understand what I need to be here for.

Lucy pipes in at the end of Natsu's rant. "A girl with this weird rope magic tied me up with magic ropes that stopped me from using my own magic. And there was this other wizard who has the ability to trap people inside cards! He got everyone in the casino! Even the staff! They said that they were old friends of Erza's, but…"

"So that's it…" I look around, and sure enough, there aren't even any staff walking around. "That explains why this place seems so quiet and empty." I's almost eerily quiet, and I don't like it.

"Don't forget that guy with the darkness magic." Gray cracks his neck and grimaces. "That guy was seriously dangerous. I couldn't see a thing once he turned out the lights."

"Great…this was exactly how I wanted to spend my vacation…" I sigh and shake my head. "Those guys took Happy as well, right?" Natsu nods, so I sniff the air. "Alright, well then that makes this a lot easier. All we have to do is follow Happy's scent! His is the easies to tell apart from the others." Since animal scents are different to human scents, picking out a single cat in the midst of a bunch of humans is going to be a peace of cake, especially since Natsu and I know Happy's scent as well as our own.

"Yeah!" Natsu looks excited and angry at the same time. "Let's go!" He sprints right out the door, breaking it down on the way out. So I follow along behind him, since I would rather not have him bowl into me and send me flying right after Happy.

What stops us a few minutes later is Happy's scent going out over the ocean. "Well, looks like we'll have to take a boat and go after them. No way around it."

Natsu grimaces. "Do we have to? Can't we like…swim or something?"

"Nope!" I look around and spot a boat big enough to hold all five of us. "That should do the trick! I can definitely sail that after the kidnappers."

Natsu starts going green just looking at the thing. And his hesitation gives the others the chance to catch up. Gray skids a little in the sand, coming to a stop right next to me. "So, we ready to go?"

"Yep." I move to the boat and tug the sail into place. "All we need to do is get sailing. Happy's smell hasn't dissipated on the breeze, so we've still got the trail."

Lucy tugs on my sleeve. "What about the people in the casino?"

I frown, then look out at the water, towards a small piece of land jutting out into the bay. "There's a military post right there. We can let them know what happened when we pass by them. But we can't spend too long, or we'll lose the trail."

"I still think we should swim…" Natsu looks even queasier than before, so I sigh and hold up my hand. "Fine, then go to sleep!" A flash of light illuminates the beach, and Natsu falls backward into the boat, fast asleep and already snoring. "There, now we won't have to listen to him complaining the whole way there. We can follow my nose instead, it's just as good as Natsu's."

With a little help from Juvia, we get the boat into the water, and I cast some wind into the sail. Since she's obviously not going to let herself be left behind, then between the two of us, we should be able to make good time, despite the significant head start that the kidnappers have on us.

We zoom out into the bay, faster than any boat this size should be able to travel. And it's only thanks to my sleep magic that Natsu stays snoring the whole time.

As the military post comes into view, I wave my hand and hail one of the guards. "Hey! Over here!"

He looks over at me and frowns. "Are you in need of a rescue?"

I shake my head. "No! We're wizards, and we're heading off on a rescue mission of our own! But we thought that you should know that the casino at the Akane Resort has been attacked, and all of the guests have been trapped in magic cards! We're going after the ones who did it, but the people back at the hotel are going to need help!"

He glares at me a moment, probably trying to figure out if he can trust what I'm saying. "Very well, I'll send a detachment there to check out the situation. What guild are you a part of?"

I shift my sleeve a little exposing my shoulder. "Fairy Tail!"

He groans a little and turns away. "You have got to be kidding me…not again!?"

That guard in particular must have met some of our wizards before. I've seen that reaction more than once, and it usually involves my brother accidentally destroying something. In fact, most of our problems seem to involve Natsu accidentally destroying something. Or worse, destroying something on purpose.

However, we've done what we can to help the people that we left behind in the casino, and now, we need to head into open water in order to pursue the people who took our friends from us.

* * *

It's been hours of sailing out on the open water, and Lucy is getting anxious again, this tie actually voicing her thoughts. "I'm worried about those people who were stuck in the cards. You think they're okay?"

"We let the military know about them before we left, so I'm sure they'll be fine." Gray brushes it right off, trying to pretend that he's not as worried as Lucy.

She sighs and looks rather dejected. "I hope so…"

Since this is starting to get depressing again, I decide to change the mood a little. "So what happened at the guild while I was gone?"

Lucy and Gray look at me with matching frowns, but it's Lucy who breaks first. "Well, we found out that Loke is actually a celestial spirit."

That was definitely not what I was expecting to hear. I was expecting maybe a party, or something like Natsu knocking a building over. Loke as a celestial spirit…that's a new one. "Wait a minute, how did you find that out? And what spirit is he?"

Lucy pulls a golden key out of her pouch and smiles. "Leo the Lion, the leader of the Zodiac! And as for how I found out…well, I kinda saved his life, and met the Celestial Spirit King, and got to keep Loke's gate key."

"Wow…" There's not a whole lot that I can say to that. "I guess that explains why he smelled so weird when I first met him. He smelled strange, even for a wizard. But his playboy antics aside, I'm glad that he decided to follow me home that day. It sure made things more lively around the guild."

"Yeah, you got that right." Gray grins at me knowingly. "Seems like you and Natsu like to just drag people into the guild to join. It's weird how much you two are actually alike."

That exchange makes Lucy's eyes bug out. "Wait, you're the one who recruited Loke?"

I nod. "Yeah. I ran into him after my first S-Class job. He was surrounded by girls, but there was just something about him that seemed off, he seemed almost sad. I thought it was interesting, checked him out, found out that he was a wizard, and told him that if he had nowhere to go, then he could come with me to Fairy Tail. I wondered if he would actually ditch the girls and follow me at first, since I wasn't exactly dragging him by the ear. But while I was walking to the train station, he ran up to me and said that he wanted to come with me. So I brought him back to Magnolia, and after a shy introduction, he joined the guild. He's been a member of Fairy Tail ever since."

"Really…? Lucy furrows her brow, concentrating. "Then you must have found him right after Karen died…"

"Oh? Should I have waited?" It pains me to think that I might have made a mistake that hurt another member of Fairy Tail.

But Lucy shakes her head. "No, it's fine. You probably moved just at the right time, actually. If you hadn't, then he might have done something he would have regretted."

"Oh, good." That actually makes me feel a whole lot better. "Anyway, the way that Natsu brought you in that day reminded me of when I brought Loke to Fairy Tail. It seems like that's how a lot of us end up there."

Gray nods. "I ended up at Fairy Tail because of Gildarts. And Erza ended up there because of some old guy named Rob. Mira's family just kind of wandered in one day. Though I'm not sure how Cana ended up there, I do remember the day that Gramps brought you and Natsu to the guild."

I laugh nervously and sigh. "Yeah…I don't remember much about that day. But I blame getting sick for that." Suddenly, a smile curls my lips as I remember what happened shortly after that. "But I do remember what happened when you said that dragons aren't real."

Gray pales a little and laughs sheepishly. "Alright, I'll admit that I deserved that."

Lucy looks from me to Gray, then back to me. "What happened? What did Gray deserve?"

My smile gets even wider as I watch Gray getting very uncomfortable. "Well, he wanted me to prove that I had dragon slayer magic like Natsu. He didn't believe that we were raised by a dragon, and thought that because I wasn't using the same magic as Natsu, that we were lying. Well, until I gave him a small taste of a breath attack and hurled him across the guild hall."

"You hurled him across the guild hall!?" Lucy turns to Gray and starts laughing. "Sounds like love at first roar! Did you ask her out after that?"

"Of course not, I was eleven!" Gray's defenses shoot up immediately, since we're getting onto a bit of a sore topic. "I didn't ask her out until four years later…"

Juvia, who hasn't said much of anything until now, looks absolutely crestfallen. And while it takes me a second to place that look, I realize that I've seen it before. _So that's it…that's why she seems so eager to join Fairy Tail. Well, it'd be better to diffuse this before it gets out of hand. Or just blown out of proportion._

I poke Gray in the forehead and laugh. "Oh don't be like that. It's been over two years since we broke up. I'm not sour about it anymore, so don't act like talking about it is going to set me off. I'm perfectly content to be your annoying, know-it-all little sister."

That takes the tension out of the air immediately, just as I hoped it would. Gray smiles at me and nods. "Yeah. I keep forgetting that." Then he grimaces. "Great…now it feels weird because I basically made out with someone who's like my little sister."

A snort of laughter escapes me. "Try not to think about it too much. I wouldn't want you to end up like Natsu, who barely has enough brain cells to move his body."

"Right." The last of Gray's tension disappears, and he relaxes against the side of the boat, skimming his fingers over the surface of the water.

 _Speaking of water…_ I slowly slide myself closer to Juvia, and hopefully out of earshot of the nosy blond on board. "So, after the exhibitionist, huh?"

In an instant, her face turns scarlet. "W-what makes you say that?" She tries to be quiet, but she's a little shrill when she's embarrassed.

"Because I used to look at him like that." I fondly remember a time when I looked at Gray with hope, instead of relaxed contentment. A time long ago when things were much simpler. "My brother might be an idiot, but I'm not. I've hung around with Mira often enough to notice when someone looks like they're in love. You've got that look. It's budding, not quite in full bloom yet, but that comes with time. Gray and I knew each other for four years before that bloomed. But I hope that it doesn't take you nearly so long."

Juvia stares at me, bewildered by my attitude. "You…are not Juvia's love rival?"

I shake my head and smile. "Of course not. In fact, I'll encourage you. Gray needs a lady in his life, one better suited for him than me."

"Better…?" Her eyes start shining and she grabs my hands. "Juvia will do her best!"

I can't help but think about how cute Juvia is acting, she's like a little girl in love, though I'm pretty sure she's at least my age. She might even be a little older for all I know. "Good luck, Juvia…you'll need it. Gray is almost as dense as Natsu, so there is something you must remember. First, is when to come on strong, second, is when to be subtle and soft, and the third is when to retreat and regroup. Okay?" I look her in the eyes, hoping that she understands what I mean. "Think you can make a plan out of that?"

She nods quickly, eagerly. "Yes!"

"Hey, what are you two talking about over there?" Gray, the Ice King of Density, looks over at us, looking rather confused. "You two have been smiling and giggling for a while, and it's freaking me out."

I wave him off with yet another smile. "Don't let it bother you, we're just talking about girl stuff." Then, I get a horribly devilish idea. "Actually, if you want to talk with us about wardrobe choices, feel free. I'm sure that you could offer me some choice advice on what kind of underwear is the most comfortable and stylish. Wouldn't want to go walking around in the guild in something that doesn't look good."

Gray blushes bright red as I poke fun at his unconscious stripping habit. "No thank you!"

I chuckle mercilessly as Gray stares determinedly away from me. _Ah…boys are just too easy._


	45. The Tower of Heaven

**Sorry, but no more romance between Ciara and Gray. That's long in the past, and they both know it. But don't worry, I've got someone special in mind for Ciara (I will also tease potential romance options that ultimately won't bear fruit, but will be cute while they last). Besides, I'm a fan of the canon ships, and Gruvia is one of them. Lucy wasn't in on the girl chat because it was Ciara talking and for Juvia's ears only. Lucy isn't into Gray, and Ciara is his ex, so it makes more sense to just talk to Juvia about it.**

 **Oh, and Ciara is totally going to tease Lucy about Natsu. Where do you think Happy gets it from? *wink* He's just a lot more annoying.**

 **And I'm glad that you guys all like this story so much. Though I'm afraid that at the rate I'm going, it's going to take months for me to catch up with where the anime is, let alone the manga. And by the time it's over, this story is probably going to have at least 800k words to it. Might even have a million…now that would be impressive. So again, I hope you all are in for the long haul. I'll try to update as often as I can. I'm on a bit of a Fairy Tail tear right now, but I do have other projects that will eventually require my attention.**

* * *

We've sailed right into the middle of the day, and Natsu's been out the whole time. Lucky for us, since I really don't want to deal with his complaints about motion sickness. And I certainly don't want the feelings to leak over to me. He experiences it enough for the both of us, so there's no need to make me suffer as well.

Gray looks around, trying to find some kind of land. "Wait a minute…where the heck are we?"

Juvia shrugs. "I don't know, we've been following Ciara's lead."

Lucy turns to me questioningly. "Are you sure we're going in the right direction?"

"I'm sure. You should never underestimate a dragon slayer's nose." My eyes flick towards the horizon. "It's faint, but I can still smell Happy's scent on the breeze. I can smell Erza as well, and the wooden hull of another boat. And along with that is maybe…four other scents that I recognize from back in the casino, probably belonging to the kidnappers."

"Wow, that's pretty specific." Lucy smiles brightly at me. "Can you smell anything else?"

I glance at Juvia and smirk a little. "Oh yeah, I can definitely smell a few more things in the air." _Like love…_

But after so long at sea, Gray has started steaming. "Man, I can't believe how easily they were able to knock us out and kidnap Erza and Happy."

"In our defense, they must have been powerful wizards to beat one as strong as Erza." Juvia means well, but I don't know if her assertions are going to help Gray calm down right now.

And just as expected, Gray doesn't take that well. "What!? They didn't beat her! Quit talkin' like you know her, cause you don't!"

I sigh in frustration as Juvia freaks out. "I'm sorry!" _And that's what happens when Gray's fuse starts to burn out. He'll snap as fast as Natsu._

Lucy's had about enough of the drama. "Calm down! What's your problem!?"

Before Gray has the chance to snap back, I cut him off. "Let's try not to fight for now. We can save the fighting for when we find Erza. For now, we're in a small boat, and one fight could send us all to the bottom of the ocean. So try to get along for now."

Gray shuts his trap, and Lucy starts looking solemn. "Those goons that attacked us said they were old friends of Erza's…which makes me wonder if we know her any better than Juvia does." It's a sobering thought, but definitely something to think about, which should keep Gray quiet on the subject. All I know is that I trust her enough to watch my back in a fight. And to me, that's what matters the most.

But just when I think we're about to have some peace and quiet, my sleep spell wears off and Natsu wakes up, looking around blearily. "I just got a weird feeling…"

"You're not the only one…" I've been feeling something off for a while now, I just wasn't sure if it was all in my head or not. Now I know that it isn't. "There's something…wrong."

Beside the boat, a flock of birds starts dropping out of the sky for no apparent reason. "Well…that can't be good."

Lucy looks astonished, and maybe a little scared too. "The birds…"

"What's happening to em?" Gray asks the million dollar question, because honestly, I don't have a clue. And down beside us in the water, it's the same story. "Not the fish too!"

Juvia seems just as bewildered. "I've never seen anything like it!"

"That's wreckage from a Fiore naval ship!" Gray's observation is a little chilling. The Fiore Navy is nothing to scoff at, so for one of their ships to have been wrecked here, with the crew nowhere in sight, that's a very bad omen. _I wonder exactly what lies ahead of us. More importantly, I wonder if we'll survive it…_

I gaze in the direction of Happy's scent, squinting a little into the distance. "Well, looks like we'll be finding out what's going on soon enough." I nod towards a huge tower poking up out of the ocean. "That doesn't look natural to me."

"What's that?" Natsu wobbles over, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Think you can get us closer?"

I nod as Lucy gulps. "That must be the Tower of Heaven."

"Yeah…" I look the structure up and down, shaking my head. "But there's no way we can get any closer without being spotted. I can still get us in close, but it'll be like lighting up a signal flare. They'll know we're here."

"In that case…" Juvia stands up, her magic starting to flow. "I'll protect us." Water surrounds us, covering our boat in a bubble of water that camouflages us against the color of the ocean. "My water dome will keep us from being seen."

Lucy looks at the spell in awe. "Nice work, Juvia."

But unfortunately for us, Natsu's motion sickness is back. "I can't take it…"

"Chill out, we're almost there." Lucy swats Natsu, trying to get him to calm down and stop making a fuss over his motion sickness.

Gray is not so patient. "That's it, I'm knocking him overboard, he can swim the rest of the way. I'm sick and tired of his whining."

"No one is knocking anyone out of the boat, got it?" I glare at each of them in turn to be sure that they've gotten the message. "I really don't want to have to rescue anyone other than Erza and Happy today."

That shuts them all up as I pull the boat closer to the tower. Like this, we manage to sneak past whatever defenses the mastermind has put in place to protect the tower. Whoever it is must not be expecting visitors, or security would be a lot tighter. On the other hand, they might know that we're here already, in which case, we're screwed before we even start. But that's a Fairy Tail wizard for you, we won't give up, even if we're headed straight into a trap.

As we hit the docks, Juvia brings down the water dome and I motion to everyone. "Alright, time to get ashore. And remember to stay quiet. We need to keep our presence here a secret for as long as we can. The longer we hold the element of surprise, the better our chances for completing this mission and surviving through it." This reminds me of my many S-Class quests. Mainly in the potential danger that lies ahead.

The others nod, and we disembark quietly. Though I have to drag Natsu off the boat, seeing as his motion sickness has kicked back in. And it takes the fool a minute to recover from being on the ocean for so long. Sometimes, that motion sickness of his is really inconvenient.

Once we have Natsu back on his feet, we start sneaking onto the island, weaving through rocky areas, until one simple fact stops us. Gray grits his teeth as he looks around a boulder. "They've got a ton of lookouts.

"Let's charge them!" Natsu, ever the bold idiot, would rather announce our presence to the whole island than retain the element of surprise, which is the entire point of our sneaky act in the first place.

I snap at my brother and stomp on his foot, covering his mouth to keep him quiet. "Are you insane? We have no idea how many there are, or how powerful they are. If we get into a fight now, it might turn out that we're severely outnumbered and overpowered!"

Lucy nods, agreeing with me. "Remember, they have Erza and Happy. If we screw this up, we could be putting them in danger!" There's nothing like the threat of death and danger to get my brother's attention.

"Man, this is gonna be tricky." I can just see Gray's mind working out a way to get past them, but it looks like he's coming up empty.

Luckily for us, our friendly water wizard pops back out of the ocean that she dived into earlier. "I found an underwater passageway to the tower."

"Seriously? Way to go!" Seems like Gray will take whatever he can get at this point. And I don't blame him, we're running out of time and fast.

Juvia turns on Lucy, a satisfied glare on her face. "You hear that, Lucy? I was just praised by Gray, not you!"

I raise an eyebrow at the seemingly possessive water wizard. _Exactly what is going on here? There's no reason for her to be threatened by Lucy…she's not into Gray. At least, she wasn't, the last time I checked…_

Ignoring Lucy's confused reaction, Juvia plows on. "We can swim there in ten minutes.

Natsu grins. "We can hold our breath that long, right?"

"Probably." Gray agrees with Natsu with no hesitation.

I roll my eyes and bonk both of them on the head. "Honestly…I'm the only one who can hold their breath that long. You idiots would run out of air at the two minute mark."

"In that case…" Juvia holds up a sphere of water. "I suggest you wear these. It's a water shell containing oxygen. This way, you can breathe while underwater."

"Alright…then while you guys put those on, I'm going to scout ahead." I turn to face the water and take a few deep breaths, stretching my lung capacity to the limit. "See you all on the other side!" And with one gigantic breath, courtesy of my wind magic, I take the plunge and dive into the water, heading straight for the underwater passageway.

I look around at my surroundings as I propel myself through the water. _There's a lot of wreckage down here…like there was a whole fleet of ships that sank._ A piece of blackened wood catches my attention. _And it looks like they were burned before they were sunk. What happened here?_

There's something ahead that looks like a tunnel. And I can't be wasting any more time taking in the sights. Well, time to see if I can use my magic underwater. I look behind me, then kick my foot back. _Wind Dragon's Talon!_

Surprisingly, it works. Wind magic explodes around my foot, shooting me forward about three hundred feet. I smile, and a few bubbles escape my mouth. _Well…that worked better than I thought. Let's see if I can do it again._

About three minutes later, I break the surface of the ocean, coming out inside a large cavern. I didn't have to hold my breath for nearly as long as I expected, but I'm still glad to have fresh air in my lungs.

I pull myself onto the shore, my clothes sopping wet, and the chill of the water getting right into my bones. _I'll have to get Natsu to dry me off when he gets here. Should be able to get me warm and dry in about five seconds._

Sniffing around, I can detect small traces of Happy and Erza's scents. But from the smell of it, we are far from alone in this place. There's several dozen unique scents, and some of them worry me a little, because a few of them have a hint of powerful magic about them.

A soft splash grabs my attention, and Natsu breaks the surface of the water. "Wow, that was cool!"

I grin and offer him a hand out of the water. "Glad to see you enjoyed yourself. But you're going to get to enjoy yourself a little more, because there's a lot of people in here, and if we can get Erza and Happy out without a fight, it'll be a miracle."

He grins right back at me, his scarf tied around his head like a bandana. "Hey, you know I'm always up for a good tumble."

Gray is the next to surface, and he spits out a little seawater as he bobs up and down. "Alright, looks like we're in, huh?"

I nod and offer him a hand out of the water too. "Yeah, and we're getting close to Erza and Happy. We'd better watch ourselves, though, there seems to be a lot more people than we expected."

"Great…" Gray grabs my hand and climbs out of the water. "Just what we need." He looks around curiously. "So we're under the tower?"

I nod, while Natsu looks around, sniffing the air. "I wonder where they're keepin' Erza and Happy."

"Puah!" Lucy breaks the surface, her water bubble still intact. "They may look silly, but they sure do work!"

"I'm impressed you made it here, because I purposely made your shell smaller so you'd have trouble breathing." Juvia rises gracefully from the water and steps onto the shore, looking a little too proud of herself.

But I can worry about Juvia's disdain for Lucy later, because we've got trouble. I turn my head, sniffing the air. "Crap. Guys, we're about to have company!"

We look to the air to see a strange beast roaring, and its rider spots us. "Intruders!"

With the one in the air raising the alarm, more guards start pouring out of a tunnel, all armed and ready for battle. _Well, there goes our element of surprise…_

"Identify yourselves!"

"Guess we don't have a choice." Gray steps into a battle-ready position. "We'll have to fight em."

"You losers want to know who we are!?" Natsu's magic immediately starts t rage out of control. "We're the wizards who are going to pound your faces in!" He slams his flaming fist into the ground, throwing up a cloud of dust, smoke, and evaporated seawater. _Alright, sis, first strike is yours._

Thank you! I smirk and roll my eyes as I leap into the air. "Wind Dragon's Shining Claws!" I slash at the two airborn sentries, bringing them down in an instant, and knocking their flying mounts out of the sky. As the guards start to panic, I touch back down to the ground and grin at Natsu through the dust. "Time to go!"

And just like during the battle between him and Gajeel, I send Natsu flying into the air. But this time, he's not alone. Gray, Lucy, and Juvia join him in the air as well, ready to deal a powerful second strike.

Natsu's introduction doubles as a battle cry. "We're wizards from Fairy Tail!"

I chuckle and shake my head. "Looks like it's time to have a little fun." While the rest of them find places to make chaos, I shoot straight to the top of the cave and hang off the ceiling. _Okay…so from what I can tell, most of the scents that I smelled earlier are in this room. Problem is, most of them don't smell all that powerful, which means that these are just the grunts. And if that's the case…_

Sucking in a deep breath, I resist the urge to smile. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" Power explodes downward in a cyclone of blunt blades. Unlike Natsu and his scorching breath, I have a measure of control over mine. I can make it as fast or slow as I like, and the blades can be as big, small, blunt, or sharp as I need. The bigger and sharper they are, the more destruction I cause. And frankly, I'd rather leave destroying things to my brother.

All over the cavern, guards start dropping like flies, picked off either by my friends, or by my wind blades. No matter where they try to run, they can't escape the wind. I am the wind, and I am impossible to escape.

Once all of the guards are taken care of, I start searching for a way out. There's a suspicious carving in the wall, shaped somewhat like a mask. What is that thing…?

I know the saying, that curiosity killed the cat. Well, Happy is plenty curious, and he's still kicking, so it can't be all that true. So I soar over to the mask and tap on it. _What is it…? It feels like it's made of something different than the rock walls of the cave…_

I tap the nearly closed eye, and it starts to glow. "That's not good!" Springing back, I ready myself for an attack. But it doesn't come. Instead, the mouth opens, and a ladder shoots out, extending through the air and slamming into the ground.

Natsu looks up and gives me a thumbs up. "Nice going! You found a way in!"

"Uh…I don't think I did that…" Somehow, I get the feeling that nothing I could have done would make something like this happen. "I'm pretty sure that whoever is in charge here knows that we're down here."

Gray agrees. "I guess that's their way of saying come on in."

"Well, then I guess that's that…" I hover over by the ladder and look into the mask's mouth. "No turning back now." I grab onto the sides of the mouth and pull myself inside a dark tunnel. _Great…looks like I'm going to have to crawl._

The others make noise behind me as they climb up the ladder and into the tunnel. I may not be able to see so well in the dark, but I can definitely smell Happy and Erza ahead, which means that we're going the right way.

But problems arise when my crawling nearly makes me faceplant into a hard wall. "Hold up everybody! We've got a blockage!"

My warning barely stops them in time, and someone just barely brushes against my butt. "What's the hold-up?" _Just my luck…it's Gray._

I shift forward a little and press my palm to the wall. "We've got a wall here, so I'm gonna need a few seconds to break through it."

"Well hurry up, we need to find Erza and Happy!" Natsu really doesn't understand that patience is a virtue. To him, it's just a waste of time.

"Fine…" I draw my hand back as wind swirls around it. "Now!" I slam my palm into the wall, and my magic makes it crumble to pieces, pitching me forward onto the floor of a new room. "Ow…" I sit up and rub my forehead, which was the first part of me to hit the floor.

I shift away from the hole in the wall to let the others out. And as soon as Natsu falls out, his eyes widen and he grins. "Food!"

Sure enough, there's a huge banquet table in the middle of the room, loaded with a ton of food. _Trust Natsu to be the first to freak out over food…_

Since there's not really much else to do at the moment, I shrug and join Natsu at the table, with Gray following close behind. I start shoving food into my mouth, since it would be stupid to just ignore it. And I can't smell any poison, so it's not like it's unsafe to eat.

With half a plate of food stuffed in his mouth, Natsu starts screaming. "Hey Blockhead!" _He must be referring to one of the people who took Happy and Erza. But…blockhead? What exactly is that all about?_

Lucy chides him. "Jeez, would you keep it down?"

Gray shrugs. "I don't see the point in sneakin' around anymore. No after all that ruckus that went on downstairs."

While I hate to agree, I have to. "Obviously they know we're here, so we would make better time by just crashing through this place and taking out everything in sight. We already made a mess downstairs, and only an idiot would fail to notice that. Obviously, someone who can kidnap Erza is no idiot."

But she seems to need something to freak out about, because she picks on our appetites next. "What the heck are you guys eating?" Seems like she's the only who has a problem with the food, seeing as Juvia has joined us for the meal as well.

With some food in our stomachs, it's time to get down to business, and Juvia starts us off. "The door that welcomed us in was controlled by a magic user."

I nod. "I touched that stone mask, but I'm certain that just touching it wasn't enough to set it off. Whoever is controlling this place is powerful, nd knows full well that we're here."

"But why would they let us in?" Lucy seems very troubled over that thought. And she should be, because nothing good can come of playing this game with an unseen opponent behind the curtains.

"Boredom, amusement, to lead us into a trap, confuse us…" I frown a little as I run through a million other possibilities. "I'm leaning towards the possibility of a trap."

Gray glances at me. "You think they're trying to provoke us?"

"Could be…" I shake my head. "But I think there's something else going on here…"

Until she speak, I'd forgotten that Lucy's celestial spirit, Virgo, was even here. "Not to be rude, but your bikini leaves little to the imagination."

Lucy nearly jumps out of her skin. "Should I change?"

"Yes!" Virgo's eyes start glowing. "Let me help you!"

As Virgo strips Lucy down, Gray catches sight of her, and he blushes bright red. "Holy…" And that earns him an eye roll from me, and to preserve Lucy's modesty, a little breeze slams his face into his plate.

Once finished with her wardrobe change, Lucy twirls around once. "So, boys, do I look super cute in this outfit or what?"

"Oh yeah! You look great!" Gray is the first to agree with her. And his density astounds me. Or it would, but I've known him for almost half my life. And I know that he can be pretty dense.

"Don't compliment her!" Juvia is getting territorial quickly.

And Virgo is not helping. "He loves her!"

"Don't you start doing that too…" Lucy sighs, along with Gray and Juvia, all three of them more than a little exasperated with the situation.

I glance at Natsu, feeling a little embarrassed. _Looks like the bad habit that rubbed off on Happy has rubbed off on Virgo too…guess I'm not telling them that it's my fault._

Unfortunately, Natsu makes half the connection. "Since when were your hanging out with Happy, Birdo?" You'd think that he would at least be able to get her name right by now. But that's just how special Natsu is…

Virgo bows politely to Lucy. "I wish you luck, Princess."

"Thanks for the help, Virgo." Lucy smiles as her spirit disappears. Then she turns to us, looking guilty. "Oh, did you guys want me to ask her to bring you a change of clothes too?"

Gray shrugs and gets close to my flaming brother. "Nah, this does the trick just fine."

"He's not a dryer, you know!" Lucy tries to protest, but honestly, it's a little weak.

"Ah, don't worry about it." The last bits of water swirl off my clothes in the form of steam. "Natsu does this every time he and I get caught in the rain. He's totally used to being used as a dryer. Heater, too."

"Intruders!"

"Get them!"

We all turn to face the incoming assailants, armed and here to take us down. But before they can get within fifteen feet of us, a whirl of scarlet hair and silver blades storms into the room, taking down all of them at once.

"Erza!" We're all happy to see her. But as our voices catch her attention, the same cannot be said for her.

Erza looks spooked, to say the least. "It's you! What are you doing inside the tower!?"

"We're here for you!" Lucy says it as though it should be a given.

Juvia moves forward to make an introduction, but Erza cuts her off. "Go home! This place is far too dangerous!"

"You're not gonna scare me into leavin'." Natsu punches his fist into his other hand, flames flickering around his hands. "I ain't goin' anywhere till that blockhead gets a good taste of my fist! I'm gonna make him pay for shootin' me in the mouth!"

"You have to go!" Erza looks desperate now.

And Natsu isn't gonna take it. "Your friends kidnapped Happy! I can't leave here without him!"

Erza was not expecting that. "They got him too!?"

"That's right." My frown returns, and while thinking of our little blue friend, it's not likely to go away. "The rest of you can leave, but me and Natsu aren't going anywhere without Happy. And whoever took him is not going to be very happy when we show up for him."

She bites her lip angrily. "It must have been Millianna."

"Where can I find him!?" I'm sure that Natsu doesn't mean to sound so harsh, but our cat is in danger, and that's all he's thinking about.

"I'm not sure…"

That doesn't make Natsu any happier. "This means war!"

Gray sweatdrops. "Who are you declaring war against?"

"The jerks that kidnapped my little buddy!" Natsu takes off at a run, completely ignoring Erza's protests.

As she turns to me, obviously hoping that I'll have more sense than Natsu, I'm sorry to disappoint her. "Well, now that that's settled, I'll be going after my big brother. He's going to need backup." Wind rushes around my feet, and I take off in a flash, rounding the corner faster than Erza can yell cake.


	46. Cat Attack

**Ciara and Laxus? That's a scary pairing for many reasons… Especially when considering how their powers interact… They'll make great battle buddies, that for sure. I'm guessing you all know what happens when you mix wind and lightning. You know…unless you don't live in an area prone to natural disasters.**

 **Although on that note, I feel like I should do a little explaining as to why I wasn't planning on hooking those two up. Now while the seven year age gap between them doesn't really matter very much, the fact that they've both got very stubborn personalities plays a bigger role. No matter how well Ciara can compromise (and with a brother like Natsu, there is definitely a need for compromise) I just can't see her doing that with Laxus. With him, it's "my way or the highway", and that would definitely not go over well with her. Sure, it might be fun for the two to teasingly flirt, but I can't see this little relationship full of hate suddenly turn to unconditional love. Plus, he's not the one I'm saving for her.**

 **And on a darker note, Ciara and Laxus are going to be getting some alone time in the next arc…while she's still recovering from the effects of eating lacrima charged with Etherion. That's not gonna be fun…**

 **Now, cat time.**

* * *

"Don't worry little buddy! I'm comin' for ya, Happy!" Natsu sprints down the hallway ahead of me, chasing the growing strength of Happy's scent. He can really book it when one of his friends is in danger.

I would ask Natsu to wait for me, but I'm actually a lot faster than he is, and I catch up in an instant. "Don't go leaving me behind, Natsu. I want to help you rescue Happy, you know."

Natsu grins at me, still running at full speed. "Then let's do this! Happy's not gonna wait forever, you know!"

"Yeah…" He's got a point there. Happy is no damsel in distress. If he gets bored enough, then he might just find a way out on his own. And if that happens, then we might never find him. "Then let's hurry."

When we reach the end of the scent trail, we end up finding a room that honestly frightens me. I've got no problem with cats. How could I, after taking care of Happy for six years? I even taught the little guy to talk! But this…this is just a little too much obsessive cat love for me.

Natsu seems to share my opinion. "Jeez, what's up with this room? There are cats all over the place." Then something catches his eye, and he grins eagerly. "I like that giant green kitty head!" He runs over and picks it up. "Oh wow, it's some kind of mask!"

"Don't do it…" I watch him dispassionately as he shoves the mask onto his head. "And…you did it…" _If I had a hundred jewel for every time Natsu did something when I made sure to tell him not to…well, I'd have more money than what I won at the casino._

He meows loudly, mixing martial arts with the movements of a common house cat. "Let's go Happy! Aye, sir!" Imitating Happy seems to make Natsu happy. "Aw…I'd make a good cat." Then he tries to take the mask off, only to have it stay stuck on his head, and that elicits several pained exclamations from him. "Aw man! It's stuck on my giant noggin! What do I do!? Ciara! Help me!"

I roll my eyes and sigh. "I told you not to do it… It's your own fault that you got it stuck on that overinflated head of yours."

He groans a little, though I can tell he's embarrassed. "Oh well, it looks cool. So who cares, right!? Oh, Happy's going to freak out when he sees me! Maybe I can even scare Erza with it!" He's definitely taking this whole cat idea way too far. "Wait…I know Lucy's totally going to jump out of her skin! It'll be hilarious!" He's definitely lost focus now.

"Right…" I step towards him, intent on pulling the mask off his head, or maybe cracking it in half. But then I catch a whiff of another scent, and I panic. _Crap!_ I look around quickly, searching for a hiding place.

Luckily, there's a cat statue big enough to hide me, so long as I sit on the floor. So I run to it and slide across the floor, spinning myself behind it. _Natsu! There's someone coming! Hurry up and hide! And make sure not to talk to me out loud, otherwise we'll get busted for sure!_

I peer around the edge of the statue and catch a glimpse of a man with very angular features. Actually, he looks like a kid put him together with building blocks.

He turns his block of an arm into a gun and points it at Natsu. "End of the road for you, boy."

Instead of being intimidated, Natsu just sneezes. "Oh no, now I can't wipe my face! Gross!" That gives me a mental picture that I really didn't need. He struggles a little with the mask. "Oh gosh, I should probably take this off for a sec. Come on you stupid mask!"

"Let me give you a hand, pal." The blockhead points the gun straight at Natsu's head.

 _Natsu! Behind you! You've got a magic gun pointed at you!_

 _A magic gun!? What are you… Oh crap!_ He spins around, but with that cat mask on his head, he can't see a thing. _Sis! Help me! Do that double vision spell! That one you've been working on for the last three months!_

I swear under my breath and grit my teeth. _I haven't mastered that spell yet! If I cast it wrong…_

 _Just do it!_

I click my tongue and clasp my hands together, concentrating hard on Natsu. _Please let this work…_ **_Two souls entwined, and a battle to be won. Join the mind, and let us see as one!_**

Glancing around the statue, I blink my eyes, and a dark haze creeps over my vision. It must be what Natsu is seeing, which means that the spell at least partly worked. Now, everything looks kinda dark, but I can still see everything clearly. I just have to hope that Natsu can see as well.

While I'm fairly certain that a simple bullet wouldn't do much to my crazy, hard-headed brother, I nearly jump out of my skin when the blockhead fires it. But what bothers me even more is the strange scent of the girl who jumps in to stop him. "Stop it!"

The blockhead doesn't appreciate her interference at all. "Hey! Cut it out, would'ja Millianna!? What's the big idea!"

She looks at him like he stomped on her favorite toy. "You big old meanie! You're tryin' to hurt the itty bitty kitty witty!" _Okay…this girl is definitely nuts…_

"Wait a sec! That's not even a real cat, you cooky broad!" At least the blockhead has enough sense to know that Natsu isn't a cat. Though frankly, I think I'd rather him believe it than the girl.

 _I got an idea…_

 _Oh no…_ I suppress a frustrated groan. _This is either going to be stupid and embarrassing, or stupid and dangerous, isn't it?_

 _Hey! Why is stupid in both those options!?_

 _Because it's inevitable…_

 _Well, whatever! I'm gonna make my plan work!_

I look around the side of the statue, watching Natsu as he puts his plan into action. And what he does next astounds me.

"Meow." He sounds like a freaking cat.

The girl eats it up. "He's just the cutest little thing ever!"

"A wise guy, eh!?" The blockhead still isn't buying it. And he shoves the girl aside. "I'm tellin' you doll, this cat is a rat!" _Well…actually he's more like a dragon._ "See!?" He disassembles his body and sends the blocks flying at Natsu.

But my brother is far too quick and nimble to be hit by projectiles that slow. He picks himself up and dodges them with ease, spinning around on all fours. But just when I think he's going to take this fight seriously, he proves me wrong again, holding up a cat stuffie. "Cat-Make: Barrier!"

"Oh no! Don't hurt the poor kitty!" The girl is still utterly convinced that my brother is a cat, despite the fact that his clearly human body is being shown off by his less than practical outfit. Well, you wouldn't think it's practical, but considering how much body heat he gives off, it actually is.

"For cryin' out loud, Dollface, this dirty rat is our enemy!" His reasoning still isn't getting through to her.

"Dirty rat? He looks like a kitty to me." _Of course he looks like a cat…he's got one of your stupid cat masks on his head._ The room definitely has to belong to her. I doubt that there's two crazy cat girls running around this place. I actually feel sorry for whoever is running this show.

"It's a guy in a cat costume, you dimwit!"

And just when I thought that his antics couldn't get any stupider, they do. "Cat Fire!" He uses his dragon slayer magic, pretending that a cat could actually pull off some of the crazy shit we do. It's actually just as embarrassing to me, except that Natsu is the only one who knows that I'm in the room.

"Brat! I guess Jellal wasn't pulling my leg when he said this cat's got some real claws." _Jellal, huh? So that must be the name of the person pulling the strings here. I guess it was a good idea to stay quiet, otherwise I might never have caught that little detail._ "Alright toots it's go time!"

"Meow!" The girl's hair literally stands on end, bristling all over her head. "Pretending to be a cat when you're really just a person is a lousy thing to do!"

Natsu freezes and points at her. "Oh yeah!? You're one to talk!"

But his protest is cut short when she fires an attack. "Bad Kitty Restraint Tube!" A rope that honestly looks like a cat's tail flies out of her hand, wrapping itself securely around Natsu's wrist.

"That's giving him the bracelets there, Doll!"

"It's time to put the bad little kitty to sleep!" I really wish she could cut it out with the cat references. I get that she likes them, but they're really starting to wear on me.

The blockhead disassembles himself again, purple blocks floating in the air. "He's in the bag!" They zoom at Natsu, who hasn't been able to extract his wrist from the rope yet. And when he tries to block them, they smash him in the head instead.

After being knocked back once, Natsu sits right back up. "How come I can't use my magic!?" He tugs at the rope around his wrist. "Is it cause of this thing?"

But he doesn't get the chance to find out, because the girl uses the rope to slam him into the ground repeatedly, before wrapping him up like a spool of thread. And my brother being tied up like one of Mirajane's pet projects is where I draw the line. I know that he'll hate me for interfering in his fight, but that can wait till later.

"I hope you're hungry, Salamander, cause you're about to eat lead." As the blockhead points his gun at Natsu, a blast of wind fills the room, throwing the first shot off course.

In an instant, I am what stands between the blockhead and my brother. "And just what do you think you're doing? Threatening an opponent who can no longer fight?"

He frowns at me, and I could swear that the blockhead is squinting behind those glasses. "And you might you be, dollface?"

"You mean apart from your worst nightmare?" I'm not really in the mood to be playing games, so it's better to just get this done quickly. "I'm planning on being the one that brings you two down. After all, I can't just live my big brother to fend for himself while he's all tied up like that." My eyes slide to the girl and I glare at her. "And don't even think of trying those ropes. I'm faster than your ropes, and things will just end badly if you try challenging someone too high above your skill level." My eyes slide back to the blockhead. "Now, as for you…you tried to kill my brother, several times."

As I raise one arm to the sky, and point the other towards the ground, a couple of magic circles appear above and below me. The room starts to shake with power, and I plan to use it to take out these two.

My plans, however, are cut short when Happy flies into the room and smashes a robotic cat into the back of the blockhead's weirdly shaped head.

"Happy!" My magic circles disappear as I focus on nothing but my precious blue pet. "Good to see that you're okay!"

"Wait, Happy's here!?" Natsu's voice is a little muffled by the cat mask.

Happy flies over happily. "You betcha! I'm so glad you're safe!" Then he sees the mask. "But what's up with the cat costume?"

I groan and shake my head. "The doofus got a cat mask stuck on his head."

"Just get this thing offa me!"

"Aye, sir!"

The blockhead finally gets back on his feet after being bowled over by Happy. "Look pal, no one interrupts Wally and lives ta tell da tale!" _Okay…so the guy's name is Wally, good to know, I guess._

Wally starts firing block bullets into the air, and while Hppy has to dodge the first few, my wind magic easily takes care of the rest of them, bouncing them all around the room and straight into the walls.

Despite the fact that her room is getting trashed, the girl seems more concerned for Happy. She grabs Wally's gun arm and wrestles with him. "No! I won't let you hurt the wittle kitty witty!"

"Cats ain't no flyers, and they ain't no stinkin' gum flappers neither!" _Shows what you know…we hatched the little guy, so I think we would know better than anyone that yes, he's a flying cat, and that he is also very much a chatterbox. Some days, we can't get him to shut up!_

"Now for you…" I grab the ropes around Natsu and hoist him to his feet. "These things have got to go!" I pull on them, and they're pretty strong. But they're no match for an angry dragon slayer. They tear right apart in my hands, returning to Natsu the use of his magic.

Natsu jumps to his feet, celebrating. "I'm a free man!" And the first thing he does as a free man is go on the attack. "Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" And once those two are on the floor, Natsu stands in triumph. "You mess with the kitty, you get the claws!"

I groan and slam my palm to my face. "Worst…catch phrase…ever…" Shaking my head, I eventually start to pout. "And I wanted to take care of them… It seems like whenever I'm about to do something really cool, you two have to show up and take over! When am I gonna get my turn to fight!?"

Natsu looks at me sourly, or he would, if he didn't have a cat mask on his head. "Of come on…it was my fight! You were the one who interfered! Now help me get this cat mask off my head!"

"Fine…" I grasp the mask and give it a gentle tug, finding that despite the fact that it's stuck, there's still a little room for it to give. "Alright, I've got an idea, but I'm going to need you to hold still, okay!?"

"Alright!" And surprisingly, he does hold still, or at least as still as a hyperactive moron like my brother can.

Using a gentle breeze, I squeeze as much air into the mask as I safely can, since I wouldn't want Natsu;s head to explode from the pressure. The mask expands a little, and the hole stretches a little wider. I twists the mask a little and gently work it off his head, revealing that mop of spiky pink air that we all know and love. "There we go, the mask is off!" The only weird part is that it makes me wonder what childbirth is like, because from what I've read in books, what I just did seems eerily similar.

Natsu grins up at me, his earlier annoyance at me gone. "Sweet freedom!"

Wally picks himself up off the ground, his glasses thrown who knows where. "This dance ain't over yet, Salamander!"

Natsu looks at him, a little bored. "Well, I already got my payback, and since Erza and Happy are safe, there's no reason for me to keep wastin' my time with you, pal."

"Talk all ya want but we're still gonna get ta heaven! Jellal told us we'd finally have real freedom, in a world where pallokas like us are callin' the shots." His words are strange. _And what does he mean by heaven? Is this some kind of promise that this Jellal person made? But…that would make it sound more like…a cult…_

Suddenly, a voice sounds over the loudspeaker. "I welcome you to the Tower of Heaven." Natsu and I share a glance, before making a run for it, looking for the source of the voice that continues to speak to us. "My name is Jellal, and I am the ruler of this tower." We find it, the closest source of the voice is coming from one of the statues lining this hall. "I see the players have been arranged. I'm delighted you've come all this way to see me. Shall we play a round of Heaven's Game?"

Natsu, being the irritable moron he is, starts yelling up at the statue. "I don't wanna play your games!"

"And the rules…?" I have a feeling that whether we want to or not, we're going to end up playing this game of his. So we might as well find out what rules we're playing by. That way, I can figure out exactly how best to bend them.

"The rules are quite simple. I wish to use Erza as a sacrifice in my ceremony to ressurect Lord Zeref. If I succeed, the gate of Heaven will open, crowning my victory." It wounds like a pretty deranged rule to me, but if that's his objective, then it makes things simpler. "However, if you can mange to find a way to stop me, you'll be the winners of the game." It's a survival game, to put it simply. "To make things more interesting, I've enlisted three knights to battle on my behalf. The only way you'll be able to get to me is if you can defeat them. In other words, a three on nine battle royale." _Of course…it wouldn't be a game if the other side didn't put up a fight._ "And there's one more surprise…"

I glance at Natsu, my instincts tingling. "This isn't going to be good…"

"You're right…" He stares up at the statue, waiting, just like me.

"The Magic Council has the satellite square focused directly on this tower, and it's highly likely they will attack. At this very moment, they're in the midst of voting on whether they should fire an Etherion blast. There's no telling how much time is left. Should the Etherion strike, complete annihilation is imminent. No players left to win; game over." He's just turned this survival game into a death game. But when you're S-Class, death games are just part of the job description. So I'm more than ready to play. "Now, then…let the game begin."

Natsu, like me, is undeterred. "All right, now I'm all fired up!"

"We're gonna have to go to the very top of the tower to find this Jellal guy, aren't we?" And just like us, Happy is more concerned with finding our opponent than the threat of potential death looming over us.

"But why would he wanna do this to us?" Wally looks confused, which means that he didn't know that this was part of the game plan. "If they really fire that thing, it's gonna be curtain for everybody. We were all just a bunch of stupid kids looking for our own little taste of freedom."

"I don't know what kind of freedom you guys have been lookin' for…" Natsu turns to him and smiles. "But what we've got at Fairy Tail is pretty awesome!" Then he turns to me and Happy, grinning. "Hey, I'm not really feeling this game. So how about we bend the rules?"

"Aye, sir!"

I grin and wind starts whistling through the halls. "Forget bending them, let's push so hard that they shatter!" I head straight for a window and jump outside. "Come on!"

Happy grabs Natsu, who starts shooting flames out of his feet. "Let's skip ahead and head straight to the finish line!"

I smile and fix my eyes on the very top of the tower. _Finish line, here we come!_


	47. Countdown

Ciara's P.O.V.

The three of us fly through the wide open sky, heading straight up the side of this five hundred foot tower, the double vision spell wearing off quickly. Natsu has never really been one to play by the rules, and I've always preferred to dictate them. So this method suits us both. It also lets us get straight to the point of this whole mess.

But something shines off in the distance, and it's headed straight for us. _Hey Natsu, you saw that too, right?_

 _Yeah I did, what do you think it is?_

 _Dunno…but if I had to guess, I'd say that it's probably one of Jellal's distractions._

Probably…then I guess I'd better…crap!

Whatever it is shoots right between us, aimed more at Natsu than at me. And that gives us the chance to finally get a good look at it. _…Is that an owl on a rocket?_ I have to admit that I've never seen anything quite as strange as this sight. And I've seen a lot of weird stuff on jobs.

It comes back around for another pass, chasing after Natsu and Happy when they split off from me. You would think that it would be trying to go after me, since I can fly on my own. All it has to do is knock Happy and Natsu away from each other, and Natsu would fall right into the ocean. So there's got to be some other reason, rather than just simple tactics, for this owl wizard's behavior.

Fortunately, though Natsu gets knocked out of the sky and back into the tower, he's more than lucid enough to carry on a conversation. _Hey Ciara! Fly up to the top of the tower and check out what's going on! Then come back down and get me! I can handle this bird-brain._

 _Alright, I'll see you when I get back!_ With the urging from Natsu, I turn my eyes to the sky and peer at the very top of the tower. _Well if I were a pompous and arrogant fool bent on getting to Heaven, I'd put myself as close to it as possible._

A sudden surge of magical power distracts me in mid-flight. Some of the power, I don't recognize, but some of it, I do. Lucy is fighting with everything she's got, and from the pressure, I'd have to say that the only thing I've ever felt like it before is when Natsu and I team up, fusing our powers together. A Unison Raid.

 _Good girl, Lucy, give them hell!_

I zoom to the top, and up there is a large sphere of metal, with spikes of lacrima jutting out at odd angles. I can sense a truly malevolent presence inside, as well as a second presence. But they're so close together that it's almost like they're coming from the same spot. _Okay, that's weird._

I zoom around the tower at very high speeds, hoping to pinpoint some kind of structural weakness. But the tower is so unique that I have no idea if the places that look weak are actually the weak points or potential decoys. If I were to hit one of the lacrima, it might just blow up in my face instead of giving me a way in.

Natsu's power starts to fluctuate unnaturally, and that greatly distresses me. _Natsu? Natsu! Can you hear me!?_

 _Cia…?_

 _Natsu! What's going on!?_

 _Owl man…ate me…_

I freeze, nearly losing focus, which makes me fall about thirty feet before I can get a handle on my power. _What do you mean he ate you!?_

 _Like a sandwich…_

 _Natsu? Natsu!? Damn it, Natsu!_ I glare down at the place where Natsu's magic power is coming from, and I curse silently. _Damn it all…I guess that since I can't find way in from up here, I'll have to go find Natsu so that we can make our own way in._ In terms of sheer destructive power, Natsu is far more suited for blasting a hole in the side of a building than I am.

With Natsu's powers going berserk down below, I hurry the hell up and streak down through the sky in a flash of pink, red, and blue. I take the same tunnel entrance that the owl from earlier sent Natsu flying into, and I come out into a huge cavern with birdcages hanging from the ceiling.

"What the hell?" I look down and see Gray send the big bird man flying. "Gray!"

Gray glances up at me before making the final strike, slamming the bird man into the nearest cage. "Ciara! This guy ate Natsu!"

"Seriously…?" I fight down the urge to throw up. "Alright…that's not good." I zoom down and hit the top of the cage that Gray is standing on. "Then I'm guessing that you need some help extracting him."

"If you please…" He glares down at the sad excuse for an assassin, now thoroughly knocked out. "I'd rather not reach in there and haul him out…"

"You're not the only one…" I sigh and shake my head. "Think you can hang him upside down?"

Gray moves his hands together, magic pouring out of him. "No problem." In a flash of light, ice craws upwards, dragging the assassin into an upside down position that I should be able to work with.

I wrench open the owl's mouth, and pull it as wide as it will go. I don't care if the guy's jaw breaks. Considering that he tried to eat my brother, he doesn't warrant any of my mercy. "Alright, birdbrain…time for you to cough up what doesn't belong to you!" I back up and raise my foot. "Wind Dragon's Talon!"

As soon as my foot slams into the guy's lower abdomen, a terribly gross sound comes out of his throat, and a familiar arm pokes out from the beak. Gray winces and goes to pull on the arm adorned with a red Fairy Tail emblem. "This is so gross…"

"Yeah, yeah…just pull him out." I have no patience right now. I just want my brother out of that guy's mouth. And dutifully, Gray tugs Natsu out of the owl's mouth and onto the top of the cage. With him out, I blow all the slobber off him and pat his cheek. "Hey Natsu, you in there?"

There's no response from him, he's totally out of it. Gray leans over and shakes his head. "No way are you getting him up. I know that face…he's going to sleep for hours."

"Not if I have anything to say about it…" I grab Natsu's shoulders and shake him. _Alright big brother, time for you to wake up! So stop sleeping and pay attention!_

Natsu's eyes flicker open, closing again immediately. _Ciara…? What's going on? I was having this dream that I got eaten by a giant owl._

I sigh heavily. _That wasn't a dream, idiot. Now wake up and pay attention._

He yawns and rubs his eyes. "I wanna sleep…"

"So you don't want to hear what I learned about the tower?" I dangle that little bit of information in front of his nose, hoping that he'll take the bait.

And he does. His eyes snap open and he focuses hard on me. "What did you find out?"

I sigh again, this time in relief. "Alright, so I checked out the tower, just like you said. I found out where Jellal is hiding. He's up on the very top floor, in a big dome of metal and lacrima. The problem is, there's no way in from the outside, and I didn't want to hit it with any magic, just in case it turned out to be rigged to explode in my face. And there's nothing that's going to bring this tower down in one shot, except maybe that Etherion blast. So whatever we're going to do, we need to do a whole lot of it."

He grimaces. "Damn it…why couldn't this be easy?"

"Because easy would be boring?" I shrug, not entirely sure what kind of answer he wants to hear right now. I my know almost everything that goes through his head, but even I have to play it by ear with my brother sometimes.

And playing it by ear works, because the grimace becomes a grin. "Yeah! It's just getting interesting!" But then he loses my confidence by wobbling. "Ugh…I don't feel so good."

Frowning, I touch his forehead. "Conserve your energy. You'll be needing it soon enough." My hand glows, and his eyes widen. But they only stay open for a moment, because a second later, he's asleep in my arms.

Problem is, Gray isn't looking too good after that battle, and he falls to his knees only a few feet away. Happy is the first to notice. "You okay!?"

"We're running out of time…we gotta rescue Erza!" He says that, but him collapsing sure isn't very convincing.

Luckily for him, I catch him before he faceplants onto solid metal. "You idiot…what the hell do you think you're going to do in your condition?"

Happy looks like he's about to cry. "What are we gonna do? Without Gray and Natsu, who's going to take down Jellal!?"

I pat Happy on the head and smile. "Hey, have you forgotten about me? Remember, I haven't fought yet, so I'm at full strength. And I'm even more dangerous than Natsu."

Happy looks a little uncertain, but his cute little face twitches into a worried smile. "Yeah. You can do it!"

I nod, the turn to Gray. "You think you can get him out of here? He's not going to be able to fight anymore, and anyone who can't fight needs to be put somewhere safe. If that Etherion hits, there's no way he'll survive it."

Happy's eyes start to flood with tears. "But if it hits, you won't survive it either!"

I suppress a laugh, instead brightening my smile. "Well, then I'll just take Natsu and fly out of there. You know how fast I can fly, right?"

Now that reassures Happy. "Aye, sir!" He grabs Gray by the belt and hefts him into the air. "I'll see you later! Kick that Jellal guy's butt!"

"Will do!" I watch as Happy flies off with Gray, before turning to the stranger. "And you are…?"

His eyes go wide, and then he nods to me. "My name is Simon. I'm an old friend of Erza's. I was part of the group that attacked your friends in the casino, hoping that they would follow us here. I need your help to bring down Jellal."

I stare at him, analyzing his every move. _Well…it doesn't seem like he's lying. His heart rate is steady, and I don't smell any extra sweat. So he's not nervous right now. So he's either a very good liar, or he's telling the truth._ "Alright then. Think you could haul Natsu to the top for me?"

He nods as I jump over, then hauls Natsu onto his back. "I tried to research you, you know. But there was very little I could find. You're very secretive, aren't you?"

I shrug. "If by secretive, you mean that I don't do a lot of talking to Sorcerer Weekly, then yes. But to put things simply for you, just imagine me to be like Natsu, just smarter, with less raw power, but a larger arsenal of weapons, and wind element instead of fire."

"Noted…" He gestures to the door. "There are stairs out that way, we can take them all the way to the top of the tower."

"Good, that should save some time." I get to my feet and stretch out a little. "Well, we probably don't have much time left, so let's hurry."

A whole ten minutes later, a very sickly voice comes from behind Simon. "Ugh…what the…?" I look back and see that my brother has woken up again. _Figures…he wakes up after we've climbed a billion stairs._

Simon seems surprised to see him awake. "Oh, I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

"The last thing I remember was flying around in circles…" Natsu suddenly goes blue and green again, and it really looks like he's going to throw up all over Simon.

Simon is more than a little shocked. "Seriously!? Just the memory makes you sick!?"

I sigh and shake my head. "My brother has the worst case of motion sickness in history. Any kind of vehicle, and even some things that aren't vehicles. As well as both the anticipation, and memory of traveling on vehicles. Any and all of it can set off his motion sickness."

"Right…" Simon glances over his shoulder at Natsu. "Well, after that, you were eaten by the owl. Luckily, Gray and Ciara were able to save you."

"Oh great…" Natsu always hates having to owe Gray one.

"He defeated the owl, and your sister was the one who forced him to throw you up. However, Gray was badly wounded during the fight." Simon is just saying all the wrong things, and Natsu is getting greener.

I nod, jumping up a few more stairs. "I had Happy take him off somewhere safe. We don't have a lot of time before the Etherion blast hits, so I figured that it would be better to get him off the island. Happy can take care of it. Although seeing as you lost to the owl, I probably should have had Happy take you as well."

That ticks Natsu off, and it puts some new life into him. "No way! Are you kidding me!? I lost to that owl freak, but Gray was able to beat him!?"

"I wouldn't exactly say that you lost, it's more like you were swallowed." Simon's attempt at being diplomatic is failing miserably.

I turn to Natsu and nod. "Yeah, you lost."

Natsu groans. "Ugh…he's going to hold this over my head for at least the next month! Man, this sucks!"

"Probably!" I grin and spin around on the next few stairs. "But it's your own fault. If you hadn't let the owl eat you like a bag of chips, Gray wouldn't have had to come save your ass." I smirk, my plan obviously working. _The more worked up he gets, the better shape he'll be in when we finally reach the top._

"I won't stand for this! I want a rematch!" Natsu is all fired up now. "Bring that birdbrain back and let me show him what I've got!"

Simon finally loses his patience. "We don't have time for that kind of nonsense right now!" He grabs Natsu by the scarf and starts dragging him up the stairs.

DEspite being dragged up the stairs, Natsu has more important things on his mind. "Not to be rude, but do I know you?"

I groan and slam my palm to my face. Simon, however, takes it in good stride. "I'm Simon. I was friends with Erza back when we were kids."

"Oh, in that case, it's nice to meet ya." Natsu gets to his feet, looking a lot more relaxed now. Of course, it's just like him to befriend anyone and everyone he meets. Provided that they're not pure evil, of course. What concerns me is when Simon winces in pain. And Natsu seems just as worried. "You okay, big guy?"

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine." He sure doesn't look fine, though. "I just got word from Wally. He and Millianna found Lucy and Juvia, but they're in bad shape. He said it looked like they took down one of Trinity Raven all by themselves."

"The two of 'em?" Natsu looks confused now, like he can't imagine those two actually teaming up.

Simon nods. "They hadn't heard that we're not enemies anymore, so they were confused when I asked them to take the girls to safety. Sho's also informed me that the last member of Trinity Raven has been defeated."

Natsu is more than a little shocked by this turn of events. "I didn't get to do anything!"

"Hey, quit complaining." I glare lightly at Natsu. "I haven't gotten to do anything either. I'm still waiting to get into a fight. Seems like Jellal is going to be my last chance, unless you plan on taking that away from me too." It comes out a little more sour than I'd like, but it looks like I've at least gotten my point across.

Simon nods. "Now that they're out of the picture, that just leaves Jellal. Erza's gone to find him."

"By herself?" Natsu's question spells doom.

Another nod. "She's got a score to settle. And whether we like it or not, she wants to do it on her own. I'm sure you're aware she and Jellal have quite a history. It's as if they're destined to fight each other."

I grimace lightly. "Sounds to me like the star-crossed lovers story took a bit of a savage turn."

Simon clenches his fists. "Perhaps…In any case, I'm worried about her, because Jellal is stronger than she knows." Simon flicks his eyes between me and Natsu, his gaze pleading. "I beg you…you have to help her fight him."

"Not gonna happen." Natsu's response is immediate and blunt.

"What did you say!?" Simon's incredulity is understandable, but after hearing all of that, I know exactly what is going through Natsu's head. It's the same thing that went through my head on Galuna Island, when I decided to stay out of Gray's fight with Lyon. It's about honor and pride, and making things right.

Simon doesn't get it at all, and he grabs Natsu by the scarf. "What's wrong with you!? You claim to be Erza's friend, but you refuse to help her!?"

"This is her fight." Natsu lays that out pretty clearly. "She wants to handle it on her own. She'd never forgive me if I butted in on the action like that."

I nod, drawing Simon's attention. "For the sake of honor and pride, if one of our members does not ask for help, then it is not our place to interfere, no matter how much we might want to. Unless we see firsthand that the struggle is futile and their life is in danger, we don't interfere. I was just as conflicted a month ago when Gray was in a similar situation. But in the end, he prevailed. Erza deserves that same chance."

Simon's mouth twitches. "But there's no way that she could ever win against Jellal."

"What!?" Natsu's expression changes, and it's almost frightening. "She's stronger than you give her credit for! So watch your mouth!"

I frown. _What is he not saying…_ "Alright, and why exactly can't she beat him? How much stronger is he?"

"You've got it wrong!" It sounds to me like Simon has snapped. "I'm not doubting the power of her magic. I know Erza still wants to try to save Jellal. I have no doubt in my mind." He calms down, looking a little forlorn. "In her heart, she could never truly hate the boy she remembers from childhood. Jellal is viciously cunning, he knows exactly how to manipulate her feelings to his advantage."

I cross my arms and glance at Natsu. _So it looks like it is a case of star-crossed lovers…_

 _What!? No way does she have a crush on that guy! She just remembers her friend and doesn't want to see him hurt._

 _I don't know about that…_

Despite our silent conversation, Simon continues. "And that's not the only thing working against her. As you know, the Magic Council is preparing to fire an Etherion blast. When that happens, the tower and anyone inside it will be wiped out. If what Sho told me is correct, we only have ten minutes."

My eyes go wide, and Natsu is even more shocked than me. "What!?"

Simon nods. "She ordered everyone else to leave the tower, and went to face him alone. If you know her as well as you say, then you know what she's up to." He's right, we do. "She's giving up her life, and when the blast comes, it will take them both down together."

"You should have said that to begin with!" Natsu is right. If Simon had said that first, then it would have saved us a lot of time. No debates about what the best thing for Erza's pride is, just flying straight to the rescue. Natsu turns to me, a snarl on his face. "Where is Erza!?"

I look straight up the tower, to the sphere at the top with the lacrima spikes sticking out of it. "The two of them are up there. I can sense both of them. And it feels like they're fighting already. So we'd better start running. I hope you like stairs."

Natsu grins at me, and we start running, but Simon doesn't run with us. "Go without me…I'm afraid that I will be no help to you right now."

I nod and grab Natsu's hand. "Come on, we've got a friend to save!"

* * *

Lucy's P.O.V.

As we sail away from the tower in our small boat, I look to the sky and see light beyond the clouds. "What's that bright light?"

"Gotta be the Etherion." Wally's words do not make me feel better.

Happy is as worried as the rest of us, maybe even more, judging by the tears in his eyes. "Oh, no… Come on you guys, hurry up and get out of there now! You can fly them out, can't you, Cia?"

I look down at the frightened blue cat. _Cia…? That must be Ciara. He must be so scared for her and Natsu._

The waves start climbing higher and higher, rocking the boat and pushing us away from the tower. The sky lights up in a blinding white light. That means that the Etherion is about to fire.

Happy's tears threaten to fall. "It's headed straight for the tower!"

Gray clutches the side of the boat. "Natsu! Ciara! Erza!"

But it's too late, the light comes crashing down on the tower. The waves throw all of us out of the boat. Luckily, Juvia has recovered enough to wrap us in a bubble of magic water.

Now, all we can do is wait. Wait, and pray for our friends to be alright.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

As light surrounds the tower, the two of us keep sprinting up the stairs. _Damn it, it's firing already!?_

But Natsu is less concerned about Etherion, and more concerned with where we're going. "Erza!"

As the light shines down on us, I can feel the hum of magic energy surrounding us. But instead of feeling destructive, it feels alive. It feels warm and powerful, and it sure doesn't feel like we're being disintegrated.

 _Ciara! What's going on!?_

 _I think…it's Etherion. But it's not ripping us apart…it's…_ Then it hits me. _It feels like the tower is absorbing it!_

 _Absorbing it!? How!?_

 _I don't know!_ I reach out in the light, trying to feel around for Natsu. _Where are you!?_

I feel a familiar hand grab mine, then squeeze tightly. _Right here, lil sis. I'm right here._


	48. Power Unleashed

**So, this is the end of the Tower of Heaven Arc. I started it off with less than 3k words worth of notes, and it's nearly tripled. To me, that's a pretty big win. And to think that when I first started writing my notes, the first 22 chapters didn't even exist… Sorry, I'm just feeling so proud of myself that I'm starting to ramble. But damn, this chapter got really long...**

 **Anyway, Ciara and Natsu just survived an Etherion blast…that's something. Okay! Dragon Force time!**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I squeeze Natsu's hand tightly as the light around us dims. And what I open my eyes to is something absolutely stunning. The walls, the floors, everything is made out of lacrima. And the magic crystal hums with the energy of the Etherion blast.

Natsu groans a little as he stands up and opens his eyes. "What the heck just happened to this place?"

I touch the closest crystal, and like I expect, it thrums with magic energy. "I think that the tower had lacrima in the walls, and that when the Etherion blast hit the tower, all of the magic energy was sucked up. We're still alive because the tower acted like a huge lightning rod. Except that the power isn't in the ground, it's in the tower itself."

"What!?" Natsu's eyes bug out and he looks like he's going to have an aneurysm. "How the hell does something like that happen!?"

"I don't know…" I look up towards the top of the tower. "But when we get up there, I intend to find out. Jellal must have planned this. There's no way he would be so calm as to go through with that game otherwise."

"No kidding…" Natsu looks up at the top, his eyes full of fire. "Let's go!"

"Yes. It's time for us to win this game." I smile and grab hold of Natsu. "Careful, this is going to be a bumpy ride."

He just nods slightly. "I can handle it."

 _Oh, I bet you can._ I smirk a little as my feet leave the ground. "Liftoff in three, two one…" I jump into the air and shoot off into the sky with my passenger. "Now!"

Spikes of the lacrima tower flash by as I hurtle up the side of the tower with Natsu. I slow down as we reach the top, since it would be nice to retain at least some element of surprise. We have no idea what exactly we'll be facing up there, so it's best to have whatever advantages we can scrounge up.

I land on the edge of the tower, lightly depositing Natsu on the ground. "Alright, now we have to go get Erza. I can sense her and one other person just ahead, so it's probably Jellal."

"Got it." Natsu cracks his knuckles and looks around one of the giant spikes of lacrima. "He's doing something to Erza, so I'm gonna go grab her."

"Alright, then I'll watch your back." This is a typical tactic for me and Natsu. One performs the action, the other provides cover.

We sneak around the lacrima spikes, and the man with oddly familiar blue hair pushes Erza into a giant lacrima spike. And the thing sucks her up like jelly. It must not feel like that, though, seeing as she's screaming. "No! Stop!"

He turns away from Erza, and now it sounds like he's praying. "Oh great and powerful Zeref, I call upon you to offer you this woman's flesh!"

"Don't do this!" Erza pleads for her life, but really, it's for the sake of not bringing an evil wizard back to life. "Please Jellal!"

But now that Jellal has his eyes closed, it's time for me and Natsu to act. I race in between Jellal and Erza, while Natsu goes straight for our red-headed guild mate, pulling her out of the lacrima. " I gotcha."

I crouch a little, smiling as I glance back at Natsu. "Good job. Looks like we got here just in time."

Natsu smiles right back. "Erza's an important member of our Fairy Tail family." His gaze drifts to Jellal. "I won't let you touch her."

Jellal turns to face us, and I get the shock of my life. _Mystogan!? But it can't be! He doesn't have the staffs! He doesn't feel like Mystogan either!_ This guy's magic feels quite different to our shy and stoic sleep wizard. But there's no mistaking that face. Even the tattoo is the same. _That's impossible…twins? Dopplegangers? Alternate universe?_ Okay, admittedly that last one is silly, but at this point, I'm about ready to take anything as an explanation for why this guy looks exactly like one of my guild mates.

Erza finally comes to her senses, and her voice comes out weakly. "Natsu…Ciara…"

Natsu laughs. "Jeez, what are you doing hanging around with this loser? If we don't hurry and get back to work, Lucy's not gonna be able to pay her rent. Trust me, you don't wanna make her angry." Trust Natsu to get as off topic as possible when dealing with a dangerous situation. Then again, I know very well that he's only doing it to make Erza feel better.

"Sorry, but I can't move." Erza must see what he's doing, because she plays right along.

Natsu, on the other hand, sees an opportunity. "No way!" He cackles mischievously and sets about tickling Erza while she's down. "Time for some serious payback! This is what you get for always tickling me!"

Erza starts laughing, but her mouth is determined to stay present. "This is serious! So quit goofing off! Stop it!" Natsu does stop with the tickling, and Erza has a chance to catch her breath. "Natsu, Ciara, you two have got to get out of here as fast as you can."

"I ain't leaving." Natsu immediately draws a line in the sand. "If you can't do the fighting yourself, then I'll just have to do it for ya."

"You can't. He's too powerful." Erza seems to lack any fith in our abilities. "Besides, you don't know anything about him."

"Who says I need to know the guy to beat him up." I hate to admit it, but in this case, I agree with Natsu's simplistic thinking. Sometimes, simple is just the best way to go.

"Please. Just this once, do as I ask you." I roll my eyes at Erza's implication. _What, like he doesn't obey you on a daily basis already? My brother may be an idiot, but he does have good instincts. And once in a while, he uses them._

 _Hey! I heard that!_

 _You were supposed to…_

Natsu gets up, bringing Erza to her feet. And there, she's confused. "What are you doing?"

"Honestly, I don't really know you all that well either." I actually wince at Natsu speaking the hard truth. "But I can still take you down!" He punches her right in the stomach, knocking her out in one shot. Normally, he wouldn't put so much effort into it, but all of his other challenges to Erza are just for fun. This is not fun.

That catches Jellal's interest. "You're even foolhardier than the rumors make you out to be. What kind of sick satisfaction do you get from striking a defenseless friend?"

"I had to do it, cause she was crying." Natsu stands his ground, held up by his beliefs. "She looked so weak and fragile. Her voice was trembling with fear." His fist catches fire, the anger in him burning even though his voice remains soft. "I don't wanna see Erza like that. I've always looked up to her as a strong warrior. And when she wakes up from this nightmare, I want her to feel like her old self again." The power around him erupts, shining light off of every surface. "If you wanna get to her, you'll have to go through me!"

"Is that a challenge?" Jellal's eyes stir with a manic light. "Consider my interest piqued. I would love to witness the power of a dragon slayer."

Natsu moves between me and Jellal, switching our offensive and defensive positions. "Ciara, take care of Erza for me. I'll let you know if I need backup."

"Right…" I jump back a few meters, landing right by Erza's side. "Remember, this time, you're allowed to go overboard."

He simply nods, before taking off in a flurry of fire, engaging Jellal in a battle of fiery fists and kicks. And when he's angry, he doesn't hold back much. Whether it be by wing or talon, he's determined to bring down this wizard saint.

"Fire Dragon ROAR!" Natsu unleashes a huge inferno, bathing this entire upper floor in the glow of dragon's fire.

But out of the inferno steps Jellal, looking no worse for wear, though the same can't be said for his jacket, burned to ashes by Natsu. "Is that the best you can do? I expected more from you, Natsu Dragneel, son of Igneel. I was hoping to get a taste of the destructive might of a dragon slayer before I started ripping you to shreds with my bare hands, but if that's all you've got, I won't waste my time. Perhaps you should send your sister in to fight for you. I might get more of a match out of an S-Class dragon slayer."

I seethe at this man's ignorance. _Like he knows anything about the power of a dragon slayer…it's called slayer for a reason. It's meant to be lethal. If either of us went full force, a poor human would never stand a chance! And how the hell does he know who Igneel is!?_

 _I don't know, but I'm planning on beating some answers out of him._ I hadn't realized that Natsu was listening to my thoughts, but it makes me happy that he was. Now I don't have to stew in my anger alone.

"I'll show you!" Natsu charges at Jellal, intent on ripping him to pieces.

Jellal, on the other hand, is unfazed. "You must be punished for disrupting my ceremony. Prepare to be destroyed by my Heavenly Body Magic. Meteor!" He disappears in a flash, surrounded by a golden glow.

Natsu probably can't see him, since he's going so fast, but I can. The perks of being a wizard who specializes in speed is that whenever someone else is moving quickly, I can see it clearly.

However, me seeing it clearly isn't going to help Natsu, who takes several light hits as a result of Jellal's enhanced speed and mobility. And even if he could see it, that wouldn't help him react to it. His reflexes may be good, but he's nowhere near as fast as I am. But that's not going to stop him. I can already sense his battlefield instincts going into overdrive. He's relying on all his bodily sense to try and figure out where Jellal is going to strike from next.

In an instant, he picks out a perfect place, with perfect timing. However, as expected, while his senses may be able to pick up on when Jellal is going to be in range, his body just can't keep up. He tries to punch Jellal, but misses, as Jellal starts to speed up.

Jellal appears behind Natsu just as he's turning around. "Be glad you got your hits in, cause it won't happen again!" He strikes Natsu in the jaw once, then twice, then proceeds with a barrage of punches right to Natsu's face. "And now, I'll show you the true destructive power of darkness magic."

Jellal rises into the air, high above our heads. He ignores me, for the most part, focusing his next attack on Natsu. _ **"May the Seven Stars bring judgment upon you. Seven Star Sword, Grand Chariot!"**_

As the light falls from the sky I race over to Natsu, who takes the spell full force. "Natsu!" But as I get no response, I charge in, catching him in mid-air, and leaping back towards Erza, setting Natsu on the ground. "Natsu, are you gonna be okay? Natsu!?" Still, no response.

Jellal smirks at me. "That spell packs as much punch as being hit by a falling meteor. I'm surprised his body's still in one piece after being hit with it. There'll be no waking him up from that. Perhaps that was a little much. Now…" He raises his hands again, this time aimed at me. "The R-System can't afford to suffer any more damage or it'll be rendered useless. So be a good girl and sit there quietly. If you do, I'll promise not to blast his body to smithereens."

I grit my teeth as he starts to walk towards Erza. Then, I hear a familiar voice in my head. _Ciara…go protect Erza…_

 _Natsu!?_ I look down into my lap and my stupid big brother starts moving. _You sure!?_

 _Yeah…go…_

If he's got enough strength to tell me that, then I know he's going to be okay. So I lay him down gently on the ground and get to my feet, disappearing into the wind, and reappearing between Jellal and Erza. "Not another step, bastard."

"Oh?" He looks at me with amusement. "And what exactly do you plan to do? You brother is dead by my hand. Do you believe that you will fare any better?"

His ignorance is what amuses me. "Are you really so stupid as to underestimate dragon slayers? We tend to be a pretty resilient bunch."

Small pieces of lacrima start hitting Jellal's boots, calling our attention over to Natsu. Not only is he not dead, but he's got enough strength to move, despite being hit with a spell that should have been lethal. And one piece, just one, manages to hit Jellal in the chest, making Natsu smile. "You feel that? It was my sneak attack." I can feel the cogs in his brain working overtime now. "So now that the tower's a giant crystal, I guess shattering is would screw up your plans. This is not your day, buddy!" Natsu grins at me, before cracking the ground with a single punch.

Jellal looks angry and shocked. "What are you doing!?"

Natsu laughs as he gets to his feet. "Come on, didn't you know that destroying stuff is what us Fairy Tail wizards are best at?" Fire surrounds him again, glowing against the lacrima. "Now I'm all fired up! More than I've ever been before!"

"I'm not going to let you get in my way! This'll be the end of you. I've dreamed of this day, and I won't let a fool like you spoil it for me!" Jellal looks murderous, which is good, because now he looks nothing like Mystogan. That means that I should be able to fight without holding back.

Another bark of laughter escapes Natsu. "Sorry, pal, but I'm a pretty tough guy." Natsu is grinning like there's no tomorrow. "If you think you can take me, then come and get me!"

The battle begins again at full speed as Jellal launches another shining attack at Natsu. Magical projectiles that slam into the ground, causing even more damage to the tower. You'd think that Jellal would be more careful around his own tower, but he's just making his own situation worse.

On the bright side, Natsu is getting a lot faster. "I got you now!" He dives at Jellal, only to be driven back by a blast of light.

 _Fine…if Natsu can't do it, then it's my turn. And either way, I win._ I suck in a breath and focus my sight directly onto Jellal's head. "Wind Dragon's Roar!" I unleash a stream of magic from my mouth that hurtles towards Jellal at high speed.

And just as I expected, he dodges the attack, leaping high into the air as he glares down at me. But in his ignorance, he's too self-absorbed to realize that he's not the only thing I'm aiming at. My roar slams into the wall of lacrima on the other side of this floor, shattering it into a billion pieces.

"No!" He glares at me after seeing the destruction done to his precious tower. "Damn you!"

I smirk up at him as he realizes exactly what game we're playing. "You hit one of us, the other will go after you. You dodge our attacks, and we bring your tower crumbling down! You attack me instead of Natsu, and you risk destroying your precious sacrifice! Or you risk having your attack reflected right back at you!" That's not a bluff. I've worked hard on my barrier magic, sneaking it in during my free time during my vacation. I'm fairly confident that if I had to, I could even reflect that nasty Grand Chariot spell of his. Though doing that would end the battle for me right then and there.

Behind me, Erza wakes up, and she spots Natsu kneeling about thirty feet away, looking quite battered and bruised. "Natsu!"

But then, he gets up like the last attack was nothing. "Ha! You so worried about your precious tower, you're not gonna fight me full-on!? Cause I get the feeling you're holding back! And that ain't gonna work against me!"

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you!" Jellal goes back to ignoring me, raising his hand against my brother and knocking him back once again. Then he turns to me, as though ready to block an attack.

I smirk at him, not having readied another attack in the first place. "Oh good, you're getting paranoid. I never said with what frequency we would attack. Why don't you try again next time?"

"Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" Natsu's fireball comes hurtling out of nowhere, nearly blindsiding Jellal. But in the end, the attack does more to the tower than to the Heavenly Body wizard.

"He's aiming for the tower." Erza looks on in awe from behind me.

I look back at her with a grin. "A physical battle, a mental battle, and a landscape battle. Together, me and Natsu can hit it on all sides."

"Now, I'm angry." Jellal's hands start shaking, and his face twists up in anger, deviating even further from Mystogan's calm and kind face. "I didn't spend years building this tower just to have a couple of brats tear it down! I won't let you!"

Natsu gets right back up, looking a little wobbly. "Tough break, pal, but you can't say I didn't warn you. I told you destroying stuff id one of my specialties. My sister will vouch for it, she hates it when I break stuff!"

That seems to be the last straw. "I'll make you pay!" Jellal raises his hands, a huge amount of magic power flowing through him, and all concern for his tower wiped away in favor of destroying Natsu.

"Whoa, something weird's going on with his magic! It's making me feel sick!" Natsu stumbles a little as I race over to him.

"Natsu, are you okay!?" I grab hold of him and hold him up. _This is bad. Whatever that spell is, it's definitely not normal magic!_

"And now, I'll plunge you into infinite darkness, dragon slayers!" A dark orb forms above him, one that he no doubt plans to shoot at us.

"Don't do it!" In a flash, Erza picks herself up and throws herself into the middle of the battle, using herself as a shield while I hold up Natsu. "Unless you want to kill me too!" Jellal seems to hesitate, which gives Erza a little more confidence. "You don't want to lose your sacrifice to Zeref, do you?"

"That would be a problem." Jellal appears to concede her logic. But my instincts are screaming at me that something is going to go wrong. "The ceremony requires the body of a wizard comparable in strength to one of the ten wizard saints." That seems like a tall order, but Jellal doesn't look worried. "However, I can find a suitable replacement. You're not the only one who fits that bill. I'll worry about that after I kill the three of you!"

 _Damnit! I can't deflect a spell that strong!_ But regardless, I prepare a shield anyway, hoping to do something about that massive attack.

Natsu is more concerned for Erza's safety than his own. "Watch out! What are you doing?"

"It's my fault that you're involved in this mess." Erza stands tall and proud as our defender. "The least I can do is protect the two of you!"

Natsu shoves me roughly. "Ciara! You need to take Erza and run! Get out of the way!"

I shake my head and focus on my spell. "Natsu, you never left me behind, so there's no way I'm leaving you behind, ever! I don't know if this is gonna work, but I'm going to try and block the spell!"

"Don;t do it! It'll kill you!" Natsu's paranoia is not without merit, but I still doubt that failing a spell like this would drain my magic to zero in a place like this. The air itself hums with magic energy. In fact, if I can work quickly enough, I might be able to use the energy in the air to strengthen the spell.

Unfortunately, I don't have that long, and Jellal hurls the spell at us. "Heavenly Body Magic! Altairis!"

The spell of darkness zooms toward us, intent on smashing right into Erza. But in the blink of an eye, a larger form appears in front of Erza to take the blast, landing just outside the range of my magic circle.

The impact causes an explosion, throwing dust and smoke into the air, along with particles of ethernano infused lacrima. And when that dust clears, the one standing there, taking the lethal hit, is Simon.

Erza rushes forward, headed straight for her friend. "Simon!"

Jellal approaches as well. "I had no idea you were still crawling around the tower, you despicable pest."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Erza ignores Jellal's jibe, her eyes only for Simon now. "Why didn't you escape with the others?" But when she gets no response, she panics. "Talk to me!"

Simon coughs, his words too strangled and muffled to make out. But judging by the look on Erza's face, they're heartbreaking. "Simon!" Erza starts whimpering, tears falling down her face as Simon becomes still. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Natsu grabs hold of my wrist, a hard look of anger in his eyes. "Ciara, I've got an idea."

"Yeah? What is it?" I've got a bad feeling about it, but at this point, I'm willing to listen to any plan he's got.

"First, I think that you're gonna need to let your hair down." My eyes widen, since he must think that the situation is truly desperate, to even suggest breaking Igneel's rules. "And second…we need more magic. I'm gonna take on Jellal, and you need to bring down this tower."

"Yeah…but there's only so much power I can get from sucking up the wind." I really hate to poke a hole in his plan, but I just don't see what he could mean.

"There's one other place to get magic, right?" He looks down at the ground and picks up a shattered piece of lacrima. "There's wind and fire magic in here, right?"

My eyes widen as his plan dawns on me. "Yeah…but…"

He brings it to his mouth and takes a bite of it. "Then eat up. You're gonna need it if we're gonna topple this tower."

He presses a lacrima crystal into my hand, about the size of my fist. I clench it tightly, worried about what exactly this is going to do to my body. But hell, if this doesn't work, nothing will, and I'm ready to take some desperate measures. He reaches up and pulls my ribbons from my hair, stuffing them into the sealed pouch that I carry with me just in case something like this happens. Always prepared for everything, as the older members of the guild say. I've never used it before. I've never had a reason to. But today, I do.

Over there by Simon and Erza, Jellal just laughs. "What a perfectly foolish thing to do! He tried to play the valiant hero, but his death won't change a thing! Simon gave his own life to save yours, but he should have known that I'm not letting any of you leave this tower alive!"

Natsu isn't taking any more shit from him, and sprints up in an instant to sock him in the jaw. "Shut up!"

Jellal goes flying, smashing into a lacrima spike a short ways away. Natsu's lacrima-powered punch was amazing, and I look back down at the lacrima in my hand. I guess it's now or never… I bite into it, my teeth cracking the lacrima, shattering it into tiny pieces in my mouth. At the first swallow, I can feel the power flowing into me. At the second, I can feel it humming in my veins. And at the third, I can feel it spilling out of me. I feel like I'm going to throw up. But there's so much power, and I have to try and contain it myself, with no help from my magic seals.

Natsu roars into the sky, magic energy swirling around him like flames in a firepit. "Ciara! Go!" He slams his hands against the ground, shattering some of the lacrima. "Now!"

Today is one of those days, one of those rare days that Natsu is calling the shots instead of me. Sometimes, we do it together, and often, I'm making the plans and handing out the orders. Today, though, it's his turn to take the lead.

 _Alright, but you had better kick his ass. If you don't, then I'm going to be very displeased when I come back up here to clean up your mess._

 _Yeah, now go! Bring this whole damn tower down!_

 _Aye, sir._ My face twists in a wry smile as I mimic Happy. Then I glare at the ground and raise my fist. "Wind Dragon's Shining Claws!"

The ground shatters beneath me, plunging me into a hole down to the next floor. And as I fall, I spin through the air. "Wind Dragon's Talon!" Power pumps through me as I bring my heel down on the ground of this floor, shattering it as well.

I make the plunge, going floor after floor after floor, shattering columns and spikes, some of which fall right down to the bottom of the tower, bringing other spikes with them as they fall into the ocean. Deafening sounds of battle echo above me, proof that Natsu is fighting Jellal as hard as I'm working to bring down this tower.

I hit the ground near the bottom of the tower, and take a look around, looking for the weakest point. That's when I catch sight of my own reflection in a large, still intact piece of crystal.

Looking at it, I would swear that I'm looking at another person. But the thigh-length pink hair is definitely mine. The rest…can't possibly be. There are silver streaks in my hair, silvery blue scales extending over my skin, covering my sides, and parts of my face, especially around my now solid silver eyes. And judging by the feeling, I would say that the scales extend down my arms and legs, as they also end on the backs of my hands.

I raise my hand up to take a look. _What…what's happened to me? Wait…_ Some of Igneel's old lessons come flooding into my mind, coming from the deepest recesses of my memories. _…Dragon Force…? But it can't be…can it? I thought that he said that I wouldn't be able to use it on my own. Did the ether-nano trigger it? Is Natsu using this form too?_

I clench my fist, and stare at my reflection. "Well, nothing I ca do about it now. So I might as well use it." I draw my hand back and slam it against the lacrima. "Time to bring this place down!"

I didn't think that I hit it so hard. But as soon as my hand makes contact with the crystalline surface, the lacrima starts exploding around me, crumbling under the force of the magic. Drawing myself into a ball, I hope that I'll make it out of this in one piece. But judging by how violently the lacrima is exploding, that might not be an option.

A particularly violent explosion goes off above my head. The subsequent shockwave slams into me, hurling me out of the tower and across the ocean.

I skip like a stone across the bumpy surface of the water, hitting every wave in my way. _So…is this how I'm going to die…?_ I smash into another wave, but this time, I sink into the water instead of skipping across it. _Guess so…_

As I sink into the water, my limbs without the energy to pull myself to the surface, I watch as the light from the stars dims and diffuses into the many layers of water that lie between me and the surface. And as I close my eyes, there are only two words on my mind.

 _Sorry, Natsu…_

* * *

Gray's P.O.V.

Light bursts from the tower, shooting up into the sky.

"Oh crap, it's exploding!"

"No it's not! Take a closer look!" I know explosions, I've been around Natsu long enough to know a normal explosion from this. "That magic energy's shooting upwards out of the tower! Into the sky!" But still, the power is incredible, the whole tower goes up in smoke as it does explode, though on a smaller scale.

Happy freaks out. "Where'd the tower go!?"

"It was just there a second ago!" Man, Erza's friends are great at pointing out the obvious.

But Sho is right, the lacrima has been leveled, there's almost nothing left of it after it's consumed in that bright light. And something whizzes across the water, heading almost straight for us. At first, I wonder if it's Jellal, here to wipe out the rest of us. Then I catch sight of the pink hair. "Ciara!"

I try to get up, but Lucy pushes me back down as the bubble wobbles. "Gray, what's going on!?"

I point out towards the water. "It'a Ciara! She's headed this way!" But just when I expect her to catch sight of us and speed up, she slams into a wave and disappears. "Ciara…?" I half expect her to poke her head out of the water, straight into the bubble. But she doesn't.

Happy stares out at the water helplessly. "Do you think she's okay? She hit the water pretty hard…"

 _Of course!_ I get up and peer into the water. "She must be unconscious! That explosion threw her all the way out here! I have to save her!"

Before anyone can stop me, I break through the shell of the bubble and dive into the water, straight in the direction that she sank in.

I swim as fast as I can, looking for that pink hair, her most distinguishing feature. It sure makes her easy to pick out in a crowd. And here in the water, I'm hoping it'll offer the same advantage. And there's plenty of it, so it shouldn't be hard to spot.

A flash of pink skirts past me, just out of the corner of my eye. I turn, and there she is, about thirty feet away. _Gotcha!_ I swim quickly, heading straight for her as she continues to sink. _Man, for someone who likes to fly a lot, she sure sinks fast._ It reminds me of that time when we were kids, when she had no idea how to die by drowning.

As soon as I'm close enough to grab her, I pull her into my arms and head straight for the surface. The sooner she's out of the water, the better, because as far as I can tell, she's not breathing.

I break the surface with her, but even the shock of air doesn't force the water out of her lungs. Damn it! I look around for the others, and catch sight of Juvia's bubble headed straight for us. "Over here! She needs help!"

The bubble speeds up, opening a hole in it so that Lucy and Sho can pull Ciara inside. Lucy watches Ciara, then panics. "Juvia! She's not breathing!"

I'm on it." Juvia kneels next to Ciara as I climb into the bubble and it seals up behind me. She moves her hand over Ciara's chest, moving it along with her hand. "Now…" Ciara's mouth opens a little as water starts to flow out. And just as the last droplets of water trickle out, she starts coughing and gasping for air.

Now that she's breathing and the danger has passed, I take a good look at her skin and notice…scales. There are pale, silvery blue scales covering the sides of her face, as well as her shoulders and hands. It looks like there's more, but I can't tell for sure how far they go.

The scales quickly start to disappear as her breathing steadies. And Lucy looks more than a little shocked. "What…what was that?"

"I don't know…" And I really don't. I've never seen this happen to Ciara before, and I've known her for years. Not only that, but her ribbons aren't in her hair. "Did she…unseal her power?" I heard her talking about it with Gramps once, a long time ago. It was the one time that Erza agreed to eavesdrop on a conversation with me.

Juvia keeps us moving towards the remains of the tower, but spares a glance down at Ciara. "It reminds me of Gajeel's scales…"

"So it's a dragon slayer thing?" Lucy sounds a little relieved at that, and I can detect the awe in her voice. "Then…I wonder what happened…to push her so far?"

"We're about to find out." Juvia drops her hands, and the water sphere collapses. "We're here."

"Good…" I heft Ciara onto my back, carrying her along as we run towards Natsu, who looks like he's carrying Erza. "Hey Erza!"

Natsu goes ahead and collapses, he looks pretty worn out. But there's no way I'm cutting him any slack just because he's tired. "Hey man! Your sister is heavy!"

He and Erza lean away from each other as Lucy tackles Erza in a hug. And Natsu focuses on me, his eyes growing unnaturally warm at the sight of his sister. "Ciara…you made it…good…" Then he promptly collapses.

"Whoa! What happened!?" Sho pulls Natsu out of the water in a hurry. "He's unconscious!"

I sigh and glance back at Ciara. "Looks like these two really over did it."

"They ate ether-nano. The Etherion charged the lacrima crystals, and they both ate some of it. It gave them incredible power but…" Erza looks at them sadly. "I'm worried about what'll happen to them."

I sigh and shake my head. "Trust these two to let their appetites get them into trouble… Dragon slayers are such a pain."

"Yeah…" Erza gazes softly at Natsu, and it's just so cute. "But it's a pain I'm willing to endure…"

Lucy laughs, nodding a little. "Yeah…I think they're pretty cool too."

"Then let's get these two home. They'll get to cool off there." Lucy groans at my joke, but the others just laugh.

I shift Ciara one more time on my back. She's deceptively light, but that's probably just part of her wind dragon thing. _I'll tell her what happened when she wakes up. She's probably going to be out for a while. And to think, she's only been awake for a couple of weeks, and now she's going straight back to sleep._

But I'll just tell her about it all when she's strong again.


	49. Lightning Rod

**This arc is going to serve the purpose of, first of all, exploring the war inside of Fairy Tail (as caused by Laxus), as well as to demonstrate the changing relationships of the dragon slayers in Fairy Tail. Because let's face it, they've got some complicated views of each other. Half the time, I'm pretty sure they hate each other to the core. The rest of the time, it's like they're best buddies.**

 **So basically, I'm going to use these next few chapters to show my utter disdain for Laxus' character at the beginning of the series. That guy has a serious attitude problem.**

 **Oh, and this arc started off with just over 3k words in notes. So let's see how much I can expand that to.**

* * *

This isn't the first time I've woken up back in my own house, but I don't know if I'll ever get used to the feeling of skipping a bunch of time. I hate the feeling of missing something. It all feels like one big joke gets played on me, and everyone gets to laugh about it, because I've got no idea what's going on. And no matter how many times it happens, it never feels like less of a joke.

Regardless, I pull myself out of bed, checking my few new bandages. I've got a few wounds that weren't there before, and my joints are still sore from all of the effort I went to when I was smashing through the lacrima floors in the Tower of Heaven. But other than that, it seems that I just need to rest again. Maybe this time, I'll be able to fully recover before the next emergency happens. And hopefully it's nothing like the Tower of Heaven.

The memory of what happened at the Tower of Heaven brings on a wave of nausea. _Ugh…I guess eating ether-nano was a bad idea… I'm definitely never doing that to myself again. Natsu can go ahead and try to force-feed it to me, but he's going to find me to be even more stubborn than a mountain._

I reach up to rub my temples, and notice that my hair isn't hanging around my face anymore. _Huh? But…_ I reach up and feel in my hair, to find that my ribbons are back, holding back everything but my bangs. _Huh…I wonder which of them put my ribbons back in…? Natsu? Maybe Gray…? Erza might have been able to figure it out, but she doesn't usually do it this nicely. And I doubt that Lucy knows how I put my hair up._ There's a trick to it that involves looping my hair, that way, it only falls to my hips, instead of the extra foot that starts trickling towards my knees.

Taking down my hair, I head into my bathroom for a quick shower, washing off all the little pieces of lacrima that got stuck to my skin while I was off smashing that tower to my heart's content. It doesn't take too long, but the particles itch like crazy as I scrub them off my skin.

I put on fresh clothes as the last of the steam swirls off my skin. My favorite silver boots are covered by a pair of dark blue jeans, and I make sure to pick a blue shirt with cut shoulders, slipping a red and gold vest over the top. _I should probably check in at the guild… My clock says that it's been about a week since the Tower of Heaven, so they've probably been waiting for me to wake up._

So I make sure to lock up my house before heading to the guild. My house looks pretty different though, since the renovations for the third story were completed while I was on vacation. _I can't wait to fill it up. It's going to be such fun customizing a whole new floor!_

As I approach the guild, I get an eyeful of the newly constructed guild hall. And honestly, I like it better than the old hall. It looks a whole lot bigger, and more like a castle now. And there are plenty of places outside that I could use as landing pads for when I get back from a job. It would be a lot easier than risking hitting someone right in front of the guild. Again.

I head through the front gates, to be greeted with a brand new outdoor cafe and a gift shop. _That's different…I guess Gramps thought it would be a good idea to raise extra funds by selling Fairy Tail merchandise. It's a good idea, since we're so popular and all._ They've got everything from action figures to mugs to towels. It's a pretty comprehensive line, featuring some of our most popular wizards.

While the outside is certainly impressive, I'm rather excited to see what the inside is going to look like. Considering how much bigger the guild is on the outside, I imagine that the inside got re-vamped too. So I push the doors open, and the familiar smell of food and beer greets me. I never thought that I would miss the smell of alcohol so much.

As soon as I walk through the front doors, I notice that there's already a ruckus. _Of course…they couldn't possibly keep it down for more than a couple of hours, could they? Just had to get into a fight in the brand new guild hall…typical._

I sigh, walking right inside, with no regard for anyone who might stop me on account of the few visible bandages. My guild mates can get quite overprotective of injured members, and I plan to give them no opportunity to exercise that tendency with me.

I look up at the two idiots who must have started the commotion, and sigh. _Natsu…I should have known. And he's fighting with…_ I narrow my eyes, not believing what I'm seeing. _Gajeel!? But he's not…_ My eyes drift to his shoulder, where there's a Fairy Tail emblem stamped on his shoulder in black. _Looks like he is…he's a member now. Actually, that's great! Now I don't have to feel guilty about doing this!_

"Alright idiots! It's time to take a nap!" I raise my hands into the air, then slam them towards the ground, the wind following my movements, and grabbing both wayward dragon slayers, slamming them to the floor. "Keep the brawls outside! I don't want the new guild hall getting wrecked because of you two!" With another dragon slayer around, these two are definitely going to be my main concern from now on. They're as prone to fighting each other as Natsu and Gray, only a much more destructive pair.

Everyone else freezes mid-brawl. And Gramps sighs in relief. "Thank you Ciara…as usual, your timing is impeccable."

"Right…" Now that the brawling has calmed, I can actually take a look around the guild. It's much larger than it used to be, and there's a stage now. The bar area has been expanded, and I could swear that I can smell a pool back behind the bar. Not only that, but the second floor has gotten an expansion, and from the looks of it, its not restricted to the S-Class anymore, because Levy is hanging out up there now.

Mira glomps me, hanging off my neck happily. "Welcome home, Ciara! We've all missed you a lot!"

I snort with laughter at her assertion. "Oh, I'm sure there's a few people who didn't miss me. But the love is appreciated." I'm pretty sure she knows exactly who I mean to point out with that comment. There's one person here who's always hated my guts.

To show just how much she missed me, Mira drags me over to the bar, plopping some alcohol and food down in front of me. A present to celebrate my recovery, she claims. But honestly, I think she's just trying to pay me back for stopping yet another brawl in the guild hall.

* * *

After a round of catch-up at the guild that ended up involving Mira, Cana, Erza, and more alcohol than should be permitted, I'm more than ready for a little time to myself. So I head for Southgate Park, where there's this nice big oak tree that I like to sit in. There's one spot in the tree where I can get a clear view of the sky, but if anyone looks up into the tree, they can't see me at all. It's the perfect place to hide and get away from people. And luckily, I'm nowhere near intoxicated enough to lose my balance. All thanks to a high alcohol tolerance, and the ability to control myself.

I climb into the tree, settling myself down for some much needed relaxation time. There's a wonderful breeze today, and I inhale it slowly as it passes through the branches, ruffling the leaves. This is also the best place in the city for catching the tasty breezes. There's no pollution, and there are a few restaurants around, so sometimes I'll get a particularly tasty breeze at lunchtime or dinnertime.

Though about half an hour into my tasty relaxation time, there's a disturbance under my tree, and I look down to see Levy hiding behind the trunk, and Jet and Droy standing below the branches. _This can't be good…this is the tree that they were hung from during the Phantom Lord incident. I thought that they wanted to avoid this place…_

But when a fourth person appears, it all makes sense. From the other side of the park, Gajeel appears, looking a little bored. _Why would team Shadowgear be meeting with Gajeel, and here of all places? Something's up…_

Gajeel regards the two carefully. "So what's the deal? Why'd you ask me to meet you out here? Make it fast, I gotta get to work."

Jet's fast mouth wins first right to speak. "We got a bone to pick with you."

"After what you did to us, there's no way you're joining out guild!" _Uh…Droy, he's already in the guild. What do you plan to do? Drive him out yourself? Because honestly, you're not scary enough to._

Gajeel rolls his eyes. "Com on guys, can't you just forgive and forget?" It doesn't sound too sincere, but Gajeel doesn't seem like the kind of person to wear his heart on his sleeve, so the tone is probably just a defense mechanism. At least, that's what I'm going with while trying to stay as objective as possible. After all, I do remember what he did to me and Lucy during the fighting.

"Maybe he's right." Levy pokes her head out from behind a tree, still obviously scared of Gajeel. "I mean, now that he's in the guild, he's not gonna to do it again."

"We gotta let him know."

"He can't mess with us."

I roll my eyes yet again and shake my head. _You two are neither strong enough, nor scary enough to take on Gajeel in a real fight. So unless he just lies down and takes a beating, there's no way you're going to be able to do a single thing to him. And even then, I doubt that you'll do any permanent damage._

When Gajeel smirks, Jet takes it as a challenge. "That's right, go ahead and act tough while you still can!" He springs at Gajeel, knocking the wind out of the Iron Dragon Slayer.

Droy moves next, throwing his magic seeds into the air. "Secret Seeds!" They grow quickly, turning into a barrage of fists. "Knuckle Plant!"

And unlike my earlier assumption, Gajeel doesn't flatten the two of them. In fact, he just stands there and takes every hit. The hell? It's like he's… The truth dawns on me. No way…he's actually letting them hit him. He's not even putting up a fight.

I'm tempted to jump down from the tree and put an end to this, but Gajeel is a dragon slayer, just like me and Natsu, which means that his pride is very important to him. If I intervene now, then it'll tear his pride to shreds. And it'll make those two hate me, instead of accept him.

"Falcon Heaven Soar!" Jet aims a magic kick at Gajeel, knocking him right out of the tangle of plant fists, and sends him skidding across the ground. And for some reason, Jet still hasn't seen anything wrong with what's going on. "You had enough yet?"

Droy, unfazed by his assault being interrupted, joins Jet. "What happened to the tough-guy act?"

"You're not givin' the new guy a hard time, are ya?" That voice tickles my ears in all the wrong ways, grating on my nerves as I look down to see Laxus joining the party. "But seein' as this is the punk that tore down our guild hall, I understand how you feel." Laxus approaches Gajeel, looking all high and mighty like usual. "I bet the only reason the old geezer let you join the guild is cause he was scared of you wreckin' the place again." Laxus' face twists into a horrible grimace. "We've become the laughing stock of the magic community because of you! On my way back from my last job, I stopped off at a few pubs. And I heard some things that really pissed me off. Everybody was talkin' about how weak the Fairy Tail guild is now. No one dared to say that about us before you came along!"

I grip one of the branches, trying to control my anger. _Laxus…you're so obsessed with what everyone else says, with how strong we're perceived to be, that you can't even acknowledge the strength of anyone besides yourself. You see yourself as the epitome of strength, when really, you're just an over-powered prick who lords that power over others whenever it's most convenient for you. I bet you've never even been in a fair fight before._

And as if to prove me right, now that Gajeel has been beaten up while not fighting back, Laxus makes his move, pummeling Gajeel with a column of lightning. "Now, you're gonna pay!" He slams his fist into the ground, and a stream of lightning rips through the grass, aimed straight at Gajeel.

The attack slams Gajeel backwards, running him straight into a tree. And now, even Jet is getting uncomfortable. "You're taking this too far! Calm down, man!"

"I know Laxus is strong and all, but somethin's not right." Droy is finally catching on. "It seems like Gajeel's going down too easily."

The truth finally dawns on Jet. ""I didn't realize it til now…he's not fighting back."

Laxus slams his foot down on Gajeel's head. "You never should have messed with Fairy Tail, punk! Cause now you're gonna have to deal with me!"

Normally, I would step in by now, but I wait and watch to see what Jet and Droy are going to do. And I'm not disappointed as Jet stands up to Laxus. "Give it a rest, Laxus! Leave him alone!"

That pisses Laxus right off. "I'm not takin' orders from you!" He turns his lightning on Levy this time.

But as I prepare to jump down and save Levy, Gajeel appears right in front of her, his arm turned to iron as he takes the hit of lightning. Levy is more than a little surprised. "Gajeel!"

"You through with me now?" Gajeel looks tired and beaten down, but he's still staying on his feet. "Cause I got other things to do."

Levy, the little sweetheart, tries reaching out to her rescuer. "Gajeel, I-"

"Leave me alone…" He doesn't even look back as he trudges off, looking really very injured.

"Interesting…" I drop out of the tree and land right next to Levy. "I wondered what kind of person Gajeel really was. I guess I've got my answer now."

"Ciara!" Levy stares at me, and Jet and Droy spin around to look at me. Levy tugs on my sleeve, her eyes full of worry. "You saw all that?"

"Yeah, I did." I watch Gajeel's retreating form and smile. "It definitely exceeded my expectations."

But Levy isn't done with me yet. "Hey…you're a dragon slayer, so you know stuff about their health, right?"

"Yeah…" Then I understand what she's asking. "Don't worry, Gajeel's a tough one. We're pretty resilient, so he'll be fine. I'll bring him something to help with the injuries. But he should be as good as new in a few days. Maybe sooner, if he accepts a little help."

That puts a hesitant smile on Levy's face. "Oh, good…"

I pat her on the head and smile. "Alright, then I'll go get what I need right now. I should have plenty of supplies lying around my house. So you three head back to the guild, and try not to cause too much trouble, alright?"

She nods and runs to Jet and Droy, pulling on their arms. "Come on! Let's go find a job to do!" I watch as she drags them back towards the guild, before turning away slightly, and jumping into the sky, heading straight for my house.

* * *

Luckily for me, those guys who did the renovations on my house left behind some of their supplies, mostly nails and small tools. And if they've been left alone this long, chances are that they're not going to be missed. So I gather them all up and stuff them into a bag before racing back out of my house and towards the other end of town.

I spot Gajeel trudging out of town, heading off towards the train station. Normally, I wouldn't have so much sympathy for someone who tortured me. But after that display of sheer chivalry, there's no way I can just go about ignoring him. Plus, I like how cool he was standing up to Laxus. That guy is a serious tool.

"Oi Gajeel!" I call out to him, and he pauses, looking around at me. I take the bag of nails and scraps and toss it right into his arms. "Here. This should make you feel better. Eat up."

He looks into the bag, then turns away from me, refusing my help. "I don't need pity from you."

I press my hands to my hips and glare at him. "Okay, you've got two options here. Either you eat that yourself, or I'll be shoving it down your throat. Don't confuse pity with practicality. Besides, this stems more from admiration than anything else."

Gajeel glares back at me, more suspicious than anything else. "Don't you hate me like the rest of them? Why should I listen to you?"

I sigh, feeling a little deflated. "Oh come on, don't tell me that your nose wasn't working back in the park. You knew full well that I was there, didn't you?"

His eye twitches slightly. "Yeah, so what?"

"So, I saw everything." My earlier glare shifts into a smile. "Anyone who can stand up to Laxus like that is good in my books. So as long as you don't feel like testing out my pain tolerance again, I'm not going to hold a grudge about what happened. It was a battle, and we were on opposite sides. Now, there's no longer a battle, and we're on the same side if there was going to be one. So just accept the gift, and get your ass out of town." I point towards the train station. "You've got a job to get to, right?"

A faint smile plays about his lips. "Right. I'll see ya when I get back, Pinky."

My eye twitches as I glare at his back. "Don't call me Pinky!"

 _Maybe those two have more in common than I thought..._


	50. Miss Fairy Tail

**I wasn't planning on showcasing Ciara's abilities this early. I was going to do it during the Nirvana arc. But then I got a bunch of great ideas for it, and I think I can fit it into the story without messing up the canon events. Let's just say that Freed, Bixlow and Evergreen are in for a shock, Laxus is going to have a fun time, and Ciara is going to get a chance to whoop some ass…before the effects of Etherion kick back in. At this point, Natsu is only just recovering from eating ether-nano, and as Ciara is far more prone to getting sick than Natsu, it only stands to reason that she would suffer the effects longer than him. And since it's Fairy Tail, I'm going with Murphy's Law. Everything that can go wrong will go wrong.**

 **I'll also be giving Freed a chance to look at things. Mostly because I want Ciara's entrance to be absolutely spectacular, and to give an outside perspective to exactly how strong she is (because most people can't really give a full view of what their abilities do to their surroundings). I do so hope that I pull that off. I also hope that I pull off Freed well, I don't want him to seem OOC.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V

I'd completely forgotten about the festival. Magnolia's annual Harvest Festival. You'd think that since I've been in the Fantasia Parade before, that I wouldn't have forgotten about such an important event, but with all of the chaos lately, it's no wonder. First, the issue with Eisenwald, then the Galuna Island incident immediately afterward, the war with Phantom Lord a month ago, and then the fiasco with the Tower of Heaven. We've had a pretty busy couple of months.

And now, we've got the parade later today to get ready for. Oh, and the Miss Fairy Tail pageant. I honestly don't see the appeal to parading around in skimpy clothes, trying to win money. But for some reason, the other girls really seem to like it, hence all of the buzz around the guild lately.

As I sit at the bar, eating some breakfast, since I felt too sick and lazy to cook for myself this morning, Mira eyes me mischievously. "So, are you going to be entering the Miss Fairy Tail contest this year? They accept entries until lunchtime!"

"No." It's my usual response to her antics "Why would I? I don't need the money, and I don't feel like prancing around in a bikini either. And I'm already known for my pink hair. I really don't need to keep advertising it." I'm still feeling a little sore about being called Pinky by Gajeel. "Besides, I'm saving my magic for the parade later. I'm still sick from eating ether-nano at the Tower of Heaven, and my magic hasn't completely regenerated in the last week and a half. I've spent most of my time sleeping off the nausea. And converting wind into magic through my stomach might just set off the hurling again. And I really don't feel like projectile vomiting in the middle of the guild hall."

"I see…well I hope that you feel better soon." Mira sounds rather disappointed. "That's too bad, though. I think that if you decided to enter, you would win for sure!"

"You think…?" Somehow, that's hard for me to imagine. "But you, Erza, and Lucy are all prettier than me. Plus, my magic is hardly something that I would consider to be show-worthy. I'm better at destroying things than doing some glittery show." It annoy me to talk about how much like my brother I am. "Actually, even Natsu's magic is more suited for a stage than mine. The parade is fine, since I'll be providing effects for one of the floats in collaboration with Gray and Juvia. But a stage? No thank you. I'll just hang out and watch until the pageant is over."

* * *

Around lunchtime, people start filing into the guild hall, all of our members currently in Magnolia gathering to watch the proceedings of the Miss Fairy Tail contest. And as promised, I have not entered. I'll just watch from up on the second floor.

As the announcer, Max gets right into his role. "The long wait is finally over, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the one and only Miss Fairy Tail contest, where your favorite fairies fight in a battle of beauty!" He gestures with a flourish. "I'm Max Alors, sand wizard extraordinare, and I'll be your host for this exciting event! Now, let's meet entry number one! The exotic beauty who'll drink you under the table any day of the week! Cana Alberona!"

The first one out on stage really is Cana, though she isn't dressed in anything particularly spectacular, it's the same skimpy outfit as always. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I can smell the alcohol that's soaked into her clothes from too many long drinking sessions. I could probably smell her coming from a mile away, if I cared enough to anticipate it. The only reason that I couldn't in here is because her smell is overpowered by the overall smell of the alcohol and food in the guild hall.

"Now bust out some magic and show us your stuff!" Cana just laughs in response to Max, her cards flying through the air and spinning all around her. "She sent her deck spinning! What could she be doing behind all those cards?" And when the light dies down, there she is in a bikini. "She changed into a swimsuit!

Cana exits stage right, and Max gets the crowd even more worked up. "On to entry number two! She may be new to the guild, but her magic is S-Class! A radiant beauty in rain or shine, Juvia Lockser!"

Juvia shows up on the stage next, her outfit very different to what she wore at the Tower of Heaven. Her hair is shorter now and rather spiky, and her outfit is almost entirely white, instead of blue. But just as I observe that, her outfit disappears as she turns mostly to water, looking rather like an angel or a bird. And following up just like Cana, she changes into a bright white and blue polka-dot swimsuit.

"And the lovely lady is all set for a fabulous day at the beach!" Max is sure doing everything he can to get the crowd worked up about all the skimpy swimsuits. And this is precisely why I didn't want to enter. "Next up is entry number three, Fairy Tail's famous centerfold! Her beauty has stolen the hearts of men and women all over the land! Mirajane! Now show us your stuff!"

Mirajane takes to the stage next. And normally, this kind of contest would be an easy win for her. But somehow, I get the feeling that she's going to try and get creative. Things go very wrong when she gets creative. "My specialty is transformation magic, so I'll show you a new side of me!" She raises her hands to her face, and while the crowd is expecting something pretty, I'm expecting something stupid.

Mira does not disappoint. "This is my Happy face! Aye!" She turns her head into a perfect replica of my pet's face. And she doesn't stop there. "Here's my Gajeel face! Cool, huh?" Her replication of Gajeel's face is so bang on that it's terrifying to see it on a female body. And judging by the sputtering reaction of our Iron Dragon Slayer, he agrees with me.

To get the crowd back under control, Max moves on to the next contestant. "Entry number four! The Fairy Queen who needs no introduction, Erza Scarlet!"

Erza comes flipping out onto the stage, drama ever so strong in her blood. She laughs at the applause, since she thinks she's got this in the bag. "Let me show you a requip you don't get to see every day." Light flashes around her as she switches out her armor for a new outfit. And of course, she just has to go overboard with a lacy gothic lolita dress. _Yep...she's got this in the bag._

After Erza leaves the stage, much to the displeasure of the crowd, Levy comes up next for an introduction. "And here is entry number five! Petite and cute, this Fairy is as smart as she is charming! Let's hear it for Levy McGarden!"

She flashes her ever-present smile to the crowd. "Let me show you my Solid Script!" She writes words all across the air, for metal, butterfly, flowers, and snow. It's definitely a flashy and special ability, and it gets her all the attention she deserves, especially from Jet and Droy, her personal fanboys.

"Here we have entry number six!" Max picks up the pace as Bisca walks out onto the stage, another one clad in only a bikini, though unlike the others, she came out dressed that way. "The sniper with her sights set on your heart the one and only Bisca Mulan!

Bisca pulls out four tiny gold coins, adorned appropriately with little hearts. She throws them into the air with a laugh. "Requip time!" A rifle appears in her hands and she points straight up. "The Gunner!" She shoots single shot into the air, piercing all four of the coins.

Alzack is falling all over himself at the display, practically drooling over Bisca. "That's hot!" I roll my eyes at his silliness. _Yeah, and we all know you have the hots for her, so why don't you two just get a room already? Preferably far away from the guild._

"Let's move on to entry number seven! Fairy Tail's rising star!" I smile at the introduction, because there's only one person that could be. "She shines as brightly as the spirits that guide her way! Lucy Heart-"

"Ah! Please don't say my last name out loud!" Lucy sprints onto the stage, trying to shut Max up. She must still have some conflicting feelings about what happened with Phantom Lord. But she waves to the crowd with a smile, dressed in what looks like a cheerleader's outfit.

"Now show us what you've got!"

Lucy pulls out a couple of pompoms, laughing nervously. "Me and my Celestial Spirits are gonna do a cheer for you guys!"

Suddenly, I smell someone approaching, someone that I really don't like. Evergreen… And lo and behold, she appears there on the stage. "Entry number eight!"

 _Oh hell no, I am so out of here._ I race along the second floor, dropping quickly to the ground right next to the doors. _I don't want to be within five miles of that bitch. Pageant or not, no one could pay me enough to stay and watch her strut around on stage._

I run straight out the doors of the guild hall, without a single backward glance. But just as I step foot outside of the guild, a wall of runes goes up behind me. I spin around, staring at the runes, and I clench my fists. _Freed? What the hell are you trying to pull?_

Moments later, the crowd starts pouring out of the guild hall in a panic. _The hell!? What's going on in there!?_ I move to step back inside the guild, but the barrier won't let me. _Freed!_

I can smell them in there. Evergreen. Freed. Bixlow. Laxus. The entire Thunder Legion, plus their leader. Evergreen is disdainful of anyone she perceives to be competition to her in terms of beauty or power. Bixlow has always enjoyed messing with me if possible. And I've found those 'babies' of his in all the wrong places. Freed, well, I think he's seen enough of the books I bring home to have some kind of respect for me. But Laxus…that guy hates my guts, and the feeling is definitely mutual. It has been since day one. Ever since the days that he used to tease me and Natsu about being raised by a dragon.

Lightning bursts through the doors of the guild, heading off into the city. _That's gotta be Laxus!_ But just after him, the rest of the guild comes racing out, all of them frantic, and paying me no mind.

Eventually, Gray comes running out and nearly slams right into me. "Ciara! There you are!"

I grab him by the jacket and glare at him desperately. "What's going on!? What is Laxus trying to pull?"

Gray's eyes widen, then immediately narrow. "Evergreen turned Lucy, Erza, Cana, Bisca, Juvia, and Mira into stone statues, and now, Laxus is holding them hostage for the next three hours. We have to find him and beat him before those three hours are up, otherwise he's gonna kill them! It's some sick game to find out who the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail is!"

I let go of Gray's collar and nearly stumble backwards. "Too far…" I shake my head and turn in the direction of Laxus' scent. "He's gone way too far this time!"

As I make to take off, Gray grabs my hand. "Wait! You can't fight them alone!"

I turn to him, my eyes glowing with anger. "Trust me, you don't want to be within a mile of me when I find them." I wrench my arm out of his grip and race off through the gates. _I'm going to find those four and teach them a lesson in pain!_

I know that Freed has probably laid all sorts of traps on the ground. So the safest place for me to be is in the air. So I shoot straight into the sky, sniffing around for Laxus' scent. And I find it. I direct my gaze onto one of the most iconic buildings in Magnolia, Kardia Cathedral. _So that's where you're hiding…coward._

 _Ciara! Where are you!?_

I frown as I hear Natsu's voice inside my head. _Natsu!? Where are you?_

 _I'm stuck in the guild hall!_

 _I see…_ It makes sense. If I couldn't get back in, then Natsu might not be able to get out. But that begs the question of why. Maybe there's a dragon slayer clause built into the barrier somewhere, and that's why we can't get across it. That sounds like something that Freed would do. _I guess I was lucky then, I stepped out of the guild hall just before the barrier went up._

 _No way! So you got out!?_

 _Yeah…? I'm tracking Laxus right now._

 _Where is he!?_

 _Looks like he's holed up in Kardia Cathedral with the Thunder Legion. I'm about to go and give them a pounding._

 _Wait for me! I wanna give that jerk a piece of my mind!_

I grit my teeth and close my eyes. _Sorry Natsu. But since you're stuck in there, I can't wait for you. I've got to do this myself. I need to bring this to an end, now._

 _Ciara!_

 _Also, apologize to Gramps for me. I think Kardia Cathedral is about to suffer some damage._

 _Wait!_

I ignore his protest and focus on the grand cathedral below me. _Looks like I won't be able to save much magic for the parade. I'll need a snack before taking on this enemy._ I suck in a deep breath and reach for my hair, ready to break the rules one more time for the sake of my friends. "It's time to pay Laxus a visit…"

* * *

Freed's P.O.V.

The game has only just begun, but I can sense that some of my traps have been triggered. The battles have started, and now we must simply watch through to the conclusion of the collapse of Fairy Tail. Through this, the guild will be reborn anew, stronger than ever before.

However, sitting around in Kardia Cathedral is hardly what I would call exciting. Both Evergreen and Bixlow appear to be weary of the proceedings as well. But it is not yet time for the three of us to join the battle. Laxus' orders stand that we are only to leave and join the battle when there are less than half of the original participants left. And so far, no more than a handful have been eliminated. And those eliminated this early in the game have no place in the strong new Fairy Tail. This is Laxus' vision.

Suddenly, the windows and floor begin to shake, and a huge magical pressure surrounds the cathedral. I recognize it faintly, it's from a member of Fairy Tail. But I can't identify it any more precisely than that. _Could this be a member that I hadn't accounted for?_

Evergreen stumbles, nearly falling over from the pressure. "What the…? Who is giving off that magical pressure!?"

"Whoa!" Bixlow tumbles out of the rafters, landing unsteadily on his feet. "I don't think me and my babies have felt anything like that before. That's crazy!"

"She's here…" An amused smile crosses Laxus' face, as he apparently recognizes the magical pressure. "Hey Evergreen, I thought I told you to freeze all the girls in the pageant. It looks like you missed one."

Evergreen doesn't seem to understand where she went wrong. "I didn't miss one! I froze all seven contestants!"

"Huh…" Laxus smirks. "Then I guess that means that she skipped out again. Figures…she never did like being in the spotlight, no matter how hard Mira begged and pushed her."

The doors blast open, banging against the walls as the hinges creak under the strain. "LAXUS!"

"But she's just like her brother…always one for a grand entrance…" Laxus gets to his feet, brushing dust off his coat. "So, you're the first to get here, huh?"

A single form walks through the cloud of dust, dirt and pollen. And through the dust, I see a long mane of hair swinging freely in the wind. "You should never underestimate the nose of Fairy Tail's fastest Dragon Slayer!"

A huge gust of wind blows into the cathedral, dispersing the cloud of dust, and revealing the one and only Ciara Dragneel. And she sports a look of annoyance, irritation, and most prominently, rage. _But how…? I don't remember her ever having this much magical power! I knew that she was a member of the S-Class, but I believed that she achieved the rank using her intelligence, not this kind of power!_

But there's no mistaking it. All of the overwhelming magical pressure is coming from her. It does indeed feel similar to that of Natsu Dragneel, however, while his is wild and without focus, hers is as sharp as a blade, while possessing the crushing properties of a landslide.

 _She is far stronger than I had previously imagined._


	51. Raising the Storm

**Alright, so it's time for Ciara and Laxus to face off. Stuff is going to go wrong, of course, and Kardia Cathedral is probably never going to be the same again. Fairy Tail will probably get a huge repair bill later.**

 **But a clash of wind and lightning. That can never go well. They work better together than against each other. ;)**

 **And as I have quite a bit of trouble writing fight scenes from scratch, this chapter took longer than I expected. They also talk a ton…mainly because Laxus is an arrogant prick, and Ciara is just as chatty as Natsu. I don't know if I would call it epic, but seeing as I don't want to break canon too badly, I have to have Natsu, Erza, and Gajeel show up later, so all I can have Ciara do is toss Laxus around a little. Though personally I would rather have her blow his ass sky high...**

* * *

There is only one thought currently in my mind. A thought so incredibly irritating and infuriating, that it's all I can comprehend right now. It's a single-minded focus that would probably make Natsu very proud. But at the moment, I don't care. Because the object of my anger is standing right in front of me.

 _Laxus…_

Said spiky yellow haired lightning wizard gets to his feet, smirking at me. "So, you came here yourself, huh? And it looks like you're not hiding behind those silly ribbons of yours. Good, that'll make this much more interesting."

My mouth twitches. "So you know…" It's a well-kept secret, and only a handful of people in the guild even know about it. It was so long ago, that anyone who joined in the last four years has no clue about it, and the ones who were there before that know only about the episodes. For the most part, they don't actually know the reasons behind why I wear my ribbons, and the illness and power that they hold back. So while I shouldn't be surprised that Laxus knows, I was rather hoping that he didn't. It would have been nice to catch him by surprise.

"What? That those ribbons you wear seal up your magic so that it doesn't go out of control?" His smirk grows just a little wider, becoming a leer. "Oh, I know all about. I have for years. The old man isn't nearly as good at hiding things as he thinks. And I always wondered what would happen if you ever got serious. Natsu is a stupid weakling, but you…you're something else entirely."

"Watch your mouth, Laxus. It'll get you into trouble." I'm not big on people calling Natsu stupid or weak. Sure, he's stupid, but I get to call him that, and only when he deserves it. Calling him weak, though…that's crossing the line. And I'm very particular about my lines.

"Oh? And what are you going to do about it? I'm curious." He's goading me, I know it. And judging by how badly I want to throttle him right now, it's working. He's really going to wish he hadn't provoked me.

As the wind around me calms to small gusts, the Thunder Legion get back on their feet, my magical power having knocked them down when I walked in. I didn't think that it would be strong enough to do that, but I'm guessing that it was part power, part surprise. They're all much newer to the guild than me, so they didn't have a clue about what's really wrong with me. Not until today.

"If you think we're letting you get near Laxus, you've got another thing coming!" Bixlow sticks his tongue out, revealing his black Fairy Tail mark. "Get her, babies!" Why he decided to get his guild emblem on his tongue, I don't think I'll ever understand. It's weird, and honestly, a little gross.

I glance in his direction as those creepy little possessed wooden dolls of his start spinning through the air. And Bixlow just made his first mistake with me… "Really…?" **_Mirror Shield._**

As the spinning dolls start firing green bolts of magic at me, they start bouncing off the silvery barrier that pops up around me. _Please…as if something like that would really be enough to touch me…_ And as the side-effect of this particular barrier, those bolts that were fired at me are fired right back, causing his little 'babies' to flail through the air, dodging them all.

I glance to the side, staring at Bixlow. "I am not here for you. Leave!" And without giving him the chance to do as I say, I raise my hand, and send him and his babies flying right out the doors of the cathedral, dropping them in the street outside. But the wind doesn't stop there. As I release my hold on the barrier, sharp gusts of wind surround me, changing everything from the temperature to the air pressure inside the building.

Laxus seems to get the idea that I'm only here for him, so he motions to Freed and Evergreen. "You two, head out into the city, and take Bixlow with you. I can handle things here. You three should be joining the battle soon." I honestly expected him to make me fight the Thunder Legion first. Not that it would have matter. In my current state, they wouldn't have lasted for very long against me.

Freed looks at me warily, looking as though he wants to protest and fight me in Laxus' stead, which would be a very bad idea for him. Instead, he simply composes himself and bows to Laxus. "As you wish." Without another word, Freed strides out of the cathedral, with Evergreen in tow.

The doors shut behind them, giving me and Laxus plenty of privacy. But it seems that he's not quite ready to fight yet, because he goes right to getting chatty. "I wasn't expecting you to participate, not after all the injuries you've built up lately."

"I've recovered." It's not a lie, since I really don't like lying. I've recovered plenty, thanks to a good week of sleep. He just doesn't need to know exactly how much I have or haven't recovered. "Or do you really think that I'm incapable of beating you?"

He sneers. "Oh, I don't think that you can beat me. I just think that this might make for an interesting distraction. After all, we've got over two and a half hours until the game is over. I need something to entertain me while I wait."

I sink a little, shifting into a combative stance. "Then let's dance. I hate sitting around and waiting for a fight to start."

"Gladly." He shrugs off his jacket, letting it drop to the floor. "Come on, Pinky. Show me what you've got."

 _You're going to wish you hadn't said that._ I take a step forward and disappear in a flash, reappearing behind him. _Time to see what you're made of. If all that confidence is true, or just talk._ I kick him in the back, hard.

The kick sends him flying several meters, though not hard enough for him to lose his balance. In fact, he just turns in mid-air, lands, and skids back a few extra feet. "Is that it!? I was expecting more from you."

"Two hundred and sixty…" I run through the calculations in my head, and I'm pretty sure that I'm right. "You weigh about two hundred and sixty pounds, don't you?"

He frowns, confused. "What?"

The longer I think about it, the more I'm convinced that I'm right. "Six-five, two-sixty. More muscle in the arms." I think I've got him all figured out. And I'm planning to make gravity my ally today.

His frown turns into a snarl. "Are you measuring me!?"

"Of course." And finally, a smile rises to my face. "There's a lot you can tell about an opponent of you can send them flying on the first strike."

That doesn't make Laxus very happy, and he growls a little at me. That's pretty strange, since the only ones I know to growl are Natsu, Gajeel, and myself. I thought that it was just a dragon slayer thing. _Oh well, I guess Natsu and I have rubbed off on him a little too much._

It takes only an instant for me to remember that Laxus is pretty fast, himself. He springs at me, his fist full of lightning. Luckily, I'm even faster than he is. I duck down under his arm, punching upwards at his elbow joint. It's not hard enough to break anything, but it's more than enough to throw him off balance. He staggers past me as I roll forwards, flipping onto my feet as I turn around to face him again. "Nice try, but if you want to make this a battle of speed, you're going to lose."

Now he's angry. "You're dead meat, brat!" Lightning starts shooting off him in all directions, bouncing off the floor and walls.

"I don't think so…" As the sparks approach me, they're stopped in their tracks by a flurry of swirling wind blades. If Laxus believes that I'm really weak enough to be taken out by a pitiful spell like that, he's got another thing coming.

Laxus growls again, his palm filling with lightning. "Go to hell, you pink-haired brat!" Thrusting his palm forward, a beam of condensed lightning shoots from it.

Most people might find it difficult to dodge something that travels as fast as lightning. But I push off the ground, flipping halfway as I shoot into the air, and I land upside down on the ceiling of the cathedral. I smile down at Laxus, who whips his head around, searching for me. _Oh Laxus…you've gone and trapped yourself for me, how considerate._

I waste no time in sucking in a deep breath. "Wind Dragon's…ROAR!"

The cyclone shoots straight down at Laxus, surrounding him in a cyclone of dull, but powerful blades. I may want to beat him, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to try to kill him. After all, he's still part of Fairy Tail. At least, for now.

"Lightning Dragon's ROAR!"

 _WHAT!?_ I hold out my hands protectively, a barrier springing to life. And while it's got to be impossible, it happens. A dragon's roar, made entirely of lightning, smashes into my barrier. And its source is Laxus…

"That's impossible…" I glare down at Laxus, all of my memories of his teasing springing to mind. "I thought you didn't believe in dragons! How the hell did you learn Dragon Slayer Magic, then?"

Laxus glares up at me, a hint of a smirk pulling at his lips. "Well, I didn't learn it from a dragon, if that's what you want to know. I told you, dragons don't exist."

I grit my teeth and surround my foot with wind blades. "You're wrong!" I shoot down from the ceiling, aiming straight for his head. "Wind Dragon's Talon!" This has now gotten very personal. For him to have the same magic that he mocked us for, is unforgivable. Or rather, it's unforgivable that he mocked us, considering that he uses a dragon's magic. _At least it explains the growling..._

 _But if he wasn't taught by a dragon…then how…?_ A terrible though comes to mind, but it's the only explanation. _Could he have a lacrima? I thought that the only way to get it was straight from a dragon! Did he find it? Or did someone else find it for him?_ It's the only reasonable explanation. I have a lacrima, and that is how I originally learned Dragon Slayer Magic. But I was still taught most of my skills my Igneel, I would never have been able to figure it all out on my own.

I try to slam my foot down on his head, but he blocks my kick and throws me off. Or rather, he means to throw me off. Instead, I just sail through the air, and rebound off the wall, heading straight for him again, sharper wind blades now circling my fingers. My claws.

He's bigger and stronger than me, but I'm faster, and much more agile. I swipe at him, trying to score a hit and draw blood. Problem is, he's got an electric field around him that's hard to bypass. Normally, I would argue that the field takes up too much energy for a normal wizard to keep up for long. But this is Laxus, he's got plenty more magic than the average wizard, and I knew that even before the dragon slayer reveal.

"Hey, Pinky! You giving up so soon!?" He sneers at me, and a small explosion of static electricity drives me back a few meters, putting a fair bit of distance between us. "And here I thought that you might be more interesting than messing with your brother."

Natsu… I grit my teeth and my fists start to shake. "Sometimes, I really hate being compared to my brother. I know that he's strictly an offensive kind of fighter, but I'm not like that. We both know that I don't have his kind of raw power. That's why I fight smart, not hard. That's the whole reason I made S-Class…" I know that it's not something I'm supposed to talk about, since there are secrets about the S-Class trial that are supposed to stay just that, secrets. But Laxus probably knows them already. So there's no harm in this. "I ran around Tenrou actually completing the trial, instead of getting caught up in the fighting. That's why I was the one who passed." There's a little more to it than that, but for now, that's all that matters.

That revelation just makes Laxus sneer outright. "If you think that fighting smart is the way to make S-Class, you're wrong. The old man must have felt sorry for you. I never did think that you were qualified for S-Class. Beating up a bunch of newts is easy, and for that island job, you had a whole bunch of little helpers. There's no way that you could have pulled it off on your own."

"Maybe…" The wind starts acting up again as my temper starts going sour. "But that doesn't give you the right to lord over me, or over anyone else." Wind caws at my fingers again, ready to see some real action. "This act of superiority is getting old, Laxus! Because you haven't even realized yet that of everyone in the guild, you are the one who least embodies the spirit of Fairy Tail!"

"Oh yeah…?" His fists are encased in lightning once more. "Well when I'm in charge of Fairy Tail, I'll be changing that spirit!"

With that, there's just nothing left to say. There's nothing I can say or do that will convince Laxus that what he's doing is wrong. There's nothing now that will show him that there's more to being strong than just having power.

I think that the way that Levy acted around Gajeel was her being strong. She could have run far away from him, or hated him for what he did. But she was willing to see past that. She was willing to have sympathy for someone who caused her and her friends so much pain.

I think that Lucy was strong while she was getting beaten up by Gajeel. She threw away her fear of death, her fear of pain, and stood up to him, even challenging him. It was brave and stupid, but mostly brave.

I think that Mira is strong, to be able to put a smile on her face every day, even after losing her sister, and all control of her magic. Elfman too, to be able to regain control of his magic, even after it was used as the instrument that took their sister away from them. Those two have overcome loss by being stronger than their demons, stronger than their regrets.

And I think that Erza is strong. After everything that happened with the Tower of Heaven, and all of the painful memories that she had to deal with, she can still stand tall, proud, and smiling.

I believe that real strength is being able to get up again after being beaten down. No matter how much power you have…if you give up after being beaten once, then that can only be considered weak. But if you lose a lot, but keep getting right back up every time, that is strength, real strength.

Natsu embodies that strength more than anyone else. Even after years of not being able to find Igneel, he still hasn't given up, and he probably never will. Whenever he fought with Gray, he wouldn't give up until he'd basically been knocked unconscious. Even if there seems to be no hope of victory, Natsu will keep fighting until he's got nothing left. And even then, he'll keep trying to get back up. To me, he is nothing less than a true representation of strength, and something that I aspire to every day.

That is the strength and spirit of Fairy Tail. Which means that I cannot give up here. I can't let Laxus trample over all of our ideals. Over all of the people who may not be physically strong, but would fight to the end to protect the people they hold dear.

Laxus' strike comes down right on my head, as he obviously means to take me out with one punch. But I raise my hand into the air, and my joints bend as I catch the strike and absorb the impact of the attack, cracking a ten foot circle in the floor. And I return the favor, slamming a palm full of wind straight into his stomach, powered enough to send him flying across the cathedral.

He picks himself up, his eyes screaming bloody murder at me. More lightning crackles, surrounding him in what looks like a cloak of it. And the expression on his face tells me that he's planning to make mincemeat out of me.

 _If only he knew…_ The wind around me swirls faster, my sign that I'm ready to fight to the end. And in an instant, the two of us spring forward, meeting in the middle of the room. When wind and lightning meet, it's like the beginnings of a thunderstorm.

Lightning flashes all around the cathedral as the two of us clash head to head. Our dragon slayer magics come crashing together every time a strike connects, thunder roaring as loud as a dragon. More often than not, each strike leaves someone with a bruise. And my strikes are only becoming more vicious, as I aim for his throat, his joints, and of course his face with my sharp wind claws. His targets are not so specific, as a hard enough strike anywhere on my body would end this match quickly.

I'm not entirely sure how long we've been at this, twenty minutes, at least. I wasn't aware that Laxus had reserves of magic this large, but it's hardly a surprise. After all, he made S-Class too. And just as the thought crosses my mind, balls of lightning explode right in front of my face, temporarily blinding and disorienting me. Never before have I so strongly cursed myself for having the enhanced senses of a dragon.

I rub at my eyes, trying to focus them. _Damn it! I should have seen that coming!_ Then I realize how ironic the thought is, since I can't see anything at all now. And it doesn't help that there's a foreign tingling feeling spreading through my body.

Taking advantage of my distraction, he knees me in the stomach, hard. But instead of throwing me across the entire cathedral, like he undoubtedly expects, it allows me to jump back and get about twenty feet of distance from him, something that I am more than capable of, even while blinking spots out of my eyes. It feels kind of like I've got a couple of slightly cracked ribs, but nothing that I can't fight with. In fact, there's very little in terms of injuries that I can't fight with. Even if I'd broken a leg, I could just fly into the air and attack from there.

I pad from foot to foot, shaking off the painful feeling in my gut, and I shake my head to clear out the last of the lightning-induced blurriness. Then, a feeling of extreme nausea and dizziness washes over me. Everything in front of me blurs once again, and I feel my knees hit the ground as I throw up a bunch of bright blue liquid. And worst of all, it's glowing. _The hell? I thought that the Etherion was out of my system… Why is it coming up now?_

"Aw…not feeling too well?" Laxus' cocky voice grates on my nerves. "Guess you shouldn't have tried to fight me after all." I can just feel his smirk on my back. "How do you even throw up blue!?"

"Etherion…" I cough out the last of the blue fluid, and it honestly smells nothing like the usual puke that I get a whiff of at the guild. It smells almost...like sunlight. "I ate Etherion-charged lacrima crystals…"

Laxus snorts with laughter. "You ate ether-nano!? Man, you're an idiot! Was that your idea or Natsu's!?"

"Natsu's…" It seemed like a bad idea at first, until I felt the power flowing through me. But now I'm regretting it again. _This must be how Natsu felt after sucking up some of Laxus' lightning last year…_

Laxus grabs me by the hair, dragging me away from the pool of blue, and towards the altar. "Well, now that you're dealt with, I'll just make sure that you can't go causing any more problems." He throws me against the stone steps, and I think that if I weren't gifted with the physical strength of a dragon slayer, I probably would have felt my skull crack.

He rummages around in my pouch, seeing as I never leave home without it. "You know, I wonder how strong these ribbons of yours are. In your current state, you probably won't be able to make a breeze." He seizes my wrists, pulling them behind my back and fastening one of my ribbons tightly around them.

"Screw you, Laxus…" I glare at him, my eyes full of hate, and a few residual black spots. "When I get myself untied, you're going to pay for this…"

"Hm…I guess I should shut you up too." He uses a little, before leering at me, and reaching around my head, wrapping my second ribbon several times around my head, securely covering my mouth. "There, now you'll be quiet for once."

I squirm a little, trying to struggle out of my bonds. Problem is, these ribbons are made to be able to withstand even the most energized battles. They're not going to break and slip off just because I want them to. And besides, that would be a terrible thing to do to one of Igneel's last presents to me.

 _Okay…so I've just fought a battle, and my magic has been cut off again. I'm tied up with indestructible ribbons. And Natsu isn't here…_ In short, I'm in quite the pickle. And for now, all I can do is glare angrily at Laxus.

At the one who betrayed us all...

* * *

 **Okay, so on another note, something is going to go VERY wrong in the next arc, when they go up against the Oracion Seis over Nirvana. So I'm wondering…who can guess precisely what the worst thing that's going to go wrong is? Because it's going to be bad, very bad.**

 **So, any guesses as to what's going to go wrong?**

 **Also, there will be flirting in the Nirvana arc.**

 **Who and who?**

 **Guess away!**

 **Also, how many hints do you guys think I dropped in this chapter? There were quite a few, so try and figure out what they were. I love me some foreshadowing.**


	52. Ultimatum

**Ah, I knew that someone was eventually going to bring up the whole Wendy thing. So I'm going to try and make something as clear as possible. I will be sticking to canon as much as possible, so yes, Wendy is going to show up, and things will progress as they are meant to.**

 **However. Wind does not equal Sky. The two are different domains, especially in attack and defense capability. One being the vast, open expanse, the other being the whistling force that races across the surface of the Earth.**

 **Wendy's sky dragon magic is used more for support and defense than in sheer offensive capability. Also, she can suck up air wherever it might be, giving her unlimited options for replenishing her power. But as of the manga so far, we haven't seen Wendy demonstrate the sheer destructive force that we've come to expect from most of the other dragon slayers. Meaning that she hasn't gone blasting towns apart yet. Yet…**

 **Ciara's magic is far more destructive, utilizing the motion of the air itself, and can take on the properties of a bladed weapon. And for anyone who lives in North America during hurricane season, I'll leave it up to your imaginations what kind of things she can do when she goes completely out of control with those kinds of abilities. She also needs at least a small breeze in order to suck up power. Stale, still air isn't going to do anything for her. And, Ciara doesn't have the healing magic that is an intrinsic part of sky dragon magic.**

* * *

Laxus leers at me, stuck on the ground, bound up in my own magic seals. "Why don't we check on the old man? I'm sure you'll be interested in seeing how he's taking all this."

I glare pointedly at him, unable to say a word, since my mouth is quite firmly tied shut. _Just wait until I'm free, jackass…then I'm going to make you wish that you were never born!_

He just laughs, as though he knows exactly what I'm thinking. "Simmer down. The fun's just getting started." He waves his hand through the air, and I can soon hear voices.

"Oh no! They took out Reedus!" _At least Happy is showing some concern for the people fighting out there._ Then again, my little blue cat is always rather concerned for the safety and well-being of others.

"I knew it! He never coulda beat Freed. That guy is good." _So that's where Freed went… Natsu is right, Reedus would never stand a chance against Freed. Maybe I should have taken the three of them out before challenging Laxus…_

"I know he's cool and all, but you're cheering for the wrong side! Now we're not gonna be able to get Porlyusica's help!" _Oh Happy…I'm sure that Natsu wouldn't be cheering for Freed if he knew where I was right now._

"We don't need it. Laxus is just bluffin' about turnin' the girls to dust." While I agree with Natsu on not needing the old healer's help, I'm not entirely sure that Laxus is bluffing about killing the girls. The way he's acting now, he just might do it.

Laxus sneers as his magic grows a little stronger. "Just bluffing, am I? You sure about that?" _He must be projecting himself to them…_ There's no other explanation for why he would sound like he's actually talking to them.

"Where'd you come from?" Obviously my brother has never seen a thought projection before.

Happy, on the other hand, has. "It's a thought projection!" _Knew it._

Laxus looks a little bemused. "Natsu, what're you doing holed up in this dump? Are you scared?" Laxus is about to wish that he hadn't said that.

"I'm not scared! I'm stuck!" Natsu's irritated voice rings painfully loud in my ears. _Now you've done it… Please…let someone shut him up!_

"What do you want?" _Gramps!_

Laxus gains a look of smug satisfaction. "How's it feel, huh? You think of the guild members as your children, right? Must be tough watching your little kiddies tear each other apart. It's too bad Natsu and Erza can't join the game, cause you don't have anyone left who's strong enough to take on the Thunder Legion." With the situation explained, Laxus tries to incite a surrender. "You ready to throw in the towel."

"No, it's not over yet! Don't forget that Gray's still in the game! And he's just as strong of a wizard as Natsu!" Happy must have a lot of confidence in our resident stripper to throw his name out into the list of challengers who might be able to beat the Thunder Legion.

"He's as strong as me!? No way, man!"

"Sorry, but you're in denial…" Happy never was one to bullshit Natsu in a serious situation.

"Gray, huh? You're gonna put all of your hopes on that loser?" While I may not see Gray as a loser, I don't fancy his chances if he runs into Freed.

"I wouldn't underestimate the boy's power if I were you…"

The runes on the wall show the current standings. And the fight between Gray and Bixlow comes to a close. Bixlow the winner. That puts a new smirk on Laxus' face. "One more down, only twenty-eight contenders remain." Then he starts laughing. "And that chump was gonna save ya?"

"You cheater!" Happy would of course resort to calling Laxus out for foul play. "I know you and your pals used some dirty trick to beat him!"

"All right, who's gonna beat the Thunder Legion now, old man?" Laxus glances at me again, light dancing maniacally in his eyes.

Natsu is the one to answer him. "My sister's still out there! She could kick your sorry butt into next year!" _Natsu…I'm sorry…_

"Oh yeah!?" Laxus glances back at me. "Well she's a little preoccupied right now. I guess Freed's runes didn't tell you about our little throw-down earlier. Seems like she ate something that didn't agree with her. It wasn't much of a fight. So try picking someone else." _Not much of a fight, my ass…you'll be feeling it for the next week, I promise._

"Gajeel will!" Happy offers him up like it's the most logical solution.

Laxus snorts. "I don't think so. He's made it clear that he doesn't wanna play. Which doesn't surprise me. That guy couldn't care less what happens to the guild."

Natsu's voice rings out again in a shrill screech. "What!? Am I invisible!?"

"You might as well be if you can't get past the barrier." Laxus has a point there. Until Natsu can get out of the barrier, he's not even a player yet.

Finally, I hear Gramps' voice. "Enough. It isn't worth it. I surrender, all right?"

"Wait a sec!"

"You've had your fun. Now stop this." Gramps sounds like he's tired of all this, and just wants to put an end to it by any means necessary.

Laxus looks surprised, to say the least. "What's gotten into you? I thought you were the master of the almighty Fairy Tail guild!? You can't just give up at the drop of a hat!" Then he backtracks a little. "But if you insist on quitting, then by all means, hand the guild over to me and take an early retirement."

I bite my lip, or try to, as the gag is squeezing my face tight. _That's what you're after!? You want to be master!? We won't let you! No one is going to stand for it, not after what you've pulled today! No one will follow you!_

Natsu seems to share my sentiment. "Why do you gotta play dirty!? Why don'tcha come here and face us!? Huh!?"

"I should've known." Gramps is sounding really angry now. "This was your goal all along, wasn't it?"

Laxus is not pleased by how this is unfolding, and his impatience seems to be getting the better of him. "You've only got an hour and a half until the statues crumble. If you really wanna put and end to this, then announce your retirement to the whole town over the guild's loudspeaker. I want you to tell everyone that you're relinquishing Fairy Tail over to me!" He presents Gramps with an ultimatum. "What means more to you? Your children or your title? Choose carefully."

He stops the thought projection and turns on me, absolutely livid. "Why are all of you so stupid!?" He kicks me in the stomach, slamming my back into the stone steps of the altar.

With my mouth covered, I can't give him a verbal answer, so I settle for glaring at him. _If fighting and standing up for our friends makes us stupid, then I'd say that you're the one who doesn't belong here. Because this is what Fairy Tail is all about!_

As though he knows exactly what I just thought, he grows angrier, picking me up by the collar of my shirt and tossing me into the wall halfway across the cathedral. I groan a little, but I'm not going to cry or try to scream. I'll do nothing to give this bastard any satisfaction.

Laxus is quickly distracted by the runes giving him an update on the battle. "So Erza has recovered and now Mystogan is joining us." He glances at me. "It looks like three of Fairy Tail's elite are coming head to head, seeing as you're out of the fight now."

I glare at him sourly. _If you'd left my mouth uncovered, I could definitely still give you a pounding._

He just scoffs and turns back to the runes. "You can't have a proper festival without a main event."

* * *

It's been over twenty minutes, and the runes are glowing again. But this time, Laxus seems less than pleased by what they've told him. In fact, he looks absolutely livid. "You failed me! I put my faith in you, Evergreen, and this is how you return the favor? I come to find out you're weaker than Erza!?"

And Evergreen most certainly did fail him. Because according to the runes, she fell to Erza. And that means that her spell on the girls has likely crumbled, along with all of Laxus' hostages.

He turns his anger on me, kicking me in the side of the head hard enough to send me flying thirty feet, then rolling across the ground. And when I sit up, blood drips down the side of my face. _You bastard…if you're trying to make me cry, it's not going to work._

Freed chooses that moment to walk in. "Titania's stronger than you think. Bixlow and I should have gone after her instead."

"Why are you here when you should be fighting?" Despite his obvious setback, Laxus is still fixated on his end goal.

"Because the game is as good as over." He glances briefly at me. "Without hostages, we can no longer force the master's hand."

Laxus shoots off a lightning bolt and storms towards me, grabbing me by the hair. "I've still got one hostage. And I'm sure that she'll be enough." He slams me into the ground, but I still refuse to make a sound.

Surprisingly, Freed looks more than a little concerned for me. "What are you doing!?"

"This fight ain't over." Laxus gives me a vicious tug before turning back to Freed. "If you don't wanna follow me, then you can get lost. There's no place for weaklings in my Fairy Tail."

Freed's eyes go wide, before narrowing again. But he says nothing, he simply leans against the wall, his eyes on the floor.

I didn't expect any sympathy from him. If he chooses to follow Laxus, then I should not expect any compassion from him. But still, I at least want to know why. And luckily, Laxus gives me that chance, when he tosses me at Freed's feet. "Lock her up with some of your runes. I don't want her misbehaving. But make sure that they're bound to her, not the floor."

"Yes sir." Freed responds immediately and quietly, before turning to me. "I advise you to sit still. This will not hurt if you do."

I stare at Freed as he silently goes about his work, writing magical runes onto my skin. _I need to ask him why…but how? I can' open my mouth so how do I…_ An idea occurs to me, a crazy idea that might not even work. _I've only ever done it with Natsu, but maybe…if I try hard enough…_

I tap into the feeling that I always have when talking with Natsu, and I focus on Freed's face, making it the center of my universe, at least for the moment. _Freed…?_

His eyes snap up and lock onto mine, confused and wide. "How did you-?"

I tilt my head slightly. _I guess that means that it worked. Funny, it's feels very different to talking with Natsu._

He frowns. _Telepathy?_

 _Yes._ I nod, then close my eyes. _It is one of my abilities. Though I have only been able to use it with Natsu until now. I suppose that this means that I'm getting stronger._

Freed freezes, no longer writing runes. _And what is it that you want?_

 _To know why you're doing this. Why you're following Laxus. Why you seem to have no problem with hurting the people that you're supposed to care about, no matter what._ Even in my head, my voice contains a powerful venom. _And why is Laxus doing this? Really? There are better ways of making the guild stronger. This is nothing more than violent chaos._

He blinks at me, probably overwhelmed by the overflow of questions. Then his eyes drop to my arms, where he continues writing runes to bind up what's left of my magic. _I follow Laxus, that is all._

 _Even if you know what he's doing is wrong?_

Freed's eyes find mine again, and I could swear that he looks conflicted, and like he's in pain. _You wouldn't understand._

 _You're right, because I don't._

With a last sigh, Freed stands up. "It is done. She will not be able to use any of her magic. And if by some miracle she manages it, she will be robbed of air until she falls unconscious. Should that happen, her remaining magic will drain while she sleeps." He bows slightly. "I will leave to keep watch over the proceedings."

Laxus ignores him as he leaves. It's like he's actually thinking about things. Which is impossible, since obviously he didn't think very hard about the consequences of his actions today. He's ripping the guild apart just so that he can rule over its ashes.

And I can't let that happen.

* * *

After many minutes of slight fidgeting, long enough for Freed to finish a round of patrols, I dislodge the ribbon around my mouth, and glare at Laxus. "I hope that you realize that as soon as Natsu gets out, he's going to go completely ballistic!" I smile at the thought and stick my tongue out at him. "Have fun dealing with that!"

He stares at me, then smiles. And it's not the nice kind of smile. "I think I will…" He waves his hand and a magic circle appears in front of his face, written in runes, just like Freed's magic. "Can you hear me, old man? The rest of you better listen up too."

And through the magic circle, I can hear Natsu. "What do you want?"

"Looks like one of the rules has gone out the window. That's fine, I'll just add a couple new ones." He smiles at me again. "In other words, since I would hate to end the Battle of Fairy Tail early, I've decided to activate the Thunder Palace."

"Are you out of your mind, Laxus!?" Gramps sounds like he doesn't believe what he's hearing, and honestly neither do I.

"You have one hour and ten minutes. If you think you can win, you'd better get moving. Unless you're ready to hand the guild over to me now, Master." Then he grabs me, holding me up to the magic circle, dangling me by the hair. "And in case any of you think I've run out of hostages, think again. Now why don't you scream for me, Pinky?"

I don't scream, I don't say a word. I just glare silently at Laxus, since it would be better if none of them believe that Laxus has hold of me. _I will not break, Laxus. I will not bow to you._

He shakes me a little, bouncing me up and down painfully. It almost feels like he's going to rip my hair out. And he probably would, if his hands weren't so big. He grabbed so much of it that it actually hurts less than I expected.

He raises an eyebrow, turning his full attention onto me. "Oh, gonna be stubborn, huh? That's fine. I'm sure that there are ways to make you scream."

His fist comes out of nowhere, plunging into my stomach and twisting tight. I bite my tongue while biting back a groan, and blood starts dripping from my mouth. "Damn you, Laxus…"

"Ciara!" _Is that…Mira's voice?_

"…Laxus…" Natsu's voice sounds eerily calm. "Let her go, now." He may sound calm, but there is a storm brewing underneath. He only ever sounds this calm when he's super angry. And that's right before he blows up. "YOU HEAR ME! LET MY SISTER GO!"

Laxus laughs at Natsu's rage. "Come and make me, punk." Then he starts laughing over and over, cutting the connection to the guild. "How do you like that, you old geezer? Now everybody in the whole stinkin' town is my hostage!

Freed finally grows a set of morals, and it's about damn time. "I think you're taking this too far."

"Too far, huh?" There's a dangerous tone to Laxus' voice now. "I will decide how far is too far." Lightning crackles around him in his rage. "This is a fight to the bitter end! And that means it won't be over until one side is wiped out!"

"We can still win. We don't need hostages." Freed uses his diplomatic voice in his attempt to have Laxus see reason. "Stop this."

But it goes in Laxus' ear and out the other side. "What are you still doin' here? Shouldn't you be out hunting Fairies with Bixlow? The old man is counting on Erza, so I'll take care of her, and Mystogan too. After all, I've already dealt with one of the old man's S-Class."

I glare at him as he glances at me. "You got lucky. If I hadn't dropped because of eating ether-nano, this game would have been over long ago."

"Yeah right." He turns his nose up at me before addressing Freed again. "I'll wait here for those two. In the meantime, you deal with Cana and that Phantom girl. I don't need either of them in my Fairy Tail. Exterminate them."

Freed jolts, shocked by the order. "Even if they're our enemies now, we're still in the same-"

"WHEN I GIVE YOU AN ORDER, YOU HAD BETTER DO WHAT I SAY!" Laxus almost roars like a dragon when barking out that particular expectation. And the static in the air starts to make my hair stand on end.

There is fear in Freed's eyes, though only for a moment, before they grow cold. "We've chosen our path, haven't we? There's no turning back at this point." He sounds resigned to his fate, and that's never good. "As you wish, I'll follow you. No matter where that road may take me. If you want me to exterminate, then so I shall. But their blood's on your hands."

"Like you said, there's no turning back for us now." Laxus sounds smug and satisfied. "It's time for seizing victory, not wallowing in remorse, Freed the Dark."

As I watch Freed leave, my heart aches for him. _He's just been ordered to kill…to kill his comrades, his family._ I turn my ferocious gaze on Laxus, deeply hoping that it'll haunt his dreams. "You are a monster."

"A monster, huh?" A manic light dances in his eyes. "Now, I think it's time for you and this monster to have a little fun."

* * *

 **By the way, I've got another Fairy Tail story, a high school AU, of course, that I'm thinking about posting. What do you guys think? It's just some ideas that kind of just happened while I was making notes on my storyline for this fic. It starts with a very unlikely transfer, and an impossible set of circumstances. :)**


	53. Thunder Palace

**Warning, this chapter is a long one.**

* * *

I've got a lot of admiration for Freed's runic magic. It's powerful, effective, and so precise that it's basically an art form. But it's more than a small relief when the runes dry up and disappear. Its like a breath of fresh air. And as the runes flash again, Laxus is far from happy. According to the runes, Lucy has defeated Bixlow, and Mira is the one who took out Freed. That would explain why the spells he cast on me are gone.

Laxus' eyes show his fury, and he turns that anger on me once again. "I put my trust in them, and they failed! They got beaten by a couple of girls!" He drives another kick into my gut, and I fight the urge to throw up.

"We're a lot tougher than you seem to think." I wheeze a little as I struggle to catch my breath. "You've been so busy overestimating yourself, that you've vastly underestimated everyone else. Especially the women that you seem to despise." Calling Laxus out on his faults is probably not a good idea, but someone has to do it. And right now, I'm the only one who can. "You are self-centered and selfish, and haven't considered the consequences of your actions."

He looks like he's going to explode now. "Oh, and you have?"

A wry smile twists up my lips, despite how badly I would rather not smile at him. "I always have to consider the consequences of actions taken. After all, of the two of us, I'm far more dangerous than Natsu."

Laxus snorts. "Right, you expect me to believe that you're dangerous? You're no more dangerous than the rest of those losers."

"Why do you think I hold back?" My gaze holds a challenge, and a question. "Why do you think that I never go all out in a fight, even in a situation like this?" He says nothing, so it's up to me to lift the haze. "Wind. Once unleashed, doesn't stop. Fire can be put out. Lightning can be driven into the ground. Ice can melt. Iron can rust. Earth crumbles and turns to dust. But the wind is always present, it will always find a way. And when its fury is unleashed, it causes devastation on scales much bigger than any other force of nature. I hold back because of my capacity for destruction."

"Is that so…?" His venomous expression looks just a little curious. "If you've really got that much power, then why would you suppress it? Why not let it run wild, and teach everyone to fear you?"

To me, that's the dumbest question on the planet. "Fear me? I don't want people to fear me, I want them to like me, to respect me. Fear and respect are far from the same thing. I fear myself more than enough. I don't need anyone else to fear me on top of that." And here is the most important part. "I want those bonds with people. Natsu is the only part of my old family that I have left. If Fairy Tail, my family, started to fear me, I think that I would start to hate myself. And I don't want that. Would you, in my position?"

Laxus' eyes hold mine for a moment, before he turns around and heads back to the steps of the altar, sitting down and clasping his hands. It's something he does when he's thinking hard. And the harder he thinks, the better this might end for all of us.

* * *

The minutes have been ticking by in silence. Until Laxus finally gets to his feet, muttering to himself. "I knew this day would come. This is it. You can't say I didn't warn you, old man." He approaches the runes and examines them. "Only six minutes until the Thunder Palace is activated. I guess that stubborn old geezer's gonna hang on 'til the very end. Typical."

A familiar magical presence enters the cathedral, and I turn my head to see a familiar blue cloak, and a decoratively bandaged body, with staffs strapped to his back. Mystogan…

Laxus turns, sensing Mystogan's arrival as well. "Oh… Hey, Mystogan. You actually showed up." He laughs, amused. "I'm surprised you're here. I didn't think this game would be of any interest to you."

"If you bring down the Thunder Palace right now, we may be able to convince the citizens that it was part of the festival." Mystogan sure knows how to get straight to the point.

"Is that really why you came back? Gimme a break. You're looking for a piece of the action. You want to know who the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail is. You, or me." Laxus is too self-absorbed to think that maybe some of us are fighting to protect others, not to prove who's the strongest.

"Don't be so quick to rule out Erza." Mystogan has a point there, since there are several people who could contend for the title. People that Laxus is forgetting. And Mystogan glances at me, his hazel eyes flashing. "And were it not for eating Etherion, I doubt that Ciara would be tied up there."

"Are you kidding me? Sure the girl's got spunk, but she's still weak." Then Laxus turns his eyes on me. "And that one is never gonna be strong if she insists on shooting herself in the foot. She's a coward, afraid of her own power!"

Mystogan chuckles a little. "You think that one is weak, and the other is a coward? You're either blind, or more ignorant than I thought."

Laxus scoffs. "Nothing against Erza, but I think we can both agree that we're stronger. Its clear one of us is Fairy Tail's top wizard. The question is, who deserves the title?"

"If you see the world in such simple terms, perhaps you are blind." I'd agree with Mystogan on that point. Laxus does see to be very blind. Especially to his own faults.

Laxus grins, rather maniacally I might add. "I'm sick of talking about it. Let's settle this here and now, Mystogan." A laugh escapes Laxus' throat. "Or should I say-"

Mystogan leaves Laxus no time to finish that sentence, shooting a beam of light out of one of his staffs, aimed straight at Laxus. Lightning erupts from Laxus, and the two forces meet in the middle of the cathedral, shining brightly as they come crashing together. The ensuing explosion blows out all of the windows, sending pieces of shattered glass everywhere.

Mystogan is more than a little ticked off. "Tell me, how do you know about that?

"Oops? Did I strike a nerve?" Laxus smirks, his jacket fluttering from the explosion. "It's a rare treat to see you lose your cool like that. I've got a deal for ya. Beat me, and I swear I'll tell you everything I know."

Mystogan regains some of his earlier calm demeanor, but I can still smell the anger coming off him. "You're going to regret that statement, Laxus. You're about to witness magic the likes of which you've never seen before!"

"Oh, I'm so scared!" Laxus taunts Mystogan, seemingly unaware of the power I'm sensing from our sleep wizard. "Go on and show me what you've got, you freak! I'm dying to see how much stronger I am!"

Mystogan reaches back, pulling out and placing all of his five staffs in an instant. **_"Skyscraper."_**

A large magic circle appears, and light flashes through the cathedral. Then it clears, and Laxus is standing there, silent and still, but with his eyes bugging out. _What…what did Mystogan do to him?_

"It's an illusion spell." Mystogan appears next to me, kneeling behind me and untying the ribbon holding my arms back. "It won't last long, so I need to prepare the next spell quickly."

I nod and get to my feet. "Do it."

Mystogan runs back to his staffs, placing them in a new formation. "I'm ready, you should get out of here."

"No way." I crouch down into a ready position. "I'm here if you need backup. I'll be fine, no matter what spell you use."

He looks at me, then nods. "Very well."

Laxus breaks the magic and laughs psychotically. "Now that's funny!" He flicks away the magic, unaware of what's to come. "Did you seriously think you'd be able to defeat me using some kind of stupid illusion?"

"Impressive. But it seems you're still a bit slow on the uptake." Mystogan's trap activates, and a pillar of light shines around Laxus. Five magic circles appear above Laxus. "Sleep. **_Five Layer Magic Circle: Sacred Song._** "

Then my attention is called below Mystogan's feet, where another magic circle is forming. _Damn it!_

"You think I'm the slow one, huh?" Laxus grins, his own trap set.

Both spells go off at once, and as I would rather see Laxus lose, I focus my energy into a spell on Mystogan. Light shines around him, and the lightning, though not completely negated, is dispersed into a cloud around him. It was already happening by the time I started the spell. But if I'd had another second or two, I could have prevented Mystogan from incurring any injuries at all.

My little wind barrier also gives Mystogan the lift he needs to get into the air. And he casts another spell, trying to trap Laxus. It doesn't work out too well, since Laxus takes off in a bolt of lightning, slamming into Mystogan and driving him to the ground. It's impressive, actually. Laxus is almost as fast as I am. Well, when I'm not trying too hard.

I catch a whiff in the breeze, two very familiar scents are approaching. _Natsu!_

 _Ciara!? Are you okay!?_

 _Yeah, I'm fine. Laxus and Mystogan are going at it, we're inside-_

 _Kardia Cathedral, I know! I'm headed there with Erza right now!_

Laxus laughs as they both hit the ground. "Now that's more like it."

The doors of the cathedral burst open, revealing Natsu and Erza. "There you are!"

Then Natsu spots Mystogan, and he's confused. "Wait, who the heck is that guy?"

"That's Mystogan…" Erza stares at our fellow S-Class wizard, her eyes wide, but a little suspicious too. None of us had actually expected him to show up, so I guess it is a little strange that he's here, duking it out with LAxus.

Mystogan, on the other hand, looks a bit spooked at the sight of Erza. And Laxus takes every advantage he can get. "You're wide open!" He shoots lightning straight at Mystogan's face, ripping his mask to shreds.

Erza, on the other hand, looks convinced. "Jellal?"

"What the-?" Natsu's eyes widen, then he looks at me. _Did you know?_

I blink, then close my eyes and sigh. _Yes. But their magic signatures are different. They're not the same person, no matter how much they look alike._

"But how?" Erza looks confused and almost sad. "You-You're still alive?"

"Oh, so you know this guy?" Laxus calms down a little, amusement ringing in his voice.

Natsu frowns, not quite comprehending this. "Wait…so Mystogan…and Jellal…" He looks back at me. "What the hell is going on!?"

"Jellal, I-" Erza looks like she wants to apologize, or ask for answers, something, anything.

Mystogan glances at her, before looking away. "Erza…please forgive me. I was afraid you'd see this." He sighs as a couple of tears course down Erza's cheeks. "I'm not your friend Jellal. I do know of him, but I'm not him." His form starts to shimmer and he turns away from all of us. "I'm sorry. I must be going." And he disappears in a poof of smoke.

Natsu futilely reaches out his hand. "Hey, wait up!" Then he cringes. "Well, that made my brain hurt." Then he shakes his head. "Whatever, I can't think about it right now." He glares at Laxus, ready to throw down. "All right, man. It's you against me! I'm gonna make you pay for hurting my sister!" He turns to Erza quickly. "I'm gonna take care of this clown, that cool with you?" Erza is too shocked to even respond, so Natsu raises his voice. "Wake up!"

But rather than Natsu's voice bringing her to her senses, it's a shot of Laxus' lightning that does it. "That's quite a face you're making there, girly. Ugly!" He blasts her to the ground

And that's the very last straw. "That's enough!" Natsu points at Laxus, his expression finally very serious. "I told you, you're mine, you jerk. Let's go!"

Laxus turns to Natsu, amusement crossing his face. "Hey, didn't even notice you."

Natsu's serious expression drops into one of mortification. Then he turns on a dime and gets angry. "Oh, you're about to notice me, pal." Natsu's challenge actually seems serious enough to Laxus for him to drop his coat and his headphones as Natsu leaps into the air. "I'll burn you to a crisp!"

As he goes after Laxus, I run over to Erza. "Hey, are you awake?"

She groans and opens her eyes as I flip her over onto her back. "I'm…awake."

"Good." I glance up at Natsu, who is headed straight into a fistfight with Laxus.

She sees what I'm looking at, and her eyes widen. "Be careful!"

Natsu glances over at us and grins. "I'm okay. You don't gotta worry about me." Then he sobers up a little from his fighting high. _Keep her safe._

I nod. _I will. Now kick his ass!_

Their little duel seems one sided at first as Laxus knocks Natsu around, but Natsu is the type to refuse to give up. So they just end up punching each other a bunch, trading hits while they've each got one arm locking them together. It's almost childish in how they keep trading punches. That is, until Laxus stomps Natsu into the ground.

Erza breaks away from me to interfere in the fight and stop Natsu. "Requip!" She puts on her black wing armor, then attacks Laxus, likely aiming to cut into his arm. But his lightning stops her blade from connecting.

Rather than being upset about her kicking him out of the fight, Natsu is more concerned for Erza's health. "Careful Erza!" He pounds his fists into the ground. _The hell!? Why is he so strong!?_

 _Natsu…_ I want to tell him what I found out earlier, but it's not something that's easy to say. _I know where Laxus gets his power from…but…_

 _Well!? What is it!?_

 _It's-_ But my thoughts are distracted by Erza, who points her sword at Laxus once more. "All right, Laxus, what have you put in the sky!? Tell me now!"

"What, you haven't heard?" Laxus sneers. "That would be my Thunder Palace."

It would seem that Erza knows what that spell is as well. "You're absolutely despicable. To think that you would attack your hometown."

Laxus starts laughing again. "Honestly, it breaks my heart. But that's just the way the game is played, dollface!"

"Damn you!" Erza leaps towards him, trying to strike him in the head.

Laxus catches her kick, grinning widely. "There's only two minutes to go."

Alarmed, Erza turns to me and Natsu. "You two! Go and destroy them, now!"

I open my mouth to spek, but Natsu shoots up first. "We can't, okay! If we attack those things, they're just gonna zap us right back!"

"Seriously!?" Erza growls at Laxus. "You're using Body Link magic to protect them?"

"Yeah. And they're gonna stay up there until I give the order to blow!" That would destroy the entire city in an instant. And I know that I can't make a barrier big enough or powerful enough to stand up to that much lightning magic.

"You coward!" But Erza's insult only gets her electrocuted at point blank range by Laxus.

"It's a shame you won't be around to see it." He tosses her away, expecting her to lie down and die.

But Erza has other plans in mind. "Requip!" And landing on the ground, she's donned the light blue dress of her Lightning Empress armor.

"Ha! Lightning Empress armor." Laxus finds her attempt amusing. "Nice try, but it's not gonna protect you from my attack."

Erza dodges a bolt of lightning, leaping high into the air. "Now that we're using the same magic, it's a fair fight!" She shoots a bolt of lightning right back at Laxus.

Unfortunately, lightning makes Laxus fast, and he just zooms back around, returning fire.

Erza gets electrocuted again and uses her lightning empress armor and duels with Laxus. "Let's see if your armor can handle this!" And luckily, it does. "Still standing, huh?"

Erza holds her ground, looking perhaps not confident, but determined. "When two wizards do battle using the same type of magic, many different factors determine the victor."

"Their level of magic energy, technique, and experience. Right?" Laxus lists them off like we're in a classroom.

"One more." Erza glares at him sternly. "Their heart. I know the master taught you that, Laxus."

"Yeah, he mentioned it." Laxus' scathing voice border on sarcasm. "But he also taught me power trumps everything else."

"You couldn't be more wrong." Erza moves to prepare herself for another attack.

Natsu has other plans. "Erza, would you just leave it alone, already!? I told you that I was gonna be the one to fight him!"

Erza turns around, looking back at the both of us. "Then I'll have to put my faith in you." She runs past us, heading outside into the city.

"Hey!" Natsu calls out to her, confused. "Where are you going!?" Then it dawns on him. "Hold on. You're not gonna try to take that thing down?"

Laxus just laughs. "I'd like to see you try. Attacking even one of those lacrima can be deadly. And who knows how many of them are floating above town right now. Besides, you're out of time.

Erza's determination shines through. "I'll just destroy them all at once!"

"Is that so?" Laxus doesn't believe that she can do it. "You must have some kind of major death wish, then.

Even I have my doubts about her chances of success. "No, Erza, I can do it! I can take all of them out in an instant."

She shakes her head. "No, knowing you, you would use far too much magic power, and the backlash would kill you the instant that the Thunder Palace goes down. Stay here and help Natsu. I'm leaving him in your hands, so don't let me down!"

"Come back! You're breaking the rules, Erza!" Laxus doesn't want to trade Erza in for the two of us, though I can't imagine why, since we're the two who are most likely to send him to an early grave.

Natsu, unlike me, has enough faith for the both of us. "I'm puttin' my faith in you too, ya hear!? Whether you can destroy those things or not, you better make it back alive!" And as usual, his main concern is for the lives of our family.

"No!" Laxus charges towards us, heading straight for Erza."

Natsu and I exchange a brief glance, and a nod. "Fire Dragon's-" "Wind Dragon's-"

"ROAR!" Our two roars meld together, producing an inferno that nearly scorches the walls of the cathedral. It blasts Laxus back, providing Erza with plenty of time to get out of the area.

Natsu steps forward, his sights trained on Laxus. "All right, jerk. Prepare yourself for a beat down."

I grin and take a step back. "We're going to roast you good."

The smoke clears, revealing Laxus, who now looks downright murderous. "You mouthy little brats!"

Natsu just grins and follows up our initial strike. "Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame!" He shoots it towards Laxus, who meets him in the middle with a bolt of lightning. With all of the smoke around him, Natsu can't see a thing. _Ciara! Can you get in the air and do that wind thing that makes my flames hotter!?_

 _You mean creating alternating low and high pressure zones?_

 _Yeah, that!_

 _Fine…_ I jump up through the smoke, rising into the air. I take in a breath, then blow away all of the smoke. "Let's do this."

Laxus glares at me, then his eyes drop to Natsu. "Don't you see what's happened to our guild, Natsu?"

"What!?" Natsu is in no mood for any of Laxus' stupid games right now.

"Thanks to the old geezer, Fairy Tail's nothing but a joke now!" Lightning flashes everywhere as Laxus' power starts going out of control. "All I'm trying to do is make things right!" Natsu dodges the small bolts that manage to reach him, but Laxus is barely even paying attention anymore. "When I become master, our name will strike feat into people's hearts!"

Natsu nearly slams against a pillar, but I catch him and lower him back down to the ground. "Natsu…I know that you're still going easy on him. But he's clearly gone insane. So if you won't fight with everything you've got, then I'll take him down instead."

Laxus glances at the runes, which give him a final update. "There's only one minute and thirty seconds until the Thunder Palace is activated." He grits his teeth, looking rather confused. "What the heck are you waiting for, old man? Are you really gonna stand back and watch all those people die?"

Natsu squeezes my hand, then waves me back, laughing. "I wouldn't worry if I were you. It's over!" Natsu grins at Laxus, the grin that says that he's ready to win. "You know as well as I do that it ain't gonna happen!"

That perplexes Laxus. "What do you mean?"

"You can blow up the town, but you're still not getting Fairy Tail!" Natsu stands tall, convinced that he's right. And he is. "You're just upset that you can't back out of it now." My wind is intensifying his flames and making it easier for him to move around. Most onlookers might find this useless, but I can see it on Natsu's face that he is having a much easier time now. "The town'll be fine, Erza's taking your spell down!" He lights his fist on fire and races at Laxus. "It's not so easy sticking to your guns, is it, Laxus!?"

Laxus' last nerve looks as frayed as an old winter sweater. "Shut up!" And his lightning feels just like the sweater's static. "What the hell do you know!?" He throws Natsu across the room, but Natsu gets right back up with a snarl on his face. Even with my alternating of the low and high pressure zones, there's only so hot that I can safely make his flames. Because I would really rather avoid blowing up the cathedral. That would get very expensive. Laxus seems a little less worried than the two of us. "Less than a minute and thirty seconds until the Thunder Palace is activated. The two of you are too late."

"Oh yeah?" Ntsu rushes forward, his foot on fire. "We'll see!"

Then, while getting lost in the sight of Natsu's fight, I hear Warren call out with his telepathy. _Hey Fairy Tailers! Can you hear me!? Things aren't looking so good for us. Check out what's floating in the sky. He must be talking about the Thunder Palace. We're going to have to pull together, so get off your butts and lend us a hand. If any of you are still fighting, just give it a rest for a second. Now listen carefully, those lacrimae up there are part of a spell called the Thunder Palace. Laxus is using it to threaten the entire town. So we have to take it out before he can set it off. We don't have much time, so we have to work together._

Then Erza's voice starts coming through, past the mutterings of all the others. _Wait, how did you find out about the Thunder Palace, Warren?_

 _I've never been happier to hear your voice, I was worried about you._ That's Gray's voice coming next through the telepathy.

 _Gray, I see. So you're the one who told him._

 _Yeah. would have happened sooner, but I had to track the guy down._

 _Was that Erza? You mean she'd not petrified anymore?_

 _Wait, if she's back to normal, then-_

 _What about the other girls? How is Levy?_ Trust her two silly teammates to be more concerned with the little bookworm than with the deadly spell hanging over all our heads.

 _There's no need to worry, boys. All the ladies are fine._ Cana's voice rings out next, confident and calm.

 _Even Juvia's back on her feet._ And Elfman too, by the sounds of it.

 _Yeah, and so is Bisca. Hear that, Alzack?_ Of course Mira the matchmaker would be most interested in telling that cowboy that his little girlfriend is back to normal.

 _That's good to hear…I was worried. I thought she was a goner._

Warren takes back over the conversation. _There's one problem, my telepathy can't reach all the way back to the guild hall. So we'll have to make do with the people who can hear me. If we work together, we can do this!_

 _Hold it right there, Warren! Why should I do what you say after what you did to me!?_ Apparently, something happened between Max and Warren, probably a fight of some kind.

And that's when all hell breaks loose. Suddenly, members are turning on each other via Warren's telepathy, almost overrunning my brain in the process. I almost wish that I could mute them all, but telepathy doesn't work like that, and I have to stay connected, otherwise I won't know if they have all the information they need. So for now, I wait.

Gray finally loses his temper. _Would you idiots quit yelling at each other!_

 _Hey, shut up! Practice what you preach, Gray!_ It's actually rather amazing that everyone stopped fighting for an instant just to yell at Gray.

 _We don't have time to be goofing off! We gotta hurry and take down those lacrimae!_ But despite his efforts, the arguing just keeps going like it was never interrupted in the first place.

Finally, one voice rings out over all of them. _Shut up!_ Lucy. And somehow, everyone heeds her and shuts their traps. W _e shouldn't be wasting our time arguing! The citizens of Magnolia are in danger, and we're the only ones who can help them. So we're gonna have to work together! Look, I know things have been rough with all of us fighting against each other. But we could do anything if we pull together! That's what you guys have taught me. I know that I'm still fairly new to Fairy Tail, but I promise you…I love being a part of this guild just as much as the rest of you. I always dreamed of joining Fairy Tail someday. It's what I wanted more than anything in this world. Now that I've joined…it-it means everything to me. If you feel the same way…let's work as a guild and save our town!_

 _Lucy…_ If her speech can touch Erza as much as the red-head's voice suggests, then I'm sure that she got through to everyone.

 _If none of you are up to the challenge, then I'll do this alone! I'll destroy those things myself!_ Lucy has thrown down the gauntlet, and it's up to everyone else to pick it up.

Cana's voice has a laugh to it, even over the connection. _What's it gonna be, guys? You heard the lady. You gonna let a newbie show you up like that?_

 _She may not have been a member for as long as some of us, but she's got more Fairy Tail pride than all of us put together._ Jet's eloquence is a surprise, but I guess even he can make an effort in how he talks when the situation is serious.

 _Right, we gotta save the town. We can work out our other problems later._

 _Jeez, now we gotta agree to help or we're gonna look bad, huh?_

 _You done good, Lucy. You got everyone to cool their jets._

After that heartwarming speech and the murmurs of reassurance, I hijack the connection, a smile on my face. _Then let me see if I can hype those jets right back up!? Me and Natsu will be counting on all of you to take down the Thunder Palace. Alright!?_

 _Ciara!?_

 _Hey! The kid's alright!_

 _Ciara!_

There's a general feeling of relief in the cacophony of voices. But there's something more important to focus on right now. _Yes. Me and Natsu are fine. We're in Kardia Cathedral with Laxus. We'll take care of him, so you all need to stay clear of the place. But I think we're going to need a little help, so Gajeel, you'd better get here and fast. I know that you can hear me, since I'm expanding Warren's telepathic range. I hope you've got good boots, because it's time for Fairy Tail's Dragon Slayers to dance!_

I get no reply from the Iron Dragon Slayer, but I get the feeling that he's headed this way, judging by his slowly increasing scent. There's no way that he's going to want to miss this throw down. Because last I checked, he's got his own bone to pick with Laxus. So I cut off my connection to the telepathic network, bringing my attention back to the situation at hand.

This is the dance of the dragons. And it's going to turn into a serious storm.

* * *

 **Alright, so I've posted my other story's first chapter, the story is called Shadows in the Wind. And I'll work on it whenever I'm feeling blocked here. I keep them in the same Scrivener file, so I basically just have to scroll down to the next section.**


	54. Dragon Slayer Brawl

**Okay, so here's the end of the battle, and next chapter is the Fantasia Parade. Which means only one more chapter in the Fighting Festival arc. Then, it's on to Nirvana.**

* * *

Huge explosions ring the city, and the shockwaves travel through the air, making my ears ring. But it's a good kind of ringing, because it means that the city is safe from Laxus' deadly lightning spell.

I sigh happily and turn to Natsu. "It's over. They did it…"

"You see?" Natsu grins in satisfaction. "Told you it wouldn't work. Weren't you saying something about our guild needing a change?" His grin falls as it turns into a glare. "That's funny. I don;t see anything that needs changin'. It looks like everybody's gettin' along just fine to me. How do you expect to become our master if you can't get along with the rest of us!?"

Laxus growls, then yells as his power explodes. "I'll take Fairy Tail by force if I have to! Watch me! It's mine!"

Natsu races himself against the ground. "I think it's about time for you to give up the fight! You're not taking over Fairy Tail! Cause I'm never gonna let that happen!"

"Oh yeah!?" The power around Laxus increases, so much that it's starting to cause a gale. "You don't know who you're messing with. I'm a lot stronger than any of you ever dreamed. I could take over the guild by force any time I want! And you're not strong enough to stop me! Your best bet is to just get out of my way!" The lightning rages even higher, the static making my hair stand on end.

Natsu isn't afraid of him, no matter how much power he pumps out. "It sounds like you're just begging for someone to knock you down a few notches! I could do that!" He leaps into the air, aiming straight for Laxus' head. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

But Laxus is unfazed by the attack. "Come on, that all you've got!?" He reaches up and blasts Natsu through the air, straight into the ceiling. "You're gonna have to do a whole lot better than that! I've got more power than you in my little finger!"

Natsu comes shooting down from the ceiling, and Laxus shoots up from the floor. As they go ahead to punch each other, it turns out that Laxus is just fast enough to slip under Natsu's guard and hit him square in the stomach.

After knocking Natsu back towards the ground, Laxus aims a big lightning spell at him. So I jump in front of Natsu, my hands slashing through the air. _Natsu, run!_

 _Ciara!_ He may be scared for me, worried about whether I'm going to survive this or not, but he shouldn't be.

I cut right through the onslaught of lightning magic, dividing it in half and spreading it out across the room. And as the light dims, Laxus gets a good look at me, surrounded by his dying sparks.

Natsu groans, rubbing his eyes. _I don't get it, why is he so strong?_

Laxus raises his hand, lightning surrounding it. "Can you feel the electric energy of the lightning I've summoned forth? It will plummet from the heavens, and turn you into ash!" A huge ball of lightning forms above our heads, and comes crashing down at the same pace as his hand. "Raging Bolt!"

The ball of lightning smashes down on top of us. But as I reach my hand up to cut it in half, someone grabs me around the waist, and I find myself up in the air in an instant, before hurtling towards the wall.

Laxus laughs, obviously not using that dragon slayer nose of his to figure out that Natsu and I are far from dead. "So, who's the most powerful wizard in our guild now?" He laughs even louder, his voice reaching into the skies. "Guess you can't really answer that question since you've been turned to dust!"

I look around at the one who has Natsu cradled in one arm, and has me squished against the wall. _Perfect timing…Gajeel._

The Iron Dragon Slayer grins at me, before glaring down at Laxus. "That's no way to treat one of your comrades." And That's when Laxus catches sight of us. "Only a nutjob like you would be so giddy about taking down one of his friends. Thankfully, I got to them before you did."

I roll my eyes. "Not that I needed the help. I was gonna cut the thing in half. Natsu is the only one who needed a rescue, so there was no reason for you to abduct me as well."

"So much for gratitude." Gajeel scoffs, but there;s a grin underneath it all. "Besides, I wanna be the one to take this kid out."

Natsu comes to his sense, and looks up at our impromptu rescuer. "Gajeel…"

Laxus focuses on Gajeel as he and my brother drop to the floor. "I have another challenger?" Laxus laughs as Gajeel drops Natsu right on the cracked floor. "You'll all end up dead soon anyway. Anyone who dares to stand in my way will be eliminated!"

Natsu pushes himself up, still glaring at Laxus, but addressing Gajeel. "Let me take care of Laxus, okay? You stay outta this."

"No deal. I got a score to settle with hat punk." Gajeel must be thinking about that time in the park when Laxus electrocuted him. And I have to admit, that's a very good reason to want to throw down with Laxus. "This guy's not messing around. He's a real monster. You can tell he's got Makarov's blood running through him. It sucks, but I think we're gonna have to fight him as a team. You and me, and your sister up there on the ceiling."

Predictably, Natsu does not take that well. "Ain't no way! I'm gonna take down Laxus on my own! Besides, my sister is one thing, but I'd never team up with a goon like you! So stay outta this!"

Gajeel takes his eyes off my flailing brother and onto Laxus the lightning generator. "Just look a 'im. Is that the same guy you remember?"

"What's the matter? You scare?" Laxus looks nearly demonic now. "You should be."

As Natsu's face falls, I growl at them from up on the ceiling. "Ugh, you two! Just get over it and team up! I'll help out from up here!"

Gajeel nods. "As far as I can tell, that's an enemy. If we wanna save the guild, we gotta stop him right here and now. Everybody else has either been knocked out by another member, or zapped by his Thunder Palace. That makes the three of us the only ones left who can stop him."

Rather than arguing about teaming up, Natsu gets side-tracked. "Since when are you so pro-Fairy Tail?"

Gajeel takes offense to that, and gets defensive. "I could protect or destroy whatever the hell I want to!"

"I thought you said…that the sky's not big enough for three dragons." Natsu is actually quoting Gajeel from back during our battle with Phantom Lord. That's a little scary.

Gajeel smirks. "Yeah, that's true. But there ain't no dragons flying in the sky now. Not with all this lightning."

I raise my hand and pout. "Uh…I can fly just fine with a little lightning around. In fact, it makes for a fun dodging game."

Gajeel glares up at me sourly. "I wasn't talkin' about you."

"Yes you were." I've got him caught in my trap now. "You said three dragons. Well, am I not counted in that number?"

He raises his hand to argue, then click his tongue and looks away from me. "Alright, whatever. Miss Pinky can fly in all this lightning, but the two of us sure can't. So let's do this."

Natsu grumbles a little, but he gets ready for battle. "Just so we're clear, this is gonna be the only time I ever team up with you." _Somehow…I really doubt that._

"Trust me, this ain't fun for me either. We'll fight it out someday!" Gajeel's words sound like both a promise and a threat. And frankly, I'm not sure which one would cause less damage.

But we've got one angry lightning wizard, and three angry dragon slayers. "Let's do this!"

Unfortunately, the two of them charge in for a contest of martial arts, making my long range attacks useless, unless I want to be hitting the two of them as well.

Laxus tosses Natsu back with a bolt of lightning, but Gajeel catches him and rolls him over his back. "Use your breath!"

Natsu nods and turns halfway. "Fire Dragon's Roar!" He roars right at Gajeel's back, giving him a boost. "Iron Dragon Club!" The metal arm goes shooting towards Laxus, only for him to dodge it.

Gajeel spots Laxus in the air, and his eyes flash briefly to me. "Iron Dragon Sword!" He slashes his leg through the air, his sword coming out from his leg instead of his arm this time.

Laxus is driven towards me by the attack, and I shoot down from the ceiling, wind around my foot. "Wind Dragon's Talon!" Laxus spins around just in time to block my attack with his arms. But the impact still sends him slamming back down to the ground.

And the ground is where Natsu is waiting with fire in his fists. "Fire Dragon Brilliant Flame!" He bathes Laxus in an inferno, just as Laxus shoots off some balls of lightning in every direction.

I start dodging the balls of lightning, heading back up to the ceiling, where I'm safest, as well as most effective. And I take in a deep breath just as Gajeel turns his arm into what looks like an arrowhead.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Wind Dragon's Whistling Wind Bullets!" I shoot out small and powerful blasts of air, aiming each and every one of them for Laxus.

Gajeel joins me. "Iron Dragon Lance! Demon Logs!" The arrowhead starts shooting off replicas of it, shooting horizontally at Laxus, while my shots shoot down at him vertically.

Natsu glances at both of us, and from both sides of the room, as well as the ceiling, we know exactly what to hit Laxus with next.

"Fire Dragon's-"

"Iron Dragon's-"

"Wind Dragon's-"

"ROAR!" Wind blades erupt from my mouth, fire from Natsu's, and a whirlwind of iron slivers from Gajeel's. The three of them meet in the middle of the room, exploding at the spot they touch. Laxus.

Even though that should have easily flattened Laxus, he stands up in the middle of the smoke. "Don't tell me that the best the three of you can do. None of you deserve the title of Dragon Slayer."

Natsu is more than a little surprised, though mostly angry. "What the heck? He doesn't even have a scratch on him."

"But how? I don't get it." Gajeel is just as perplexed. "I know he's strong and all, but we whipped out a ton of dragon-slaying magic on him. How's he still standing."

Laxus looks up at me, grinning. "I told Pinky earlier. I'm surprised that she hasn't shared yet."

I drop to the ground, right in front of the boys. "He's like me, sort of." I clench my fists and glare at him. "He's got a lacrima, just like mine. He's a Dragon Slayer."

Natsu's eyes widen as Laxus' body starts to change. A scale-like pattern appears on his arms, eerily reminiscent of the scales that once appeared all over me. Only mine had color to them, unlike his. And the magic power coming off of him now is incredible. Dragon Force…he can use it too…

"You've gotta be kidding me." Natsu's eyes widen so much that they look like dinner plates. "I had no idea that Laxus was a dragon slayer too!"

Gajeel's expression is no different. "Oh, no way…"

Laxus doesn't care. He's planning to annihilate them both. "Lightning Dragon ROAR!

 _No choice now…_ I breathe in quickly, expelling as much magic as I can in only a second. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" I unleash the spell from my mouth, and it slams straight into Laxus' attack. The force of the two colliding attacks fills the entire cathedral in a flash of gold and silver light. The force of it all nearly forces me to the ground, ultimately blowing me back across the cathedral, dropping me into a roll that leaves me skidding right to the doors.

My whole body feels numb. If I'd had more time to get ready, I know that I could have done better. But in that second of hesitation, that second of weakness, I just really didn't to risk killing Laxus. Honestly, I don't want to kill anyone. But right now, Natsu and Gajeel are on the ground, unable to move because of the lightning that's numbed their limbs.

Laxus looks a little irked when he sees us. "You're still alive? Damn, I was sure that would finish you off." He glares between the three of us. "Why wont you just kick the bucket already? You three losers…Erza and Mystogan, the old geezer, those weaklings in Fairy Tail…and the pathetic people of Magnolia! Your time is over now!" Laxus' canines sharpen dramatically, and as he opens his mouth, his voice really does sound like that of a roaring dragon. But it doesn't sound at all like Igneel's roar. It's nowhere near as powerful.

Then, magic energy swirls around Laxus, a familiar, pulsing power that I've felt only once before. _This feels like…Fairy Law? Natsu! Gajeel! He's casting Fairy Law!_

 _I know!_

 _We're dead._ Gajeel, still sharing in the earlier telepathic link, is doom-saying, like usual.

No matter how hard we fight, there's nothing we can possibly do against such a powerful spell. But I'm too stubborn. Something like the impossible isn't going to stop me. I stumble towards Natsu and Gajeel, pressing my hands together. _It'll have to be a rudimentary barrier, I don't have time to prepare anything too powerful. But it's going to have to do! If I pump all of my magic into it, I might just make it in time!_

Light appears between Laxus' palms as he laughs. "You're right, Metal Head. I've mastered the Fairy Law spell."

"That's the same spell that defeated Master Jose…no…" Gajeel's prophecy of doom just might come true, with that attitude.

Natsu, on the other hand, is as defiant as ever. "Laxus, what are you thinking!? Don't do this!"

As I' about to put up the barrier, a new voice rings out, one that I know very well. "Laxus, stop!" I turn my head to see Levy standing in the doorway.

"Levy!?"

"You idiot! What are you doing here!?"

It seems that today, Levy is the prophet of doom. "You've gotta see the master! He doesn't have much time! Master Makarov- I mean, your grandfather…is close to death!"

My eyes widen, and I lower my arms. "Gramps is…?" The idea that the old man, no matter how old or frail he looks, could be close to death, it's unfathomable. It's just impossible to believe.

"Stop this now!" Levy steps into the cathedral, only a hint of fear in her eyes.. "Go see him one last time, please! Hurry before it's too late!"

"No, it can't be." Natsu looks shell-shocked. "Gramps is gonna die? No way."

"Please, Laxus!" Levy tries one last time to make him see reason.

But Laxus just smiles. "This is working out perfectly for me. Now that the old man is at death's door, I have an even better chance at becoming Fairy Tail's new master." He brings his palms closer together, ready to kill us all. "This will be the dawn of a new era for Fairy Tail! I'll rebuild everything from the ground up. I'll form the ultimate guild! One so powerful…all will tremble in our name!"

"You can't do this! Don't you even care about Gramps at all!?" Natsu is right. Of everyone, Laxus should care for his grandfather the most. But this…this is just crazy.

But it's too late. All of it is too late. Laxus brings his hands together in judgment. **_"Fairy Law!"_**

I half expect him to actually vaporize all of us. My shield does nothing to protect us, but somehow, none of us are hurt by the legendary spell. The light just washes over us and fills the entire city with bright golden energy.

The Fairy Law spell, instead of hurting us, has just washed over us. If anything, I feel stronger. Maybe I somehow absorbed some of the magic and replenished my own energy. Dragon slayers can absorb magic from a variety of sources, so this may be one of those times that my body simply absorbed magic that is readily available. And that means that I'll probably be very sick after the parade later.

As the light finally dims, I hear Laxus' voice. "I finally surpassed the old man."

I cough a little as I inhale the smoky air. "Ugh…I thought that Fairy Law air would taste better than that…"

Laxus' eyes widen. "What the- No way. Impossible! How the hell are you all still alive!?"

Natsu breathes heavily, and Gajeel turns around. "Levy, are you alright?"

She nods. "But what about Natsu? Is he okay?"

Gajeel takes on look at Natsu and nods. "Looks just fine to me."

Laxus looks at his hands, confused. "I hit them with so much magic energy…"

Freed comes walking in, looking a little the worse for wear. "The other guild members and the citizens of Magnolia remain unharmed." In fact, he looks like several trains ran over him. It must be Mira's work. "Your spell didn't work, not a single person was killed."

"But that's impossible. I cast the Fairy Law spell perfectly!" Laxus doesn't get why it failed, and honestly, neither do I. And I'm usually great at figuring out why spells go wrong. Like with the changeling incident.

Freed nods. "Maybe so, but your true feelings have betrayed you. You've inherited more than strength from your grandfather. Deep down, you also have the master's heart." Now that's a shocker. "Whether you'd admit it or not, it's evident that you care for your comrades. The Fairy Law spell only affects those the caster sees as their enemy. Since no one was hurt, we know how you truly feel." He's got quite an alarming point there. It means that even if Laxus doesn't see us as enemies. "You can try to hide your feelings, Laxus, but your magic will always reveal the truth within your heart."

"No, that's ridiculous." Laxus is now officially delusional. "The truth is anyone who would ever dare stand in my way is my enemy!"

"This has gone on long enough. You need to go see the master before he's gone." At this point, if even Freed can't reason with Laxus, then the fool is clearly completely insane.

Lightning spikes around Laxus, his whole body trembling and his vice steadily deepening. "Let the old man die for all I care! He's nothing to me! He may be family, but I'm stronger!"

The lightning rips across the ground, but Natsu is the one who refuses to cower. "Who do you think you are!? You're not stronger than Gramps! You couldn't even pull off Fairy Law!" He rips off his vest and tosses it aside. "You may be his grandson, but you're no better than the rest of us!" Flames start spilling out of his every pore, wrapping him in a cloak of scarlet fire. "Don't you know blood ties don't matter!? Cause everyone in the guild is supposed to be considered family!"

"That's a lie. Blood ties do matter!" Lightning rages around Laxus, matching Natsu's flames in intensity.

"You've been a member long enough to know better than that!" Natsu's flames rage even higher. "If you think that makes you above everyone else in the guild, you're wrong!" The fire takes the shape of a dragon

The two of them slam together, and after an explosion that rocks the cathedral, the two of them blast through the roof and fly into the sky, unleashing tons of dragon slayer magic.

Levy grabs Gajeel and hauls him outside, since he seems like he's barely got the strength to stand. I pull Freed out, since he's looking pretty unsteady as well. His eyes widen in amazement at the scene above us. "Is this…the wrath of a dragon?"

I nod slowly. "This is the wrath of two dragons…"

Natsu easily goes hit for hit with Laxus, and even when he gets knocked down, he still has the strength to stand. "I'm gonna stop you Laxus! There's no way you're getting your hands on Fairy Tail! It's our home! There's no way I'm gonna let you destroy it!"

Laxus tosses Natsu into a building and drives him towards the ground. "Why won't you just die!?"

But when Laxus throws Natsu across the roof of the cathedral, that's the last straw. I zoom up there, the wind at my heels. Natsu! I'm coming for you! I appear behind him, and I catch him, flying back another thirty feet, but successfully breaking his fall.

Laxus glares at the two of us. "Face it already. It's over.

Natsu drops onto the roof, breathing hard. "Why won't you just give up the fight? It just doesn't belong to you. It never will!"

"Oh yeah!?" Laxus charges his fist with potent electricity. "Lightning Dragon's Demolition Fist!" He launches the attack straight at Natsu. So I cross my hands and let the magic flow. **_Mirror Wall!_**

The lightning slams into my barrier, stopping dead in its tracks. And as the magic dissipates, Laxus glares at me, his expression livid. "That was your last mistake, brats! Now I'm gonna obliterate you!" A new magic circle appears, and this one feels significantly more dangerous than any other spell he's used.

Freed seems to know what's up. "No! That much magic energy could kill them!"

"Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!" He launches the spell at us, and this one is coming way too fast. It's shaped like a spear, and very deadly looking.

Natsu grabs me, turning us around and forcing me down towards the roof. But instead of an impact, I see the attack shoot off our of the corner of my eye, attracted straight to Gajeel's metal arm. The fool climbed up onto the roof with us while I wasn't looking. And before falling to the ground, he glares at Natsu. "Get him!"

Seeing Gajeel fall is enough to put Natsu's battle instinct into overdrive. He leaps at Laxus, his rage at its peak. It's all just a flurry of physical attacks and blazing fire. And he's just getting faster and faster. And last, comes his secret art. "Flame Lotus! Exploding Flame Blade!" Though despite calling it a blade, it's honestly more like a swirling explosion.

Call me paranoid, but I'm worried that his attack alone might not be enough. So it's time for the second of my secret arts, shaped like an actual weapon. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Spear of the Gale!" What shoots at him is somewhat reminiscent of when Erza threw that spear in her Giant armor. It flies just as fast towards Laxus, slamming into Natsu's attack and making an explosion that sends Laxus flying sky high.

When Laxus finally comes falling back down, he rolls over a few times, not moving, except for his heaving breathing. And while Laxus lies defeated, Natsu roars his triumph. I sigh and smile at Natsu. _We did it…_ Then my vision blurs and I pitch sideways, tumbling onto the shingles and rolling right off the roof.

Though instead of hitting the ground, like I expect to, I fall into a pair of wobbling arms. My eyes flutter open to see a familiar head of green hair. "Hey…thanks for catching me." I blink a few times and Freed's face comes into focus. "That could have really hurt." I try to get to my feet, but all of my muscles ache, and some of them are seizing up. "Okay…maybe moving is a bad idea." I take a deep breath and the world spins again. "I think I need a nap…"

My eyes close, and for the next few hours, I am dead to the world.

* * *

 **Okay, so I might have teased a little thing with Ciara and Freed (barely, but it might e interpreted as such, so I'm being sure to cover all my bases), but trust me, there is nothing there. Even though it hasn't been explicitly said, I'm pretty damn sure that Freed is gay for Laxus. Or just gay in general, but especially for Laxus.**


	55. Fantasia

**Here's the end of the Fighting Festival arc. Next up, Nirvana. And if anyone has figured out what's going to go wrong, trying guessing at it. I actually wonder if anyone can figure out exactly what horrors I've got in mind.**

* * *

I wake to a white ceiling,, and my head throbbing. "Ugh…what a headache…" The last time my head spun this much was after waking up from the sleep that Etherion induced.

"Ciara…?"

I look across the room and see Gramps resting in bed. "Gramps! You're okay! Levy told us that you were gonna die, but you look way better!"

He nods quietly. "I will recover…" He glances at my shoulder and his eyes narrow. "What about you? How are you feeling?"

I look down at my shoulder and spot where there are bandages poking out of my shirt, a clean one, and not the one that I was wearing during the fight. "I'm fine… Someone changed my clothes…and tended to my wounds." Even my ribbons are back in my hair, though a little unkempt because of my sleeping habits.

"Yes…I believe that would be Porlyusica and Erza." His gaze becomes gentle again. "Erza walked out of here with your other clothes. She said that she would put them in the wash, since they were covered in blood."

I blink, then pull at my shirt, looking down at the bandages that wrap all around my torso and abdomen. "Yeah…I guess that the fighting with Laxus really did a number on me. But at least all of my bandages will be covered by my outfit during the Fantasia Parade."

A smile flits across Gramps' face. "Yes…well, we'll have to have the parade tomorrow. You all need a chance to rest and recover before the show."

"Thank makes sense…" Natsu must be pretty injured too, not to mention Gajeel. And then there's everyone else who fought in the various battles throughout the city. "I'm guessing that Natsu, Gajeel, and I are the most injured…?"

He nods again. "Although, you seem to have gotten off lucky, compared to those two idiots." Then his expression becomes serious. "Ciara…what did Laxus do to you?"

"I kicked her in the gut, several times. Slammed her into the altar steps too." I turn my head quickly, and there is Laxus, standing in the doorway.

I honestly hadn't expected him to be so forward about what he did. And even more surprising, he actually looks ashamed of himself. "Laxus…" My voice contains no hostility, but I refuse to wipe away the disappointment. Because honestly, more than anything else, I'm disappointed in him. I don't like to stay angry, since I can do that as well as Natsu can, but I still harbor disappointment for anyone who I could otherwise be angry at. Because it means that they made some very bad choices. And Laxus has definitely made more than his fair share today. It's hard to believe that all of this went down in only an afternoon.

Out in the main part of the guild hall, there's cheering and celebrating, though I'm not entirely sure why. Though I'm not the only one who hears it. And the two men in the room refuse to look at each other.

Laxus speaks first. "They're a rowdy bunch, aren't they?

Gramps sits up, turning to face his grandson. "Laxus. I don't think you understand the seriousness of what you've done." Laxus looks away, and Gramps gets a little angry. "Look me in the eyes, young man." Once Laxus looks back, Gramps continues. "Fairy Tail is a place…where friends can gather, wizards can find work, and children who have no kin to call their own can feel like they're part of a family." At that, his eyes travel to me, and so do Laxus'. "It's not something that can be owned. It's important that each member not only be loyal, but also trustworthy. Otherwise, no bonds will be formed and the entire guild will eventually fall apart." He's really tearing into Laxus, all in a calm voice. "You actions have proven that you lack both of those qualities. And you threatened the lives of your comrades. That's unforgivable!"

"I'm sorry, sir. Honestly, I never meant to hurt the guild. I just wanted to make it stronger." Laxus really does sound like he's sorry. But it's too late, he's already caused a whole mess of trouble for everyone, and there's no way that Gramps is going to let him off easy.

Gramps sighs. "I swear. You're just as high-strung as I am." He gets out of bed and walks towards Laxus. "You'd better try to relax or you'll end up in here with us." Gramps glances at me again, trying to make a point about how badly I got hurt, before turning back to Laxus. "Take some time to smell the roses. If you do, you'll be able to see things you couldn't see before. And you'll hear things you've never been able to hear. Life can be a lot of fun if you allow it to be." There, Laxus looks ashamed again. "Over the years, I have watched you grow into the man that you are today. Where did we go wrong? What lesson did you not learn? But the past is the past."

This is starting to sound oddly like it's going from a lecture to a farewell speech. And then it hits me. _He's going to banish Laxus…he's going to kick him out of Fairy Tail._ I've never seen someone get kicked out before. I'd heard that Laxus' dad got kicked out, but that was before Natsu and I joined Fairy Tail.

Gramps keeps going, exactly where I expect him to go. "I am left now with only one choice." A silence expands between the two, growing heavier and heavier. And Laxus looks like he's about to cry. He knows what's going to happen. "Laxus…you are hereby expelled from Fairy Tail."

Laxus' face tells me that he's not taking this well, but he controls his voice well. "I understand. Thanks for everything…" He walks past my bed, glancing over at me. "I'm sorry that I hurt you. I nearly killed you…and-" He can't seem to form the words, and I could swear that his last word was choked off.

I sigh and close my eyes. "Laxus…" I open them again to see him staring at me, wary and afraid. But instead, I let a smile slip onto my face. "You'd better train hard. Because the next time we meet, I'm sure that Natsu is going to want to have a rematch. It'll be another brawl between dragon slayers."

Laxus' eyes widen, and a smile rises to his lips as well. "Yeah…" Then he walks to the door, stopping only for a moment. "You take care of yourself. Okay, old man?"

Gramps starts crying, but he holds his head high. "Please just go."

I watch as Laxus strides out of the infirmary, and I listen until his footsteps can no longer be heard. "That must have been hard…"

Gramps starts sobbing, his heart breaking over his grandson. "Laxus…my Laxus…"

Slipping out of my bed, I reach down and pick up our tiny guild master, wrapping him in a hug. "It's okay…he'll be fine. After all, this is Laxus we're talking about. That guy could survive anything."

"Yes…" The old man continues to cry, more than I've ever seen from him before. This must have been so hard, effectively banishing his own grandson from his presence for the rest of his life, and taking away the only family Laxus knows.

* * *

After getting out of the infirmary, I go into the guild hall to track down Natsu. Since Laxus is going to be leaving tomorrow, there's something I need to talk to Natsu about right now.

"Oi, Natsu! Where are you!?" I call through the guild hall, searching for my missing brother.

Then a strange mumbling sound comes filtering through the crowd, a mumbling that I would know anywhere. Natsu…

I worm my way through the crowd, until I literally bump right into him. He blinks at me, then I think he grins. "Mmmph mmmmph mmmnnnph."

I blink twice, then sigh. "Natsu, either take those bandages off your mouth, or talk to me in our heads. I can't understand a word you're saying."

I could swear that's he's laughing a little, until he slides the bandages down so that his mouth is uncovered. "What's up, sis?"

I reach into my pocket, rummaging around for something I left in the pocket of these particular jeans. "Hang on, I want you to do something for me." He nods, waiting for me to tell him what it is. Then I extract the little pin, and show it to him. "Don't ask why, just pour a little of your magic into the pin. I'm going to bind it there with a spell."

He looks at me, a little confused, then shrug. "Alright, whatever." He places his least bandaged hand over mine, and a little bit of magic flows into the pin. "That enough?"

I hold up the pin, squinting at it. "Yeah, I think so. I should be able to make a perfect homing and transmission spell out of this."

"A what…" Natsu tilts his head, my explanation clearly flying over it. "What are you gonna do to it?"

I laugh and wave him off. "Never you mind. It's just a little something that I'm going to give to someone. It's kind of like an emergency beacon, just in case."

"Oh, okay." He smiles, probably still not quite understanding. "You're doing it to help someone, right? That's good enough for me."

I smile thankfully at my brother. _Where would I be without you…?_

 _Uh…stuck in a hole with no way out?_

I slap my forehead and sigh. _Why do I even bother…?_

* * *

The Fantasia Parade kicks off, with a float topped by a giant version of Happy leading the charge. The little guy really is like our guild's mascot, and he's cute enough to warrant all the attention that our float builders have been lavishing on him.

There's glitter and stars and hearts flying through the air, a real masterpiece that creates a perfect fantasy feel. The girls are dancing, and there's magic flying off of every float.

On a very special float designed especially for us, Gray and Juvia combine their powers to make a castle of ice, with fountains running water everywhere. And from the center of the castle, I emerge onto one of the balconies, having been cleverly hidden using a magic spell.

My costume is amazing, a silver and blue dress that falls to my knees, and a hairstyle that makes me look like a princess, a braid down my back with a tiara in my hair. Juvia and Gray have matching outfits on the middle tier of the float. And together, the two of them create sculptures of water and ice, while I chip away at a little of the ice, making glittering, shimmering snow fall all over the crowd. And just for fun, there's some glitter mixed into the snow as well.

At the end of the trail of floats, Gramps is bringing up the rear, as usual. He does this every year, bringing the grand finale of the parade. I think he just likes all the attention of being the final act.

And to top off the festival, we send off Laxus with the sign that he made up as a kid. Everyone in Fairy Tail holds up their hands in a goodbye salute to Laxus, thumb out and index finger up. And from my spot at the top of my float, I see Laxus walking off with tears in his eyes.

I send him a gentle breeze with a little goodbye present, a pouch with a silver Fairy Tail emblem embroidered on it. And the small dragon shaped pin inside the pouch is infused with a little magic.

He eyes the pouch, then looks up at me, his brow furrowed. I continue to smile, mostly for the crowd, but a little for him as well. _Consider that a goodbye present. If you get in over your head, Natsu and I will know. We'll feel it, as long as you can put a little magic into it._

Slowly, he smiles, before turning around and heading off down an alley, clearly heading out of town. But even if he leaves Magnolia, I get the feeling that we're going to see him again.

* * *

However, all is not well a few days later. Because word of Laxus' banishment gets out to the whole guild. And they do not take it quietly.

Natsu, most of all. He confronts Gramps right at the bar. "Why'd you kick him out, Gramps!? Couldn't you just send him to his room or something!? I thought he was part of our family! We all know he's a jerk, but come on!"

"That is quite enough!" Erza tries putting a stop to his temper tantrum. But she should have learned her lesson when I threw mine a few years ago. Me and Natsu do not yell quietly.

"But now that he's gone, I may never get the chance to fight him again, Gramps!" Natsu, always thinking with either his stomach or his fists. "I just know I'd be strong enough to beat him next time!"

"I said enough!" Erza puts her hand on his shoulder, finally stopping him. "Imagine how the master must be feeling right now. Do you think he expelled Laxus because he wanted to?"

"No, but-"

"I still can't believe he ended up being a dragon slayer just like you two!" Happy pops in at just the right moment, and deftly, though accidentally, changes the topic.

"No." Gramps shakes his head. "Laxus was never a real dragon slayer." He sighs quietly. "This may be a familiar sounding tale, especially to you, Ciara."

"To me?" I know that Laxus has a lacrima, but I can't imagine that he got his straight from a dragon. "Why me?"

"Well, didn't you once say that you had difficulties learning magic, and a dragon slayer lacrima was put inside you to help you learn?" Gramps raises an eyebrow, as if confirming the story.

I nod. "Yeah…" Then it hits me. "Wait, are you saying that Laxus couldn't learn magic!?"

"Not exactly, bu you're close." Gramps twiddles his thumbs a little, something he does when agitated. "He was a sickly child, something you're well acquainted with. My son, Ivan, arranged for a lacrima to be implanted within Laxus, granting him the ability to use Dragon Slayer Magic, just like the two of you. It was an artificial lacrima, not like yours, given to you by a dragon."

I touch my chest and my eyes drop to the place that my lacrima resides. "Igneel's friend is the one who gave this to me…I still have the scar from when they put it in, though I don't actually remember the procedure. It was the only way for me to learn magic, because of the illness that drains my magic all the time."

Happy looks at me incredulously. "Wow, I didn't even know that existed. Dragon slayer lacrima?" And of course he didn't, it's not something that I talk about. In fact, it wasn't even public knowledge until about a minute ago.

Natsu looks down, and grabs my hand, squeezing it. I squeeze back, then smile over at Happy. "Of course you didn't know. Laxus never told anybody before today, and I've kept my condition quiet for the most part. I didn't want anyone to worry about me, so I never really said anything about my illness, or the lacrima implanted in my heart. It's the reason that I use wind magic, instead of fire magic like Natsu. It doesn't make me any less a dragon slayer than Natsu, I got just as much time with Igneel as he did. It just means that I learned something a little different."

"Oh…" Happy plops down on my head, purring a little. "So that's why you're so special."

"Special…?" The word seems a little strange to me, but apt, I suppose. "Yeah, I guess so…"

I am special…

* * *

A few hours later,there's a commotion near Gramps's office in the back. So I run down the hall and come face to face with a crowd. "What's going on!?"

Bisca turns to me, shaking me a little. "Master says that he's quitting!"

"What!?" The notion of Gramps quitting Fairy Tail is downright impossible to comprehend. "What do you mean quitting!?" I look down at the old man, my eyes narrowing. "What do you think you're pulling!? You're the guild master, the leader! You can't just quit at the drop of a hat! We need you!"

He looks up t me, then continues trying to pull a large bag of personal items out the door. "I have failed you all as your master. Therefore I will be relinquishing my title as head of the guild."

I'm just about to blow my top. "But you can't! You can't just-"

"Master, please do not compound the pain of Laxus' punishment." I freeze, because that voice belongs to Freed. But when I turn around to look at our rune wizard, my eyes widen. He's gone and buzzed off his hair. _Freed!?_ "It would break his heart further if you were to resign." He's got a point, but I'm hawking more at his change in hairstyle than anything else.

"Eh…um…" Gramps actually looks as stunned as I feel. And after a passing look of shame and regret, Gramps stops pulling on the bag. "I…very well…" Well, at least we avoided that disaster…

* * *

Later, I corner Freed at the bar, staring at him intently. He leans back a little, obviously very confused. "Uh…yes? Is there something you need?"

I frown, then shake my head. "Okay, you are hereby ordered to never cut your hair that short again."

"Excuse me?" He looks even more bemused than before.

I plop my hand down on his head and rub furiously at his short hair. "This! It looks terrible! So either promise that you'll never do this again, or use a spell to grow it back! I know that you can!" Then I throw my hands up in frustration. "It's just so weird! It's weird seeing you like this! I mean, I get that you're feeling guilty, but there are other ways to show it!"

His look of confusion dissipates. "I see. However, I thought that this would best serve as penance."

I sweatdrop a little. "Fine…but if it's not back to normal in a week, I'll research hair growth spells myself." It's something I've never needed to do, because my hair is more than long enough as is. "So, promise?"

He swallows nervously. "Uh…very well, I will endure this only until the end of the week."

"Good!" I get up from my stool and wave to Mira. "Hey! Can you make me a sandwich? I'll need something for the road! I'm going to check out the job board!"

"Alright!" She waves to me with a smile as I head towards the job board. _Now…what to pick this time…?_

One job in particular catches my eye. _Escorting a merchant caravan carrying two tons of gold...for six hundred thousand jewel. That's a lot of gold...I can see why they're paying so much._

I rip the job from the board, and wave it in the air as I run back to Mira at the bar. "Alright, found one!"

She hands me a sandwich, all wrapped up nice and neat. "Alright, just make sure to make it back safe, alright!?"

I plop the money for the sandwich onto the bar and grin as I stuff the sandwich into my back pack. "I always do, Mira. I always do..."

* * *

 **Alright, I'm going to admit that I've got a thing for Freed's hair being long. It looks horrendous when it's short. But it looks absolutely adorable long. And I know that there are those that agree with me. Some characters just don't look good with short hair. And Freed is one of them.**


	56. When Wind Meets Light

**Since it's been a while, I'm going to do a job chapter. And just for the hell of it, I'm going to bring in a character that we haven't seen yet. Though I'm sure that all of you will recognize him when he appears. I just feel like I should make the two meet, for comedic effect later.**

 **And as for the question of the exceed partner, I was not planning on giving Ciara one. There are three reasons for that. The first is that she kind of shares Happy with Natsu already. The second is that she can already fly, so it would be weird to have an extra exceed flying around when they're not needed for flight. The third is that later on…she's going to be something of a favorite cuddle buddy for all five exceeds. Yes, I said all FIVE.**

 **And as a teaser for the Nirvana arc as to what is going to go wrong… While staying within the canon storyline and not killing off anyone but Brain/Zero, try to think up the worst possible thing that could happen upon Nirvana's activation.**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

As requested, I head for the port in Hargeon to meet with the client. According to the job request, the gold shipment is coming from a port in Caelum, a country to the south of Fiore, across the sea. My job is to escort the caravans that will be carrying the shipment north from Hargeon, and then east to Seven. From there, the shipment will be left in the hands of Seven's wizard guilds. My job is simply to guard the caravans during their crossing of Fiore. The entire trip should take a couple of weeks, and then I'll have to fly most of the way back, stopping in Clover to take the train.

It's early in the morning that I arrive at the port, and I do some rounds of the docks, looking for the ship that should be carrying the shipment of gold. It should be pretty obvious, since it's going to be flying Caelum's national flags.

Finally, I spot a foreign flag waving in the breeze, atop a very foreign looking ship. So I approach the sailors who are docking the ship. "Excuse me, would this happen to be the ship that requested an escort through Fiore to Seven?"

The sailors glance at me warily. "And you are…?"

I shift the shoulder of my vest enough to pull the sleeve of my shirt down, exposing my guild emblem without tugging down my hood. "I'm a wizard from Fairy Tail, here to respond to the escort request."

A man who looks like he's in charge looks over the side of the ship at me. "They only sent one? This is a serious request!"

I can't say that I didn't expect some surprise from the client. But I think he'll change his tune. "Quality is better than quantity, wouldn't you say?" I lower my hood for a moment, revealing my face and pin hair. "I'm known as Ciara 'Dragon Wing' Dragneel, one of Fairy Tail's S-Class wizards, and a dragon slayer. I'm sure that I'll be sufficient."

Now that's gotten his attention. "Dragon Wing…huh? Well, I do suppose that changes things."

"Good." I glance towards the boxes that are being unloaded. "Is that the cargo?"

The captain nods. "It is. We're still waiting on the caravans. Once it's all loaded, we'll be leaving it to the merchants for transportation."

"I see." It makes sense. And I'm guessing that the payment for this request is coming from the person receiving the shipment. "Then I will wait here for the caravan."

"Very well. It seems you're not the only one." The captain looks over his shoulder at the darkening sky. "Looks like we'll be stuck here for the night. There's a storm brewing."

"A storm, huh…?" I look to the sky and see exactly what he means. There are storm clouds gathering overhead. And by the looks of it, Hargeon might be in for quite a thunderstorm tonight. "You know…I might be able to do something about that."

"Do what?" The captain looks quite confused. But obviously he's only heard about my reputation, not my abilities.

Without a grain of hesitation, I rise into the air, floating off into the sky. "I'm going to dispel the storm."

Gaining altitude quickly, I zoom up towards the storm clouds. I can already hear thunder brewing, which means that it won't be too long before we start seeing lightning. And honestly, I've had enough lightning lately to last me several years.

I fly straight up into the storm clouds, and the static electricity makes my hair stand up like porcupine quills. _Great…if I don't finish this quickly, I'm going to end up having a very bad hair day._

Wasting no time, I take in a deep breath and start spinning myself in a circle. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" The spinning cyclone blows away all of the clouds over the port, and resets the air pressure at the same time. This is a talent that I really like. Unlike Natsu and Gajeel, I actually have the power to change the weather. It's a much better use for a dragon slayer.

As the last of the clouds disappear, and the sun shines down on the port, I float back down to the ground, landing lightly on the docks. "Well, that's the storm taken care of."

The captain looks at me in amazement. "So, you have the ability to control the weather? Perhaps you would make a better sailor than a guild wizard. I have plenty of room on my ship for a talented girl like you."

I chuckle, since it's an interesting thought to entertain, especially since I happen to like the open water. "Tempting, but I think I'll stick with being a guild wizard. I have a lot of fun doing what I do, and I could never give it up. Besides, I could never leave without my brother, and he doesn't do too well with transportation."

"Ah…I see." The captain nods, looking a little disappointed. Then his attention is captured by something behind me. "It seems that the caravan has arrived."

Exactly as he's said, there are many carts and wagons pulling up to the docks, accompanied by a dozen merchants and drivers. It's a full blown merchant caravan. And I'll be responsible for keeping the entire group safe.

This is going to be fun.

* * *

The merchant caravan was surprised to find out that I'm the only wizard here for this mission. But I don't foresee any problems that I can't handle alone. I assured them of this repeated during our first day on the road. And I think I proved it on the second day after driving off a couple of bears who wandered too close to the caravan.

It's now the eighth day, and we've made it just past Magnolia. It's slow going because of the weight of the cargo, but we're making pretty steady progress. We should reach the border in another six days. Once we're there, this mission is over for me, and I get to go home.

We're passing through a flat area, surrounded on both sides by thick trees. It's a common path for merchant caravans, which means that it's well traveled and worn down. There are few bumps, and I expect few bumps on this journey.

That is, until a foreign scent floats to me on the breeze. I freeze in place, causing the driver of the wagon behind me to jerk the reins and come to a stop. "What's going on!? You could have gotten yourself hurt!"

I sniff the air, and I hear rustling in the trees, something undetectable to the human ear, but loud and clear to that of a dragon slayer. "We're under attack."

"What!?" Several of the merchants turn to look at me, panic on their faces. "Seriously?" They're attacking us now!?" "But I don't see them!"

I slam my hands together, and a barrier goes up around the entire caravan. "Everyone stay put, I'll find out what's going on, and I'll take care of it. This barrier should be able to hold off most attacks, but don't go getting curious about how much it can take. Don't provoke anyone!"

It might not be standard protocol to be giving orders to the client, or those acting on behalf of the client, but this is an emergency. Those foreign scents are moving closer, and they're surrounding us. This could become very dangerous if not handled correctly.

I rise upwards out of the barrier, sealing it behind me. _Now…how many of them are there…?_ I sniff around, trying to pick out each individual scent. There's a lot of them, so it's rather difficult. But from what I can tell, there's at least three dozen of them. And I can smell magic on each and every one of them. Some of them might even put up a half decent fight. Maybe.

And then there's a couple different scents mixed in, coming from a different direction than the others. While I haven't smelled them before, there's something very familiar about them, but still different. _One of them smells like a cat…like Happy, the other smells like a dragon… Another dragon slayer, maybe? It doesn't smell like that kid, Ryos. And it's definitely not Gajeel, or Natsu and Happy. So who is it…?_

But I won't have time to figure that out for a while, because a dozen and a half people emerge from the trees, converging in front of the caravan, planning to blockade it. _Not on my watch, bozos…_

I land in front of the caravan, facing the group. And off one of them, I recognize an emblem marked onto their cheek. They're from a dark guild called Gloria. A strange name, but it's a dark guild, its name doesn't have to make sense to me.

One of them steps forward, so she must be the leader of this particular group, since I can't imagine that whoever their guild master is, if they have one, would set foot onto what is about to become a battlefield. "Alright, here's the deal. You all are going to get down from those wagons and leave them here with us. Do that, and no one needs to get hurt."

"Oh yeah…?" I roll my shoulders and shift my hooded vest a little. "And if I say no?"

She taps her hand against her thigh menacingly. "Well, then we're going to have to take it by walking over your dead body. Wouldn't want that now, right girly?"

"Girly?" I laugh a little. "You know, you're not the first to underestimate me, and I'm sure that you won't be the last." I flash my emblem at them, smiling confidently. "Now I suggest that you run, otherwise you're going to be going head to head with one of Fairy Tail's top wizards!"

Her eyes widen a little, before narrowing again as she smirks. "Oh yeah? Then why don't we see if we can pick ourselves a couple of Fairy wings?"

I crouch down, wind swirling around me. "Think again, because I don't have fairy wings. They call me Dragon Wing." Then, I spring into action.

* * *

Sting's P.O.V. (oh hell yes, I went there)

"Hey Sting, so where do you think this Salamander guy is, anyway!?" Lector bounds alongside me, his tiny legs barely keeping up with me. I've had to slow down twice for him.

"Dunno." I shrug, since I have honestly no clue where Salamander is. All I know is that he's part of Fairy Tail, which is supposedly in a place called Magnolia. I've been looking for him for a couple of months, but I haven't found him anywhere. "But when I find him, I'll be sure to beat him!"

"Yeah! You're the best, Sting!" Lector picks up the pace again, hopping over roots and rocks alongside me. "So where are we going toda-"

A huge gust of wind cuts Lector off as it races through the trees. I shove him to the ground and put my arms over his head, my hair whipping around in the air. "What the hell!?" I've never felt wind like this before. And it smells weird. Kind of like… A dragon!?

 _No way…that's impossible… I haven't seen a single dragon since…well since Weisslogia died. What are the chances that I would run into one out here in the middle of nowhere. Actually…higher than normal, since I doubt I'd find a dragon in a city…_

I pick myself up and snatch Lector into my arms. "I smelled a dragon! Let's go check it out!"

Lector looks up at me as I run through the trees, towards a big patch of sunlight. "Seriously? You smelled a dragon!?"

I shake my head. "Not smelled, smell, it's still there! I can smell the dragon just up ahead!" I nearly trip a few times, but my excitement is more than enough to keep me barreling towards this new dragon. _I wonder if it's friendly!?_

Breaking through the tree line and out of the forest, what I see is not a dragon. Up ahead is a merchant caravan, and what looks like a whole guild of dark wizards attacking them. Lector shakes a little in my arms, but not out of fear. He's angry. "Sting! We've gotta help them!"

"Yeah…" I don't like dark wizards. I've been attacked by them before, but they didn't stand a chance against me. Then again, there wasn't nearly this many that time.

"Wind Dragon's ROAR!"

I can't believe my ears, but I have to believe my eyes when a cyclone of wind blades blasts toward us from the direction of the caravan. I close my eyes and brace myself, hiding Lector protectively in my arms.

But the wind doesn't reach us, instead, I hear the screams of those dark wizards. And when I look up, I see that half of the wizards are on the ground, and there's a girl standing in the middle of them, with two long pink ponytails, silver boots up to her knees, covering dark blue jeans, coupled with a bright blue shoulderless shirt, and a blood red hooded vest. I'd guess that she's about seventeen, but I can't really tell, since she's kind of far away. My enhanced eyesight can only pick out so much when she's moving around like a whirlwind.

 _She must be a dragon slayer…_ It's hard to believe, since I've only heard of Salamander, the Fire Dragon Slayer. This girl is a Wind Dragon Slayer, obviously. But if she's protecting the caravan, then I should probably go help her.

I put Lector down behind a tree. "Stay here, I'll be back soon."

He looks up at me worriedly, then smiles. "You go get em, Sting!" He holds up his paw, so I tap it with my palm, a high five to reassure him a little.

There's no time to waste, so I sprint away from the trees and straight towards where there are still about twenty dark wizards surrounding the caravan. "White Dragon's Holy Nova!" I jump off the ground and smash my light-covered fist into the dark wizard creeping up in the girl's blind spot, effectively crashing the party.

She whirls around, her dark eyes going wide. "Hey kid! Be careful!"

I smirk at her, then at the dark wizards. "I spotted you guys getting attacked, so I thought I'd help a little!"

She frowns at me, then sniffs the air. "White Dragon Slayer…huh?"

I nod. _She must have heard me shout then…_ "And you're a Wind Dragon Slayer, right?"

She nods. "It's how I got the name Dragon Wing."

"Well then, Dragon Wing…" I walk over to her and nudge her side, even though I barely come up to her elbow. "I'm here to help you out, 'kay!?"

She blinks down at me, then grins. "Well, if that's what you want, I won't stop you. But don't expect me to jump to your rescue every five seconds."

"Pfft, like I'll need you to rescue me!" I'm a dragon slayer too, I don't need anyone to come to my rescue.

"Then how about a double roar?" She laughs lightly, and it sounds a little like birds, or wind chimes. "That should handle the rest of them, right?"

 _She wants to do a joint attack with me!?_ At first, my pride rebels, since I really hate sharing the spotlight. But this is my chance to fight alongside another dragon slayer. I would be an idiot to pass up the chance. "Okay!"

"Good." She laughs again and inhales deeply. "Ready?"

"Ready!" I inhale as well. "White Dragon's-"

"Wind Dragon's-"

"ROAR!" A beam of light explodes from my mouth, and a wind tunnel from hers. The two of them collide, shooting towards the collection of dark wizards.

They scatter, but it's too late. It only hits a couple of them directly, but the resulting explosion of wind and light shoots out in all directions, shooting down all but a couple of the dark wizards.

"Now then…" Dragon Wing cracks her knuckles, then disappears from beside me, reappearing next to the two standing wizards. "Wind Dragon's Talon!" He kicks one of them in the head, slamming him against the last of his comrades. The two of them are out cold in an instant.

Dusting herself off, Dragon Wing works her way across the battlefield, checking each of the dark wizards. Judging by how she's moving some, and kicking others, she's just checking to see if any of them are awake or not. And judging by their distinct lack of reaction, I'd say they're all out cold.

She walks back over, a smile on her face. "Well, looks like they're all out cold. Which means that the caravan should be safe to continue traveling."

"Good…" I look up at her, my cheeks flushing a little. "That was really cool…"

"Oh?" Her smile brightens and softens. "Well I think that you did really well today. What's you name, little one?"

I pout a bit. "My name is Sting, and I'm not little."

She snickers and pats my head. "Yes you are. But you won't be, not forever." Ruffling my hair, she lowers her voice a bit. "I bet that one day, you're going to be big and strong, just like my big brother."

"Your brother…?" S _he's got a brother, huh?_ "That's cool…I guess. But the one I really want to be like, the one I wanna beat, his name is Salamander!"

"Salamander?" Her eyes go wide. "Well, what do you know…" She starts laughing again, her smile stretching to her eyes. "Natsu 'Salamander' Dragneel, huh?"

That hits me like a punch to the face. "You know him!?"

"Of course I do…" There's a fondness in her eyes that I once saw in Weisslogia's eyes. "He's my twin brother. That's why they call us the Dragonslayer Twins."

My jaw drops. "He's your brother!?" This has got to be the greatest coincidental meeting in all of history. I've run into Salamander's sister! "Where is he!? I wanna fight him!"

Pursing her lips and knitting her eyebrows a little, she frowns. "Well, you're a little young to be challenging him now…maybe you should wait until you're a bit older. Right now, he would squash you like a bug. Or roast you. Yeah…probably roast you." She trails off a little, obviously thinking hard about him. "But if you train hard, maybe in a couple of years, you can challenge him and put up a real fight. I'll even cheer you on a little!"

I start pouting again. "Really?"

"Really." She looks sincere, but I know better than to take people at face value. So I hold out my pinky. "Promise?" I know it's childish, but I want to at least try to have her word on it.

Amusement dances in her eyes as she links pinkies with me. "Promise." Then her eyes flash, and she reaches up to her ear. "Here, take this as proof." She holds up an earring made of an inch and a half long crystal, with a hoop to attack it to the ear. "When you get bigger, come and find us, okay? This earring has my scent on it, and even if you wear it, it might still keep a small trace of that scent. When you're ready, really ready, then come find us, and I'm sure that Natsu will want to fight you."

I stare at the earring as it sparkles in the sunlight. "You're giving me your earring?"

"Yep!" She nods, pressing the earring into my hand with a smile. "Okay, it's a promise. One day, when you're big and strong, I'll get Natsu to fight you. And if you really want, then I'll fight you too. But Natsu will want to fight you first. He's much more fond of fighting than I am."

My cheeks flush again as I look into her dark eyes. "Yeah…" Then I touch my left ear. "But…I don't have my ears pierced."

"Oh, so you want to wear it, huh?" She laughs again. "Well, if that's the case, then here…" She reaches for my ear and rubs the skin gently. Then she blows on it, and I feel a slight pinch. When she brings her hand away, there's a tiny speck of blood. "Now you can put it in."

I feel my ear, and sure enough, there's a tiny hole there. _Oh wow…she pierced my ear!_ I fumble with the earring for a few seconds, until it slides neatly into the hole, then I fasten it back up. The crystal hangs from my ear, and like she said, I can smell her scent on the earring. _Now I can find her again._

She straightens up, smiling a little more sternly at me. "Now, run along Sting, I'm sure that your little cat friend has stayed in the woods long enough."

My eyes widen in shock. "You know about Lector!?"

She taps her nose lightly. "Never underestimate a dragon slayer's nose."

I watch in amazement as she walks back to the caravan, and takes down a barrier made of silvery magic. She starts talking to the merchants, so I turn around and head back to the trees. Dragon Wing…huh? And Salamander. The Dragonslayer Twins.

I find Lector sitting against the same tree I left him at, and he grins at me. "That was so awesome, Sting!"

"Yeah…it was." I look back towards her, Dragon Wing, and smile. "And I swear I'm gonna see her again."

 _Salamander and Dragon Wing…The Dragonslayer Twins._

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

It's been nearly two weeks on the road, and after all of the trouble we had with that dark guild almost a week ago, I'm glad to see the end in sight. _It's about time…I thought we'd never get here._

Waiting at the border crossing is a group of wizards. I can tell, because I can smell the magic on them. And that means that I can get my payment and take my leave. The sooner I can head back to Fairy Tail, the better.

Once there, an elderly woman, who appears to be the leader of this group of wizards, greets us. "It is good to see that you made it here safely. I trust that there were no problems?"

I shrug. "Just an attack by a dark guild. Nothing that couldn't be handled." It really isn't all that bad. After the incident with Eisenwald, I'm much less hesitant about taking on a dark guild. "The goods are safe and sound, and not a sliver of the gold is missing."

The woman nods appreciatively, handing me a thick envelope. "Then here is your payment. We can take it from here."

"Good." I stuff the envelope into my backpack and turn to the merchants. "Well, this is where I'll be saying my goodbyes. Good luck traveling through Seven."

There is a general nodding and bowing, and expressing of appreciation. So I just wave back at them as I head off towards the south. Walking, I'm about a week from Magnolia, but if I fly, I should be able to make it there within three days, even with periodic rest.

And this has definitely been a most interesting assignment. The second one that has yielded a meeting with a small dragon slayer.

 _And this one seems just as promising as the other one… Ryos and Sting…I hope that those two meet someday. I hope that we all meet again someday. A day when all of us are much, much stronger._


	57. Allied Forces

**Okay, so no one has come up with a guess yet as for how all of this is going to go wrong. So, another couple of hints.**

 **It can only happen during this arc.**

 **It happens to more than one person.**

* * *

I should have known that something would go wrong as soon as I walked into the guild. Something always seems to go wrong just as I'm checking in. And this time, it's bad enough to have Gramps looking rather serious. "Good, you're here. I was worried that I would have to send the others without you."

I cringe a little at the insinuation. "Alright…what are you planning? Are you sending me somewhere with my brother and the others?" Then I spot the chart of dark guilds hovering behind Reedus. "Are we going to war?"

He nods. "I am sending Natsu, Lucy, Erza, Gray, and Happy as representatives of Fairy Tail to be part of a coalition between four magical guilds. If possible, I would like for you to join them."

I can see why he's asking this, it's as clear as day to me. "You want me to go because we all work well together, and because you'd like to send more than one S-Class wizard, right?"

He nods. "Then you will go?"

I sigh and shift my backpack on my shoulder. "Yeah…just let me go home and pack again."

"Very well." Erza smiles at me. "We shall meet in front of the guild in an hour. Is that enough time for you?"

"Make it half an hour." I yawn tiredly. "And I want to sleep most of the way there. That job took a lot out of me." I turn around and head straight for the front doors. Great…I'm getting sent on another annoying job. _I just hope that Natsu doesn't destroy anything this time…_

* * *

Half an hour later, I meet with the others in front of the guild hall, where's there is a pig drawn cart waiting for us. I raise an eyebrow curiously as I shift my bag higher over my shoulder. "Is this one of Reedus' creations?"

"Yeah, isn't it awesome!?" Happy leaps up into the front seat and grabs the reins. "I'm driving!"

"What!?" I' a little astonished by that declaration.

And I'm not the only one. Natsu gets right up in his partner's face. "You are so not driving! You're planning on making me sick for charcoaling your fish!"

"Oh, Natsu…you should know that it's not nice to roast someone's yummy fish."

"Why you-"

I raise my hand and point it at Natsu. "Sleep!" And in an instant, he crumples to the ground, already snoring away. Gray groans and goes about hauling Natsu into the cart, while I turn to Happy. "Is this a good idea? Do you even know how to drive?"

"Of course he does…" Erza smiles at me gently. "And it's best to let him drive, either way. After all, he's not going to be doing much fighting, and the rest of us should conserve our strength."

"Aye!" Happy raises a paw, a grin on his face. "Leave it to me!" He must have already realized that he's not going to be much help in combat against a dark guild, at least not directly. He does more good as Natsu's sickness repelling mode of transportation, rather than as a fighter. But he's always been okay with that. He knows his place, and how important it is.

I glance at Happy, who is taking the reins of Reedus' summoned pig cart. "Alright, I guess we can let the flying cat drive. Like that can't possibly go wrong." I stifle a yawn and curl up next to Natsu. "Wake me when we get there. I'm the only one who can wake up Natsu." I yawn again, sleep washing over me quickly as I listen to the beat of Natsu's heart.

* * *

Erza shakes me awake, her voice filling my ears. "Ciara, it's time for you to get up. We need you to lift the sleeping spell on Natsu."

I groan and turn over onto my stomach. "Five more minutes…"

"Ciara!"

"Fine…" I yawn and sit up, my groggy eyes searching for Natsu. "There you are…" I wave my hand and a small light flashes in front of my eyes. "Wake up!"

He groans and turns a little green as he stirs. "We there yet?" Only awake for a few seconds, and already succumbing to the scourge of motion sickness.

"Apparently…" The wagon grinds to a halt, and I look out past Happy to see a large pink house. "I can't imagine anyone but a member of Blue Pegasus having a paint job that gaudy."

"Great…another creepy old mansion…" Lucy sighs as we disembark and walk in through the doors of the huge pink house. And thankfully, she's the one who ends up dragging my sickly brother inside.

"It's the second home of Blue Pegasus' master, Bob." That sure explains the little heart lights, and the gaudy pink exterior.

"Oh, him." Gray looks like he's going to fall over. "He makes me feel funny."

"Gray, be nice." Erza lightly chastises him. "Master Bob may be a little eccentric, but he does deserve our utmost respect."

Natsu groans from the floor. "Just tell me when we're there, guys."

"Okay! We're there!" Happy pats Natsu on the back, trying to soothe what's left of the motion sickness.

Then a voice comes out of nowhere. "Yes, They're here at last!"

"At last!" Two new voices join the mix, repeating the first's last words.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! Hello!"

"Hello!"

"Fairy-"

"Fairy-"

"Tail-"

"Tail-"

"Wizards!" Since they spoke the last part together, I'm going to guess that they're nearly done. "We're so glad you came…" I could swear that the words echo a little, before fading out of existence.

The one in the middle steps forward first. "We are…"

"…the Blue Pegasus…" Next is the short one on the left.

And the tall one on the right. "…elite crew."

"The Trimens." And synchronized once again.

The lights shine on the one in the middle, the one with ginger-brown hair and dark eyes. "'Hundred Nights' Hibiki."

Next is the short one, with neatly combed blond hair. "'Holy Night' Eve"

Last is the tall one, with tanned skin, dark hair, and matching eyes. "'Still Night' Ren."

I cringe, but Lucy fangirls. "The Trimens from Blue Pegasus. Wow, that is so cool. Those guys are like the hottest wizards around now. Hibiki Lates is always near the top of Sorcer Weekly's most eligible wizard bachelors list! He's been in the top three for the last few months!"

I groan and take a few steps back. "Great…this is all we need…a bunch of pretty boys." They had better be able to do more than just pose…otherwise the Oracion Seis are just going to laugh at us.

Gray, having already lost his shirt, starts freaking out. "Would you look at those guys!? I feel totally underdressed!"

Lucy sighs. "And they are not on the list."

"No kidding…" I can't imagine my brother ever being on a list for the hottest single wizards. Unless fire counts as heat. In which case, he would constantly be at the top.

Hibiki turns to Erza, smiling widely. "I've heard tale of your beauty…and they're true." He even winks at her, as though he expects her to be swept away by that pick-up line.

Eve tries his hand next, bowing deeply to Erza. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Titania." I can practically see the sparkles around him. They're all just so glittery.

Ren puts his hand on Erza's shoulder. "Please, come with me." He motions towards a couch on the other side of the room. Before letting Hibiki take Erza's hand to lead her over while he and Eve rush about getting out a table and drinks.

"Would you like to freshen up?"

"Or maybe something to eat?"

"No."

"Ah, but there's cake." Hibiki must be desperate, playing on Erza's weakness for cake. "Want some?"

But Erza is too focused to fall for their tricks. "No, thank you." At least she lets them down nicely.

Ren pops up next to Lucy, and Hibiki spots me, his smile growing wider. I do my best not to roll my eyes as he saunters over to me, a veritable spring in his step. "Why hello there, my lady, what would your name be?"

I grimace a little as he takes my hand. "Ciara Dragneel…though I believe that you might know me better as Dragon Wing." It's the name that Sorcerer Weekly uses for me most often, after all.

His eyes widen, and his smile grows even brighter, if that's possible. "Then it seems we have some very illustrious ladies gracing us with their presence today." He lifts my hand closer to his mouth, laying the charm on a little too thickly.

As soon as his lips brush against the back of my hand, I yank my hand out of his grip and step backwards, jumping into the air. "I'm not interested in touchy flirts. So go try your charms on some other girl."

Hibiki laughs nervously, the backs away from me, his smile turning to Erza and Lucy. "Well, you ladies must be exhausted. Feel free to spend the night. We don't mind." The three of them start giving off sparkles again, and honestly, I'm about two more pick-up lines away from punching them through a wall. One, if they try to suggest spending the night again. And from the looks of it, Lucy and Erza are of the same mind as me.

"Calm down, men…give these ladies some breathing room." A smooth, rich voice comes from the stairs, though it sends unpleasant shivers down my spine. And Erza looks just as put off.

The short man at the top of the stairs addresses Erza. "It's been far too long, Miss Scarlet."

"A long time, yes." She sounds like she wants to run away and hide in a hole. "I never expected to see you here."

"Oh, how I've missed you, my sweet honey." The lights come on, revealing his spiky orange hair and rather large nose, as well as a cleft chin that should not be possible. "But don't cry. I'm here. Ooh."

Erza starts shaking, and I float away a little more, freaked out more than can possibly be healthy. _I thought that we were supposed to be here to fight a dark guild…not listen to these morons flirt._

"A surprise." The man, Ichiya, steps onto the railing of the stairs, sliding down towards the rest of us.

"A surprise!" The Trimens are at it again with repeating each other.

"A reunion."

"A reunion!" Now they've got party crackers as well.

"Oh yes! Oh yes! Oh yes!" The Trimens get down on their knees apologetically. "We didn't know she was your girlfriend, Mr. Ichiya. Please forgive our rudeness." They bow to Erza, like they really believe that she could be dating such a weirdo.

Erza's voice becomes shrill as she points at Ichiya. "You know that is not true!"

Instead of responding to that accusation, Ichiya turns to the Trimens. "You idiots! We have work to do!" _Finally…someone has a work ethic…_

"Right boss! Right boss!" They start running around, cleaning up and putting away the couches and tables.

"Boss, huh? I think that's like the third thing they've called him." Lucy has made a great observation on how crazy they are.

Happy is a little more blunt. "They're a bunch of mixed nuts." _I wonder if they're a bunch of fruits too?_

Ichiya grabs everyone's attention with a flourish, his eyes still fixed on Erza. "It seems that destiny has brought us together. Miss Erza, Miss Lucy, Miss Ciara…" I hate to be included in his tally. Then he turns to Natsu and Gray. "You two, not so much." He dances around a little, approaching Erza and Lucy. "Sniff, sniff, sniff, sniff. Sweet parfum!"

Lucy starts shaking. "He's creeping me out."

"Yeah, me too." Erza is as pale as a ghost, before sighing and stepping back. "I'd never choose to be in his company. However, he is a gifted wizard."

Ice cold is the perfect way to describe both Gray's magic, as well as his voice at the moment. "Listen up, you Blue Pegasus playboy wannabees, you'd be wise to keep your hands off these ladies. We clear?"

Ichiya deflates a little. "Clear as crystal. Now take your leave."

"Thanks for dropping by." The Trimens bow condescendingly to Gray, trying to get him and Natsu to leave.

Gray doesn't take it well. "We're here on some serious business, you know? Can you pretty boys even fight?" _That's exactly what I was wondering…_

"You wanna find out?" Even and Ren get some mildly scary looks on their faces. "Yeah, we're real tough, pal."

Natsu, on the other hand, only hears that as a fun challenge. "Fight!? Well, count me in!"

"Everybody needs to calm down this instant." Erza steps in to play peacemaker. But that doesn't last long as a certain little monkey gets a little too close to her.

"My honey!" Ichiya goes sniffing her again as her face pales. "Your sweet parfum, it still drives me crazy."

 _Three…two…one…_

"You stay away from me!" Erza punches his lights out, and sends Ichiya flying across the room.

The doors open again, and at the point of impact, Ichiya freezes, literally. "You dare to greet us with this flying buffoon?" Now that's a voice I recognize. "Lamia Scale deserves more respect. We insist on it." Lyon.

"It's you!" Lyon and Gray stare at each other, not believing that the other is here. I guess this is definitely an interesting place for a reunion of old friends. Especially after everything that happened on Galuna Island.

Natsu is much more pleased to see Lyon. "Hey, so you went and joined a guild after all."

Lyon tosses Ichiya across the hall, bouncing him enough to break all of the ice off. "Oh no! Don't hurt the face!"

"What is wrong with you!?" Gray turns on Lyon after dodging the flying Pegasus.

Lyon's voice is flat and cold. "He was the one who attacked me, Gray."

Ren nearly growls. "Watch it, that our leader you're messing with, pal."

"How dare you!?" Eve's cute face contorts angrily.

Hibiki's gaze hardens, his dark eyes fixed on Lyon. "You and your men should just turn around and go home."

"I suppose that means women can stay and fight?" Another familiar voice comes out of nowhere, while the carpet rises up as if haunted. "Marionette Attack: Carpet Doll!"

Lucy is the one who ends up flat on her ass thanks to that attack. "What did I do!?" She lands and rolls a little, then gets back on her feet. "Hold on, I recognize that magic." And next to Lyon appears a pink-haired girl in a light pink dress. "Sherry!? No way! You joined the guild too!?"

Sherry laughs "I was hoping you Fairies hadn't forgotten who I am. But please, do try to forget who I was, okay?" _Well…she makes about as much sense as that flying rat of hers._ "I have been born anew by the power of love!"

"More!" Ichiya hops to his feet and springs towards Erza. "I must breathe in more of your parfum!"

"Oh no! Stay back!" Erza brandishes a huge spear, and she looks ready to fend off a whole army.

Gray stares at his old friend. "Let's go Lyon."

"My pleasure." Lyon's attention is now entirely focused on Gray.

"I'm ready to party!" Natsu looks slightly maniacal, though that's honestly nothing new.

Sherry's target just so happens to be Lucy. "I could never love you." _Great…still completely obsessed with the whole love angle._

"Well the feeling's mutual." _Lucy..you're just egging her on…_

In an instant, the battles start. The carpet comes to life, Lucy is about to open a gate, Erza's spear is raised high into the air, there's ice magic pouring from Gray and Lyon, Natsu is surrounded by flames, and there's some kind of air and snow magic circling the Trimens.

I look around and sigh. _Well, this went to hell quickly…_ Rising into the air, I gather wind in my mouth. "Breath of the Wind Dragon." I expel all of the air, and it rushes through the room, gusting everywhere and blowing the pairs of combatants apart. "Enough! We're not here to fight each other! We've got a dark guild on the loose!" It's about the only thing that I think will rally them. And I have to hope that it works.

Unexpectedly, everyone looks up at me, lowering their hands. And in the doorway, a staff clacks down onto the ground. "It seems that we have a peacemaker, good. She is right, this is no time to be fighting amongst ourselves. We are here to do battle with the Oracion Seis."

Lyon looks back at the bald man with the staff. "Yes, Jura."

"That's Jura?" Erza eyes him warily.

Ren looks just as wary. "So that's him?"

"Lamia Scale's top man." Hibiki's eyes just scream analysis. "Iron Rock Jura."

Natsu frowns. "Who?" I slap my forehead and sigh. _Of course he doesn't know…_

Happy tugs on Natsu's pants. "He's one of the ten wizard saints!"

"Yeah, which means he'd kind of a big deal." Lucy is right on that count. It means that he's part of the same group of powerful wizards as Gramps.

Sherry goes about scrutinizing the group. "So five from Fairy Tail, and four from Blue Pegasus?" She scoffs. "Ha, funny, our guild only needed to send three members."

I roll my eyes. "Actually, there's six of us, since you forgot to include Happy. And Gramps sent all of us because they're a team, and I'm the only one who can effectively do damage control. At least, that's what makes the most sense. I wouldn't be here if I had gotten back from my escort mission an hour later." I narrow my eyes at her. "Besides, this is a dark guild we're dealing with. It never hurts to be careful."

Jura nods. "Quite wise." Then he looks around. "It seems we have representatives from three guilds. The members from Cait Shelter have yet to arrive."

"Yes, and about that guild…" Ichiya hangs ff the end of Erza's spear. "I hear they're only sending one."

"Just one member?" That seems to ring a bit strange to Erza.

Gray's jaw drops. "That's insane! We're supposed to be up against a powerful group here!"

"One?" Lucy starts shaking. "If that's true, how crazy intense is this guy gonna be?"

I'm not bothered. "Well, if they're only sending one, then I guess it's good that Fairy Tail sent six. We can make up the difference in numbers, regardless of how strong this one member from Cait Shelter is." Then I smell a new scent quickly approaching the hall, and I turn to face the door. "Incoming."

As everyone else turns to see the newcomer, a little girl with long blue hair trips into the room, landing flat on her face. "Ahh!" She pushes herself to her knees, groaning a little. "Oww…" Dusting herself up, she gets to her feet. "Hi, I uh…" There's something familiar about this girl, especially her scent. "I'm sorry I got here so late. I've come from the Cait Shelter guild. My name's Wendy Marvell. It's nice to meet all of you."

Gray gasps, and Lucy is surprised. "She's a kid!?"

"A little girl?" Lyon looks unimpressed, and slightly confused.

"Wendy, huh?" Natsu stares at her, he's sensing something off about her too.

Then I realize what it is. _Why is it that this little girl smells like a dragon…?_ She doesn't smell like Igneel, or like the dragon I've smelled on Gajeel, or like the dragons I smelled on Ryos years ago, or Sting during my last job. This girl smells like a whole new dragon.

Ichiya looks over from under Erza's boot. "She's…not handsome?"

"Nor is she a man. Why should it matter?" Thankfully, Erza at least has a head on her shoulders.

The Trimens are duly impressed. "Wendy…" "Marvell-ous." "Cute."

Jura nods. "Now then, since all guilds are present, we can begin."

"He's not even fazed by this!?" Gray gapes at Jura, then at me. "And why are you acting so cool about this!?"

I shrug. "So what if it's a little girl? If I remember right, I was smaller than her when I threw you across Fairy Tail for the first time."

Gray blushes furiously. "Don't talk about that!"

"Whatever…" I stare at Wendy, trying to figure her out. _Smells like a dragon…and I'd say tat she's about twelve years old. If the pattern continues, then the last time she had contact with a dragon would have been seven years ago, like me, Natsu, and Gajeel. If not…then she might know where they are. Either way, it's something to ask her about later. There might be a correlation somewhere that we can only figure out once we have the pattern._

Sherry's thoughts are far from my own. "What in the world is Cait Shelter thinking, sending a little girl on this kind of mission? They must really be hurting for members if they sent her here on her own."

"She isn't alone!" A small white cat comes walking in. "You shouldn't jump to conclusions, you gaudy trollop!"

Gray takes one look at the cat and frowns. "What is this?"

"A cat." Lyon answers like an idiot, as if we couldn't see that she's a cat already.

"Whoa, she's just like Happy." For once, Natsu is the one who makes the most astute observation.

Lucy smiles. "She can talk too?"

"What a stupid cat." Sherry starts grumbling. "I'm not gaudy."

"That's your beef!?" Lucy sounds as shocked as I feel. _Geez…talk about being superficial…how can this girl even fight without tripping over herself at every turn?_

Wendy looks around in surprise. "Oh, Carla. You followed me here?"

"Of course I did." The cat, Carla, states it as though it should be obvious. "You're far too young to be traveling unaccompanied, child." _Well, she certainly is a well-spoken cat…never thought I'd ever say that…_

The Trimens starts sparkling again. "Pretty kitty."

"You flirt with cats too!?" Lucy blows up, and I think that those three have finally crossed themselves off her eligible bachelors list.

Looking over at my furry blue friend, I notice that his eyes haven't left Carla this whole time. And from the looks of it, he's gotten himself into more than a few knots over this new development. He's never met another talking cat before, let alone a female. His little heart must be about ready to leap out of his chest.

But ignoring my cat, I turn my gaze back onto Wendy, who fidgets nervously. "Sorry…I'm probably not what you expected. I know I'm much smaller and younger than most of you, and I may not be much of a fighter, but I can use all kinds of support magic. So please…" She bursts into almost frantic tears. "Let me join the group! I'd be so embarrassed if you sent me home!"

Carla looks up at Wendy, her tail twitching. "You'll never gain their respect if you can't show confidence, child!"

"I'm sorry, Carla."

"I swear, you'll drive me to catnip." I snicker a little at Carla, since I remember the one time Happy got his hands on catnip. It was hilarious.

"I can't help it!" Wendy looks like she's going to start tearing up again.

Erza glances at me, then nods as I return the determined gaze. And I know exactly what she's up to, the exact same thing that crossed my mind for an instant. She approaches Wendy with a smile. "Forgive me, I was caught off guard. But rest assured, no offense was meant. We're glad to have yo aboard, Wendy."

Wendy's face lights up. "Oh, wow, you're Erza, right? I can't believe it's really you!"

Erza nods, then gestures to me. "And this is Ciara."

I step forward and take Wendy's hands, pulling her back up onto her feet. "It's fine if you're not a fighter, you know. From what I can tell, most of us are the type to do front line fighting. So it will be good to balance that out with someone who can work from behind. It means that you're the one who has to watch our backs, right?" I smile at her and tilt my head, emphasizing that it's a question.

Her eyes light up like it's a festival. "Oh, wow, you really mean it!?"

"Of course…" I drop one of her hands and ruffle her hair. "Everyone has their part to play. It would be bad if our group was too focused in one area of battle. Okay!?"

Her smile lights up as much as her eyes. "Yeah!"

As soon as I drop her other hand, Hibiki slides between us, his arm around Wendy's shoulder. "Would you please come with me, lovely lady?"

"Um, okay." Wendy looks a little intimidated as Hibiki sweeps her away, doting on her on the one remaining couch. Seems like the guy will hit on girls of all ages, and of all species.

Natsu's gaze stays fixed on her, his mind working a mile a minute. "It's so weird…I feel like I've heard that little girl's name before, but I don't know where."

"Yeah?" Gray sounds slightly interested. But not in watching Natsu try to think. "Give it a rest. It hurts just watching you."

Natsu turns to Gray. "Hey, can you remember her for me?"

"Say what!?" Gray nearly jumps out of his skin. _Please tell me that he knows how impossible Natsu's request is…_

Natsu's eyes travel to Wendy once more, before he focuses back on Gray. "So, you got anything yet?"

"Working on it…" Gray sighs, like he's become fully accustomed to how much of a moron Natsu can be.

Ichiya whirls over to the Trimens, who have been doting incessantly on Wendy. "I told you three they're here on business. Now clean this place up!"

"Yes, dear Master, right away!" And they've got yet another nickname to call him by. Inconsistent doesn't even begin to describe them.

And I'm tired of all this socializing. I just want to get down to the job that we're here to do.


	58. Six Demons

**Looks like the worst case scenario is starting to sink in…good. That means that I dropped enough hints. I will enjoy ripping hearts apart. Because this is not going to be pleasant, especially for Natsu and Gray, (It's also going to get very bad for Hibiki later…but I'll put a warning on that particular chapter).**

 **On a more pleasant note, sort of, Since I featured Sting a couple chapters back, I should warn you all that when the GMG arc comes about, shit is really going to hit the fan. Especially seeing as Ciara has already met those two… I don't think that they do quite what she meant when she told them to get stronger.**

 **And because of an extra P.O.V. in this chapter, as well as Sting's a couple of chapters ago, I've changed up the character lineup in the story summary, just to fit in as many people as possible. There's still a few more people who have yet to get their P.O.V.s.**

* * *

The fifteen of us gather in the center of the room, ready for the debriefing. We need to know as much about what we're about to face as possible. And Blue Pegasus is meant to provide some of those answers.

Ichiya stands on a glowing platform, posing once again. "Okay, now that all the involved parties are present, I think it's about time to get the mission briefing underway."

"You're gonna brief us through interpretive dance?" Lucy sounds like she's not believing her eyes, but also not surprised. It's quite a strange tone to her voice.

Ichiya continues like Lucy didn't say a word. "Our first order of business is determining the location of the Oracion Seis." A strange look crosses his face. "Right after I make a letter of the alphabet." A polite way of saying that he needs to go to the bathroom, before he toddles off upstairs.

Gray cringes. "Great. If he's making the letter poop, I'm outta here."

"We're rooting for you, teacher!" The Trimens just go ahead and applaud the guy, as if going to the bathroom constitutes participating in a race.

I roll my eyes at everyone's silly antics, waiting patiently for the orange-haired numbskull to finally get back. We've got no time for wasting here.

He gets back a few minutes later, and gets right back on his shining platform. "Much better. Now, please, pay close attention." He gestures to the northern wall of the mansion. "To the north lies the Worth Woodsea, where the ancients once sealed a powerful force. A magic called Nirvana!"

Gray deadpans. "Thoses poses are getting really old."

"Nirvana?" Natu and Lucy look at each other, then shrug.

Lyon frowns, not that it's too different from his normal face. "Never heard of it before."

"Do you know what it is?" Sherry asks Jura, hoping that he'll have the answers.

She's disappointed as he remains stoic. "No. I do not."

Ren addresses the group sternly. "We don't know much about this magic, other than it's name. And that it is destructive in nature."

"And that the Oracon Seis wants it badly." Eve pipes up, his cute little face a little less cute without a smile on it. Hey, I can give credit where credit is due, and the three of them are undeniably attractive. It's the flirting that puts me off.

What is putting Natsu off is hearing out this Nirvana magic. "Destruction magic…" If there's destructive magic that can make even my reckless brother worried, it's something to be concerned about.

"Okay, bad feeling confirmed." I can practically see the shivers running up and down Lucy's spine.

Hibiki nods. "We assume that why they traveled to the Worth Woodsea. They're desperate to get their hands on such a powerful magic."

"To prevent that from happening…" Ichiya takes back over, only to turn it into a joke when the four of them begin to sparkle, again. "We must destroy the Oracion Seis!"

Lucy groans. "I'm so over the posing."

Gray sweatdrops a little. "I think they're starting to grow on me."

"We may have the advantage in numbers, but remember…"

"We cannot underestimate them."

"They're incredibly strong." I'm a little sick of the three of them talking in rounds, but now, it looks like Hibiki is taking over. "We may well be in over our heads." His magic pulses, and next to him, a glowing screen and keyboard appear.

"That's Archive." Jura recognizes the magic instantly.

Lyon is mildly interested. "I don't believe I've seen it in use before."

"And it does what exactly?" Sherry continues to be a snarky, self-important twit. Honestly, she's the one who is getting on my nerves the most right now.

Hibiki takes no offense, simply bringing up pictures in front of us. "Storing information, such as these photographs of our enemy. Don't ask how we got em." That tells me that it was either very dangerous, very illegal, or very humiliating. "First up is the snake wizard. Cobra." Snake wizard, indeed, considering that he's got a snake wrapped around him.

Natsu frowns. "Beady eyes and a mischievous smirk. He looks like trouble to me." _Oh Natsu…_ I sigh and shake my head.

Lyon and Gray look at Natsu incredulously. "Talk about the pot calling the kettle black." It's good to see that I wasn't the only one who spotted the hypocritical irony in Natsu's statement.

But Hibiki moves right along once the comments are done. "Next is a wizard who, judging from his name, likely uses speed magic. Meet Racer."

Gray's teasing look from earlier disappears in an instant. "I don't know what it is, but I don't like the looks of this guy."

"I don't either." Lyon agrees, his teasing expression gone as well.

Hibiki enlarges the next picture, one of a guy who looks almost like a priest. "Then there's a wizard who's willing to wipe out an entire military unit, if the price is right. 'Divine Eyes' Hoteye."

"The guy kills for money?" At least Sherry's slightly disgusted tone demonstrates her morals. That much, I can respect.

Jura agrees. "Turns my stomach."

The next picture is of a woman, donning short silver hair, and an outfit that looks like it was made out of the skin of a swan, and reveals most of her front. "She's gorgeous, but just as vicious. This is Angel."

Lucy deadpans. "She's the beautiful but deadly type, huh? Is this chick for real?"

"The next member is such a myster, all we know is his name." The next picture flashes up of a guy on a carpet. "Midnight."

Erza frowns. "That's an odd name. Does it correlate to his power?"

"Probably." I run through the list of names in my head. "They all seem to correlate somehow. So I would guess that it's either with his magic, or with the fact that it looks like he's asleep in the picture."

Hibiki's eyes flash to me briefly, before he focuses back on his pictures, bringing up the next one. It's a large, dark-skinned man with white hair, carrying a staff, and adorned with a large chest tattoo, as well as many other. "Finally, the commander of Oracion Seis. Brain." _Well, that name is pretty self-explanatory. He's the leader, as well as the mastermind._ "There you have it. Alone, they can wipe out entire guilds, and together, they're unstoppable." The pictures disappear in an instant. "We have thirteen to their six, but that's our only advantage." Obviously he's not counting Happy or Carla, otherwise he would have said fifteen.

Lucy raises her hand. "Question. Can I volunteer to stay behind and not die today?"

"I don't wanna die either, so may I please go home!?" Wendy nearly bursts into hysterical tears.

Carla becomes shrill in an instant. "You may not! We have a job to do, child!"

Happy grins. "Since they didn't count us, you wanna get out of here and find some trash cans to raid?"

I stifle a laugh and turn to Happy. "Hey, remember that you came along as well. And even if you're not part of the wizard count, remember that you're Natsu' partner. You're important too, little guy."

Happy's eyes start to shine and he raises a paw, nearly dropping his fish. "Aye, sir!"

Ichiya pops in, glittering once more. "Curb you fear, my friends. There is more to our operation than mortal combat. With your help, perhaps we can find the enemy's stronghold."

"Stronghold?" Natsu glances at me. _Like, their home base, right? I bet the two of us could sniff it out._

 _True…_ It's an excellent idea. Send the two experienced dragon slayers off to track down the headquarters of a dark guild. There's one way that could go wrong though. If the two of us find them and no one else shows up to help, we might end up wrecking a little too much of the forest.

"Yeah, you heard the man." Ren interrupts my thoughts quite abruptly. "We've looked everywhere, but have had no luck."

Eve holds up his hand. "Here's the deal: they've gotta have a temporary base in the Worth Woodsea."

"And once we've located it, our plan is to gather the Oracion Seis inside." Ichiya sparkles again, though I wish that his plan sparkled as much as he did, since I can already see a million problems with this plan. The first being that the wizards could be anywhere. The second, being somehow forcing them back to their headquarters. The third being that we might not catch them by surprise. And so on and so forth.

Gray seems to be thinking along the same lines as me, though in much less detail. "How do we do that?"

"We beat em up and drag their butts there!" Natsu pumps his fist into the air excitedly. _Trust Natsu to think of the simplest solution…maybe not the easiest, but definitely the simplest._

"He's a little too excited about this." And once again, Lucy has hit the nail on the head when it comes to Natsu's overeager temperament.

Erza remains a little pensive. "What's the next part of the plan?"

Ichiya points to the sky. "Then, we'll give them a one-way ticket to oblivion! Courtesy of Christina, the majestic pride of the Blue Pegasus guild."

Now that's a shock, and I'm not the only one who shows it on their face. Lyon looks just as astonished, and Sherry's voice drops almost to an awed whisper. "I've heard about the magic bomber, but I thought it was just a myth."

"Whoa! Is that necessary? There's only six of em!" Lucy seems to think it's overkill. But considering that she's a member of Fairy Tail, I think that she should just get used to the idea of overkill.

"That's the type of enemy we face." Jura finds the measure to be more than appropriate. "Remember, under no circumstance should you ever engage the enemy in solo combat. Our best bet is to separate them, then devote two wizards to each fight." He must be discounting Wendy, since she's not a fighter. But that works out fine, since I already know who I'm going to group with.

Natsu grins, lighting his fist on fire. "Let's go! I'm all fired up!" Then he turns on a dime and heads straight for the doors, not bothering to open them, instead, just blasting straight through them and out into the sunlight. "Time to hunt me some Demons! Ready or not, here I come!" He takes off quickly kicking up a trail of smoke behind him.

Everyone else looks completely shocked, even though really, they shouldn't be. I don't bother to cover my mouth, I just laugh loudly and happily. "Oi, idiot! Wait for me, dumbass!" I spin on the ball of my foot and take off like a bullet, racing the wind itself as I chase down Natsu.

* * *

Erza's P.O.V.

The excitement is nothing new, I more than expected it from Natsu. But I expected much more calm thought from Ciara. I suppose that Natsu's energy can infect even his sister. It's in moments like these that their bond is truly shown to everyone. As well as showing how alike they really are.

We run to the doors, but it's too late, the two of them are quickly headed out of sight. Lucy yells pointlessly at a cloud of dust. "Where do you think you're going!?"

"Always acting without a thought in his head." I sigh quietly. _I just hope that Ciara can keep Natsu's head on straight._

"Some days I wonder about his mental health…" Lucy looks like she's just about given up on our pink-haired comrade.

Gray just chuckles. "What do you guys wanna bet he didn't even hear the plan?"

"I'll bet five fish he didn't." Happy takes the bet up immediately.

Gray grins. "Well, I'm sure that Ciara heard the plan. And then made a back-up plan…"

"And a back-up plan for the back-up plan." I smile wryly at Gray.

He smiles back. "And a half dozen extra back-up plans, just in case the first few don't work."

"Aye." Happy jumps up giddily. "And if none of those plans work, she and Natsu will just roast them!"

Ren rubs his head as though he has a headache. "Overkill much?" He will soon learn that overkill is just Natsu's way of doing things. He may jump into things with a half-baked plan, if any plan at all, but he won't stop until the job is done, and then some.

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Just great." Hibiki sighs. "We're gonna have to fix it."

But if nothing else, the twins have the right idea. "Enough gawking. Move!" I call out the order, addressing everyone, not just Gray and Lucy.

Gray groans. "Guess we're playing catch up with those dorks…"

Lucy starts crying. "Aw…do we have to!?"

I shake my head and start running. "Double time it!" We've got no time to lose, and it's best that we catch up to Natsu and Ciara as quickly as possible. Though knowing those two, they might be halfway to our destination by now. They never were ones to take things slowly. It's why Ciara was a two time champion in our twenty four hour races. And she only participated twice.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I race alongside Natsu, the wind spurring me along at an easy pace. "So, we're going to hunt down a dark guild. Looks like this could get fun!" Taking down Gloria well quite entertaining, and this fight might be even more intense. And like Natsu, I know how to enjoy a good fight.

Natsu grins at me. "Yeah! Let's kick their butts!"

After a while, Natsu finally slows down a little, subconsciously pacing himself. And it's because of this, that the others finally have time to start catching up.

It doesn't last long.

Up ahead, Natsu spots the giant forest. "There it is!"

Gray groans. "Wait up, numbskull!"

"Yeah, in your dreams!" Natsu grins as he keeps up a fairly good pace.

Erza glares at him. "That's an order! You can't rush into this one alone!"

"What's the matter? Are you afraid I might actually show you up this time?" Natsu grins at me. "Besides, I'm not alone!"

"Say what!?" Obviously, Erza only registered the first part. "Stop moving your feet right now!"

Natsu flails, skidding a little. "I was just kidding around!" Though while I stop perfectly at the edge of the cliff, Natsu's flailing sends him right off the edge. "AHH!" He disappears over the side, right into the forest.

I look over the side of the cliff and roll my eyes. "Well, that was dramatic."

"He stopped moving his feet…" Gray deadpans a little, then peers over the side.

Erza twitches. "If he isn't dead, I'll kill him."

"I see he hasn't changed at all." Sherry is definitely right on all counts there.

Lyon finally cracks a smile. "To think, I once crossed fists with that fool. It's kind of embarrassing now."

I laugh a little and take a few steps back. "Well, knowing Natsu, he probably took down half a dozen trees when he crashed…"

 _Ciara! I'm stuck! Help me!_

I blink, then sigh a little. "Scratch that, he took down a few trees, then got himself stuck." I take a few more steps back, then crack my neck. "Well, you guys can come find us down there. I'll need a couple of minutes to find him and get him loose." I grin eagerly. "Time for a little skydiving."

Lyon stares at me. "Wait, what are you-"

But I don't hear the rest of his question, because I race to the edge of the cliff and push off it, leaping through the air. _Alright, Natsu, I'm on my way!_ I zoom down towards the trees, hurtling towards them at an incredible clip. But I'm not afraid of speed, never have been. I'm not afraid of heights or falling either. So hurtling towards the ground at a speed that would squash most people like a pancake on impact? No problem.

I crash through the leafy canopy and hit a tree trunk with enough force to knock the entire tree over. So I use the trunk as a ramp to slide down to the forest floor. _Now…where are you…?_ I sniff around, looking for Natsu.

"Up here…"

I look up, and see Natsu tangled up in a bunch of vines. And it's funny, because he's hanging upside down. "Well, how did you get yourself into that mess?"

He glares at me sourly. "I fell off a cliff."

I chuckle and shake my head. "So, why haven't you burned yourself free yet?"

I could swear that his eyes go red with irritation. "What do you mean burn myself free!? I'm not tryin' to burn down the whole forest!"

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Well, at least you're becoming more self-conscious, that's good."

"Yeah, yeah, now just get me down!" He struggles with the vines, which only makes him swing around a little. "They're getting tighter!"

I sigh. "They wouldn't if you would stop struggling so damn much." I take in the sight and spot the few main vines holding him up. If I aim at those, he should be able to slide down to the ground.

But what fun would that be?

I smile, then slash my hand through the air, releasing a sharp blade of wind at the vines. Natsu's eyes widen and he starts flailing. "No! Wait! I'm sorry! Wait a-" But the vines are all cut in an instant, and Natsu crashes headfirst into the ground.

"What was that, Natsu?" I smirk at the idiot as he pulls himself to his feet.

He glares at me and growls. "Damn it, Ciara…what the hell!? You didn't have to drop me on my head!"

I shake my head and laugh. "Payback is a bitch, isn't it? You ran off without me earlier. So, I dropped you on your head. Now we're even."

Natsu knows better than to argue with that logic, especially since it's his logic. The two of us have developed an eye for an eye system over the years. Though it's really only for the small things. If he annoys me, I'll get him back for it. If I lecture him when it's truly unwarranted, he'll give me hell about it later. It's a system that works, because as siblings, we fight a ton. This just helps to keep things in balance, and provides good stories for us to laugh about later.

After rubbing his head a little, Natsu looks around. "What's with this forest? It sure has a funky smell to it…"

I sniff the air and cringe a little. "You're right…I've never smelled anything quite like it." Then I sniff the air again. "Wait, do you smell that?"

He takes another sniff, then his eyes flash open. "You mean those smells that don't belong here?"

I grin at him, only to be met with a mirroring expression. "I think we just found the Oracion Seis." I start jogging towards the source of the scents. "The others are going to catch up with us in a few minutes, so let's go!"

"Yeah! I'm all fired up!" And with that, the two of us take off running towards the dark guild ahead of us. And along the way, I make sure to mark the Fairy Tail emblem into the trees, which should lead our friends right towards us.

Natsu and I make it out of the forest quickly, and get up into a rocky area. And as expected, we've got company, the good kind. Natsu looks over his shoulder briefly. "You finally caught up!"

Gray growls. "You're one sturdy freak, you know that?"

I laugh loudly. "Of course he is. He's the son of a dragon, he kind of has to be. Otherwise he'd have been squashed a very long time ago." It's hard, reminding myself of Igneel, but maybe, the more I talk and joke about it, the less it'll hurt.

A shadow passes overhead, and Natsu stops in his tracks. "Whoa!" Then Gray runs into him, knocking him over. But he's up again in a second. "So we're pulling cheap shots now, are we!?"

Gray slams his forehead against Natsu's, a very familiar position. "If I wanted a piece of you, I'd take you head-on!" _Gray…phrase it better, please…I'm begging you…_

Erza pushes them apart. "Focus!" And as we all look to the sky, we see it. "That's the magic bomber, Christina."

Natsu's eyes light up. "I want one!"

I scoff a little. "That's a vehicle, Natsu…"

Immediately, he turns a little green. "Nevermind…"

"It definitely lives up to the hype." Gray nods at it appreciatively.

After a moment to admire it, Erza gets us back on track. "Alright, let's split up and start searching for their temporary base."

Completely forgetting what I just said, Natsu looks back up at Christina. "I'm flying the bomber!"

I sigh. "Motion sickness…"

But Natsu's motion sickness hardly matters, because right above our heads, The magic bomber's right wing explodes. And Hibiki is more than a little shocked as more explosions rock the magic bomber. "What's wrong with Christina!?"

The bomber falls from the sky, crashing into the forest. The explosion set off by the crash is massive, and definitely not a good start to this mission. Not that I expected this mission to go smoothly anyway.

And in the smoke, masked slightly by the smell of explosives and ash, are six uniques scents. Scents that do not belong in this forest. The Oracion Seis. Natsu sniffs the air, and puts up his guard immediately. "Gray."

Standing next to Natsu, Gray puts up his guard as well. "I know. We've got company. Everyone stay frosty." It's funny how when the to of them actually get serious, they work as a flawless pair. The rest of the time, they're incorrigible.

Natsu takes a step back, getting out of my range. "Ciara. You're first on the dance floor. But I can't see through all this smoke. Mind shining a light for me?"

While to the others, that might sound like nonsensical dribble, to me and Natsu, that's code. It's actually pretty simple though, since complicated numerical code is usually too hard for Natsu to remember. In the middle of a fight, when all of his senses are on high alert, though…that's when we use allegorical codes.

First on the dance floor is first strike, something Natsu often cedes to me because of my superior speed. Not being able to see means to clear the battlefield, either of debris or people. Shining a light means revealing the enemy. In short, he wants me to attack first in order to clear all the smoke from the battlefield so that we can see our foes. And maybe knock one of two of them down in the process, but that's not the main objective.

"Yeah, leave it to me." I clench my fists, then pull back my head. "Wind Dragon's…ROAR!"

My roar rips across the battlefield, scattering the smoke high into the air. The wreck is still burning and throwing off smoke, but as the darkness is blown away, our enemy emerges.

Lucy swallows nervously. "Well…that's them."

The one called Brain regards us distastefully. "Lowly maggots swarming together."

On the other hand, Angel greets us with a smile. "I'm afraid short-stuff isn't going to make it to the party." The two little blue creatures around her head wiggle around a bit, before talking. "And neither is that big, bald wizard saint." "We took em down!" It's more than a little creepy, especially since they haven't opened their mouths.

Lyon's eyes widen. "They're defeated?"

"Impossible…" Hibiki also seems unable to fathom the mess we've now run into.

Cobra grins. "There's terror in their voices. I can hear it."

"The quicker we wrap this up, the better." Racer sounds impatient and bored. "I'll run you over so fast it'll make your head spin."

Hoteye lifts a book to his chest. "Money determines strength in this world. Oh yeah! If you save but a penny today, it shall become a vast fortune in the future. Furthermore-"

Cobra and Racer cut him off. "Enough with the preaching, Hoteye." _Well, I suppose that even dark wizards can get annoyed with each other sometimes…_

Midnight just snores away, which makes Lucy start to shiver. "Is it sad that I'm terrified of the snoring guy?"

Erza's gaze becomes stern in the blink of an eye. "I have to admit, I didn't expect you to show yourselves.

Natsu cracks his knuckles. "Ready?"

"You bet." Gray grins. Those two are way too eager to get into this fight. Then again, I would by lying if I said that I'm not looking forward to this.

Cobra grins. "Want an invitation? Sorry, cause I'm interested in the one with the pretty voice." His eyes shoot straight to me with that comment. "Miss Pinky is mine."

My eye twitches. _Miss Pinky?_

"Oh, have I hit a nerve?" Cobra grins. "Let's dance, princess."

"Oh…you're gonna wish you hadn't called me that." Wind swirls around me, and I'm gone in an instant. Then I slam straight into Cobra and send the two of us, along with his huge pet snake, flying about fifty feet.

As the two, or three, of us tumble across the ground, I'm the first back on their feet. Well, the snake doesn't have feet, and I'm actually on all fours, crouched down like an animal, and Cobra is still picking himself up out of the dirt.

He brushes his coat off and grins. "Well, that was fun. I actually didn't see that coming. I barely even heard it coming. You think fast on your feet, don't you?"

I grit my teeth. "I am the wind. Of course I do. I think as fast as I move."

Cobra's expression changes to outright glee. "You know, up close, your voice is even more delicious. Absolute music to my ears."

I pale a little. _Is he…hitting on me? Is there seriously a dark wizard hitting on me!? That's so messed up…_

"Oh, did you maybe think that I was flirting with you?" Cobra's grin widens further, making him look an awful lot like that snake of his. "Don't worry, the only thing I like about you is your voice. The rest of you, I'll be putting six feet under."

"Oh yeah!?" I swipe my leg through the air, and a blade of wind hurtles across the battle field, missing Cobra by inches. _He dodged it? But how!? I fidget a little in frustration. Doesn't matter, I'll just have to be faster than he can dodge._

So I flip through the air, hurling blades of wind in every direction, following Cobra's every move, and moving in with a few blades that end up being pretty close shaves. He's fast, but I'm faster. The only problem is that he seems to somehow be predicting my moves.

"I can hear you!" Cobra grins up at me as I rise a little higher into the air. "Every muscle contraction, every twitch, every breath. I can hear everything!"

 _What!?_ I've never come across a wizard like this before. Sure, I've seen some pretty weird abilities, but the ability to hear everything? _Wait a second…_ I glare down at him irritably. _Please don't tell me…_

"I can hear you!" Cobra snickers. "And it seems that you know what I'm hearing."

My sour glare turns full lemon. _You're listening to my thoughts, you selfish prick. Now get out of them before I castrate you the hard way!_

He whistles lightly "Well aren't you a feisty one?

He's gotten on my nerves for the last time. "Let's dance."

I zoom down to the ground, intent on ripping this guy's head off. But instead of having a clear shot at him, a head of red hair blocks my view. _Erza!?_

"Requip!" She changes into her Heaven's Wheel armor, along with its flurry of blades. "Dance, my swords! Pierce and rend!"

But Cobra barely moves as the swords rain down on him, moving only slightly to dodge each of the closest blades. And he looks just as smug as earlier while he does it.

"No! He dodged them all!" Erza curses under her breath, then breathes and steps back to analyze what happened. "Can he read my attacks?"

Racer comes down on top of Erza while she's distracted, and that leaves me a good shot at Cobra. But as I zoom down to aim a punch at his face, he actually dodges to the side and catches my arm.

"Gotcha!" His smug grin really pisses me off, but he's got no idea what he's in for.

"Big mistake." I smile almost sweetly at him, before blades of wind burst from almost every pore.

Cobra's eyes widen, and he jumps back, a grin still on his face. "Well, you fight with your head, as well as your instincts. That's a pretty lethal combination. And you can hit targets from a distance, as well as at point blank range, and everywhere in between.

Racer sends Erza crashing back down to the ground, right next to me and Cobra. And the snake wizard kicks her as she falls towards the ground.

As Erza gets her bearings, she slides over next to me. "He's reading my moves…"

"You look confused. Having trouble figuring it out?" Cobra smirks at her. "I told you, I hear everything!"

"Oh no you don't!" Erza springs at him, two swords in hand, and wearing armor designed for speed, above all else. She's not as fast as me, not nearly, but it's definitely a sight to watch. I just wish she wasn't so hasty, because I'm not sure if she knows or not that Cobra seems to be able to hear thoughts as well. And she hasn't exactly given me an opportunity to tell her.

Cobra eventually catches her in his grasp, before quickly letting her go, only for her to be slammed with a wall of mud by Hoteye. Then Racer goes after her, yelling at his guild mate. "Cobra! Pick up the pace, will ya!?"

Cobra frowns, ignoring me completely for a moment. "Cubellios!" The snake flies towards Erza, and though I half expect her to block it, he doesn't, and the snake bites her right in the arm.

I leap towards Erza and the snake, and I force its jaws open as Erza screams. It's hard on my ears, especially for a dragon slayer at point blank range. But I wrench the snake off her and toss it to the ground, collecting her up in my arms and landing safely back on the ground.

Once down, I stand between her and Cobra. "What did you do?"

He snickers. "She may be fast, but that won't save her from Cubellios' poison. She'll be writhing in agony until death claims her." He raises his hand. "You're next."

"I don't think so…" I prepare myself, and I don't mind letting him know exactly what I'm planning. If his snake gets within five feet of me, I'm turning it into a pile of blood, guts, and gore.

Then, I realize just how quiet it is on the battlefield. And I look behind me to see everyone lying on the ground, completely wiped out. _No…_

Cobra laughs. "I hear it. Your despair. You couldn't save your friends, and now they're all going to die."

I grit my teeth, and back down from my combative position. "No, they're not." I turn fast and grab Erza, quickly getting out of range of Cobra's snake. _I will protect them. I will!_

I place Erza down near Natsu, and spare only a moment to look at my barely conscious big brother. _I'm sorry…I failed you. I failed all of you._ I stand up and turn to face the Oracion Seis, alone, and with only one plan. _I will be your shield._

Brain looks at me, then at all of my friends. "How pathetic. Prepare for oblivion's embrace." He points his staff towards us, and evil green light comes spinning out of it. It even smells toxic.

Sherry moans a little. "What is this magic…? It feels dark."

"I can't move anymore." Hibiki's voice is barely more than a whisper.

"Me neither." Ren isn't doing any better than them. And from the looks of it, it's the same everywhere.

"Dark Rondo!" Brain's spell flashes through the air. And I know that it will wipe out everyone.

But I won't let it. I tap my palms together for an instant, then hold them out protectively. "I won't let you hurt them." **_That which keeps out the darkness, arise. The Shield of Starlight._**

Around me, and around everyone currently lying on the ground, sparkling shields of magic appear, doing everything to drive away the dark magic. I've never used this barrier spell before, since I was studying it while on the road during my last job. But already, I know that it's draining my magic quickly in order to hold off the dark spell

Then suddenly, the spell stops, and the pressure on my magic lessens greatly. Brain has stopped casting his spell. Brain lowers his staff, seemingly shocked. That means that he's probably going to do something thinking before launching another attack. Which means that I have an opportunity to close my eyes and breathe for a few moments. Even though my blood is pounding too loudly in my ears for me to hear clearly.

That was my mistake, because when I open them again, Brain lifts his staff, and a spectral hand shoots out of it, aimed straight for Wendy. _No! I forgot to include her in the spell!_

But it's too fast, it snatches her up and whips her over towards Brain. As she screams, Happy and Carla go chasing after her, determined to save her themselves.

"Striking when we're down!?" Natsu sounds quite appalled. "That isn't fair!"

"All is fair in money and war. Oh yeah!" Hoteye activates his magic, and my shields do very little against it, as everyone, including myself, is thrown up and off the ground.

I smash against one of the boulders that was tossed up with us, and stars dance in my eyes. _Damn it…my spell…_ Barrier spells take a lot of energy and focus. And being smacked in the head is really not good for focus.

But as my head starts to clear, I see a second round of that Dark Rondo magic coming at us. "No!" I hold up my hands, praying that I can pull this off a second time. _Please…I need my magic to hold out just a bit longer…_

But Natsu tackles me to the ground, squishing me beneath him. "Stay down!" I freeze, then close my eyes tight, waiting for the worst.

"Iron Rock Wall!"

Instead of feeling the dark spell hit us again, I hear the collision of the spell and something else. So I peek out from under Natsu, and see giant slabs of rock jutting out over us, blocking the spell quite effectively.

Then I see the wizard who cast it. _Jura…_

And that's the last I see as everything goes dark.

* * *

 **So what do you guys think about Cobra saying that Ciara has a pretty voice? What voice do you think he's talking about? And why?**


	59. Regrouping

**Okay, so since there have been some good reviews and predictions about what's going down in this arc, I got inspired to do a little snippet P.O.V. to start off this chapter. Hopefully, it will foreshadow ultimate doom. Or at least a little doom. Because there's a storm on the horizon. Literally.**

* * *

Happy's P.O.V.

Okay, maybe grabbing onto Wendy wasn't such a good idea. But I had to do something! The Oracion Seis were kidnapping her! But now, we're both kidnapped, or cat-napped? Whatever. We're both prisoners of the Oracion Seis.

They knocked Wendy out a little while ago, but I'm only pretending to be knocked out. Really, I can hear everything they're saying.

"What's this about a promising situation, Cobra?" _That guy sounds like Brain, the creepy old guy who snatched up me and Wendy._

"Well…I heard something rather interesting while we were fighting those wimps earlier." _That's Cobra, the snake wizard, the one who poisoned Erza._ "You remember that pink-haired girl? The one who actually managed to put up a shield against your spell."

"Yes, what about her?"

"I like her voice." _How creepy! Natsu is gonna freak when he sees this loser again!_

"Yes, so you've said. Why does that matter?"

I can almost hear the grin in Cobra's voice. "The music…her despair, her anger, her hopelessness…she's miserable. I've heard the thoughts of people with issues before, but nothing like her. I's almost feel sorry for her, if it wasn't like a sweet symphony to my ears."

"Miserable, you say?" Brain sounds pretty interested now. "Now why is that?"

"Not entirely sure. I heard the name Igneel floating around in her head, and she kept thinking about that pink-haired guy. I think he's her brother or something. She's got some kind of weakness, an illness, I think. From what I heard in the guy's brain, It sounds like she's got problems controlling her magic. Enough to need seals on her power. I just thought that you might find it interesting. There's a whole lot more, but I won't bore you with the little details. I'll keep a few juicy tidbits for myself."

I almost start to panic right there. Natsu…come save us…

"By the way, that little cat is awake."

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I pull my head out of the dirt and look down at Ciara. Thanks to Jura's spell, we survived that last attack. But Ciara is totally out of it, she's not even conscious anymore. I brush some dirt and dust off of her and feel her skin. As expected, she's getting cold again. _Damn it. But I'll have to worry about warming her up later._

I get to my knees and look around. "Okay, let's take them down!" But as I look to where those dark wizards once were, they're nowhere to be seen. "Huh?"

Gray sighs and shakes his head. "They're long gone by now."

"Why'd we let em get away!?" I need to make them pay for what they did, especially to Ciara. Blocking that dark magic took everything she had.

That Ren guy from Blue Pegasus groans a little. "They wiped the floor with us."

"Well, they're a lot stronger than we are. We never stood a chance against them." The blond one, Eve, seems to be implying that Ciara did badly, and that pisses me off.

I turn to him and glare. "Hey! Ciara stood toe to toe with that Brain guy! If it weren't for her, we'd all be dead!"

That sobers them all up fast, and Lyon looks off towards the trees. "What unbelievable power."

"And there are only six of them. Their magic is much stronger than the rumors suggested." Hibiki says that like it's a bad thing. The only bad thing to me is that there's only six. Because I seriously want to rip them apart, strong magic or not.

"Just look at what they did to Christina." Sherry points a little ways away, to the wrecked magic bomber. Which I totally wanted to fly, by the way.

Jura walks over to our little group. "According to Angel, the woman who peers into minds, they know everything about our mission. We're lucky no lives were lost."

"Wait a sec, what about all the people inside?" Lucy points at Christina as well.

Ren smiles. "Don't worry pretty lady."

"Christina's equipped with a remote control function. So there's no need for a pilot." Tiny blondie looks just as beat up as the other two.

"We were gonna climb aboard once we found their base, but as you can see, we never made it that far." _Hibiki's plan…sucks. I mean, what were they gonna do? Just hope that they could take them all out in one shot?_

"Oh good, that's a relief."

Lyon is limping a little over to Jura. "Glad to see you made it out unscathed.

"Not quite. In fact, I barely made it out alive." My eyes widen at the chrome dome. _They almost took down a wizard saint!? But he's supposed to be powerful like Gramps!_

"You're wounded?"

Jura doesn't answer that question directly. "Their power terrifies me. I hate to admit it, but if it weren't for Sir Ichiya's pain killer parfum, I would be in utter agony right now."

The sparkles guy is posing again. "Detestable Oracion Seis. Instead of bravely facing your foes, you decide to flee." I'll agree with him there, those guys ran like a bunch of cowards. "Which means we win by default!" And now he's some kind of loony.

"That's not how it works, you weirdo!" At last Gray called him out on it so I didn't have to.

"We are battered, but we are not beaten!" The sparkly guy whips out a vial of something and pops the cork. "Here, take a whiff of my pain killer parfum and let it ease your discomfort.

But while everyone else breathes in that weird smelling stuff, which is way too much for my nose to tolerate, I focus on Ciara. She's pale and cold, and I can barely smell any magic on her.

I bit my lip and growl as my body heats up, trying to convey some warmth to my sister. "Damn it. How dare those punks run off with Wendy and Happy! And because of them, Ciara can't fight anymore. This sucks!" I have to to go find Happy, but I can't just leave Ciara here.

Hibiki comes walking over. "Hey, what's wrong with her?"

"Is she sick again." Gray peers over my other shoulder, and I'm really starting to feel like they're way too close.

"Of course she is! Does she look alright to you!?" Her cheeks start turning pink again as her body warms up.

"Hm…it looks like she might need to be taken to a hospital…" Hibiki touches her forehead for a second. "You're warming her up?"

I nod. "She needs to be kept warm, and she needs to sleep." I huff irritably. "Alright, you look after her." I pass her to Hibiki and get to me feet, taking off at a run. "I got to go find them!"

But as soon as I get twenty feet away from them, that white cat, Carla, grabs me by the scarf and yanks me back. "You mustn't be reckless. You need to calm down and think this through."

I stare up at her, my brain going completely blank.

 _She has wings. She really is like Happy._

The others seems pretty surprised. But she seems surprised that they are. "You've never seen Aera magic before? Well, in that case, I suppose it's only natural that you would find it surprising."

This seems a little weird to me. "You're trying to copy Happy, aren't you?"

"As if, dimwit!" She turns to me, looking more than a little ticked.

Lucy laughs a bit. "Now, now, we can have two flying cats."

Carla goes right back to ignoring me. "Thought I am concerned about Wendy and that tomcat, this is not a foe to be taken lightly. We cannot face them again until we've come up with a plan of attack."

Jura nods. "I whole heartedly agree, Lady Carla. The enemy is far stronger than we anticipated."

"But first…" Carla looks over at Erza, who doesn't look like she's doing too well.

I leap to my feet and run over to her, followed by Lucy and Gray. "Are you okay!?"

"What's the matter?" Lucy reaches out to Erza hesitantly. But when Erza just cries out in pain, Lucy holds back. "I'm no doctor, but it look s like the venom from her snakebite is spreading."

"I got this, men." Sparkle Man gets close, and he gestures way too much. "I know what you need my honey. A little pain killer parfum!" He points the vial straight at her. "Aroma Increase!"

"Since when are pain killers an antidote for snake venom?" Lucy really doesn't seem to sure about this.

Hibiki smirks. "His parfum does more than ease pain. It also has a cleansing effect that'll help her body expel any toxins." _Which means that it won't help Ciara at all…_ And that means that the only thing it does for me is make my nose twitch.

But the parfum does nothing but make Erza groan louder. Gray notices immediately. "Erza, are you alright?"

My eyes flash to her instantly. "It seems like she's in even more pain now!" _Now I've got two injured girls here. Damn it!_ "Erza, hang in there."

Lucy looks almost frantic. "What'll we do!?"

"I'm sorry, Lucy." Erza finally gets around to saying something, then grabs for Lucy's skirt. "I need to borrow your belt!"

Lucy jumps. "Wait a minute!" But Erza pulls her belt out, and Lucy's skirt slips right off. I don't really get what the big deal is though, Gray walks around in his underwear all the time. It's not that weird for Lucy to do it once.

Thous I don't envy the Blue Pegasus guys who decided to stare at her, because they get a face full of her boot. _I don't like the taste of Lucy's boots…_

After kicking them around, Lucy runs back to Erza. "What are you gonna do with that?"

"It's harsh, but it's the only way I can keep fighting." Erza fastens the belt around her arm and summons one of her swords, holding her arm out as she gags herself. "Somebody, cut it off."

Her suggestion freezes me to the spot. _No way..she can't be serious! She can't really want us to cut her arm off!_

Gray is of the same mind, for once. "At least give us time to find an antidote!"

"I don't…have time…" Erza bites down on the cloth in her mouth.

None of us would do it. There's no way that we could hurt our friend like that. But it's not one of us who picks up the sword. "Very well." Lyon grasps the hilt. "I will do it."

Gray puts himself between Lyon and Erza. "Put down the sword."

"Do it!" Erza urges him on.

But Gray won't let him. "No, don't!"

Um, Lyon…are you seriously gonna do it?" Lucy looks worried that this might actually go down. But if he gets within three feet of her with that sword, Ice Boy is being burned to a crisp.

Lyon raises the sword. "We can't lose one of our strongest when we're facing such a powerful foe. Especially after already losing one." He glances at Ciara, who is now in Eve's arms.

"Yeah, but-"

"Oh come on." Sherry cuts Lucy off. "I can't believe we got stuck with you wimpy Fairies! Quit whining. Your friend's gonna die if we don't do something to help her."

Lucy doesn't take that quietly. "Your friend's gonna die if he doesn't put down that sword!"

"Why is that? This is just his way of showing love." I really hate her little love speeches. They're annoying, and they make no sense.

Erza closes her eyes tightly. "Just hurry and cut it off, before the venom spreads to the rest of my body!"

Gray won't have it. "Put the sword down."

Now the Trimens are getting involved, Hibiki especially. "Don't do it. You want to be known as the guy who maimed Erza!?" "You don't have to do this! Stop! We'll find a cure!"

Jura stops Eve from getting up. "We have no right to interfere with her wishes."

 _Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! What the hell are we supposed to do!?_ I stare at Erza, watching the poison in her arm steadily spreading. _If we don't do something, she dies. If we do it like this, she won't be able to fight again until she heals. And even then…_ I groan and tear at my hair. _Why does this have to be so hard!?_

Lyon swings the sword down, only for Gray to hold up his hand and freeze the thing. And Lyon doesn't like that. "Her arm is more important to you than her life? Where are your priorities?"

"This'll affect her for the rest of her life, so we can't jump the gun! There's gotta be another way we can save her." Gray has a point. Being a one-armed swords-woman would be difficult, even for Erza.

Lyon just glares at him. "You're just as spineless as ever. Figures."

"I really thought you had changed, but you're just as shady as ever." Gray's glare is just as intense as Lyon's. And it almost feels like we're back on Galuna Island with all those awesome demons.

Then, Erza grabs my attention by collapsing. "Erza!"

"Oh no!" Lucy runs to Erza, cradling her gently in her arms.

Eve's eyes widen."This is bad, guys. We've got to find a way to keep the venom from spreading, or she'll die!"

"We need Wendy. She could save your friend." Carla offer that up, and it's more than a little shocking. I mean, how is a kid supposed to save Erza? "This is no time for us to be bickering amongst ourselves. We need to work together to come up with a plan to rescue Wendy. And I suppose that tomcat too."

Eve goes and gets excited, probably because now there's no need to chop Erza's arm off. "Wait a sec, you're saying that little girl has some kind of anti-venom magic!?"

"Not just anti-venom. She can cure fevers, relieve pain, and heal wounds." Carla says that proudly, like she's trying to brag about little Wendy.

"That's crazy. Everyone knows that healing spells are lost magic. There's no way the kid could use them." Sherry seems awfully quick to discount that. Because that guy who smelled like perfume back on Galuna said that Dragon Slayer Magic is lost magic, and me, Ciara, and Gajeel all use it.

Lucy gasps. "Do these powers have anything to do with that whole 'Maiden of the Sky' thing?"

"Yes it does." Carla turns to face Lucy. "You see, that little girl is the Sky-"

"Dragon Slayer."

Everyone turns their heads towards a voice that I know as well as my own. And I smile when I lock eyes with her. "Sis, you're awake!"

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I groan and push myself unsteadily to my feet. "Sky Dragon Slayer, huh? That explains a lot." I lock eyes with Carla. "I knew she was one before she even walked in the front door of the mansion."

Natsu's eyes go as wide as dinner plates. "She's a dragon slayer too!?"

Carla frowns at me. "And how exactly did you know?"

I tap my nose and smile slightly. "Never underestimate a dragon slayer's nose. I could smell a dragon on her from over a hundred feet away. But this dragon smells different than Igneel, or the dragon smell on Gajeel." It might not be safe to tell Natsu about those two other dragon slayers I've met. He might just go ballistic. And knowing him, he's due to go ballistic in three…two…one…

Natsu nearly bowls me over with a hug. "You idiot! You nearly got yourself killed!"

I roll my eyes and pat him on the head. "I'm fine, Natsu…just a little tired." I turn back to Carla. "So, saving Wendy, right?"

She nods. "I'll give you all the details later, though there's really not much you need to know. Wendy is the only wizard capable of saving your friend. We need her right now." Carla's face gets a little dark in a second. "Unfortunately, the Oracion Seis feel they need her too for some unknown reason.

Lyon nods. "In that case…"

"There's only one thing for us to do." Hibiki flashes a smile, and Eve does the same. "We're gonna have to rescue Wendy."

"We'll do it for Erza's sake." Gray looks like he's going to lay down some serious hurt on those dark wizards. Which is probably a good thing, seeing as this is going to be a tough battle.

Lucy smiles, ready to fight as well. "And Happy's too." _Well, at least our little pet is getting the attention he deserves._

Natsu pumps his fist into the air. "Okay! Are you with me!"

"Yeah!" Everyone pumps their fists into the air, forming one big circle. This battle is far from over, and we are not going to lose this time.

* * *

After setting up a base camp and splitting most of us into teams, I get ready to head out with Natsu and Gray. Between the two of us, Natsu and I should easily be able to track down Wendy and Happy by scent alone. And since most of the other teams have gone already, I'd rather not have to track one of them down.

As I get to my feet, Natsu sweeps my feet out from under me and pushes me onto my ass. "You're not going anywhere."

I stare up at him, not quite understanding what he means. "What do you mean I'm not going anywhere? I'm going to find Happy and Wendy with you!"

"No, you're not." He crosses his arms stubbornly across his chest. "You're staying here at camp. You're in no shape to be running around searching for Wendy."

His lack of faith in me is probably what disturbs me the most. "Natsu, I'm fine. I don't need to be coddled. I collapsed once, that's it. I've sucked up plenty of wind, so my magic is regenerating."

"No." He shakes his head. "You're not going, and that's final."

I grit my teeth and glare at him. "Natsu…you are my big brother, not my father. You can't tell me what to do. And even if you were, I probably still wouldn't listen." That's true enough, since even if Igneel suddenly showed up and told me to stay put, I probably wouldn't. In fact, I'd probably give that old bastard a good punch straight to the snout.

"Ciara!" He raises his voice way above normal levels, even for his loud personality. "You pushed too far and collapsed! You won't be recovered for a few days, at least! So sit here and help Hibiki. And Lucy is going to need help watching Erza. It's your turn to help her, right?"

"Tch." I click my tongue and glance over at Erza. _Well…I guess it's my turn… But kicking me off this mission isn't going to help. Lucy is more than capable of taking care of Erza on her own._

Natsu huffs. "Help Hibiki. I'll let you know if I need you, okay?"

 _I hate this, I hate this so damn much._ "Fine. But if I get one hint of you getting yourself into trouble, health be damned, I am coming to rescue you, got it?"

He rolls his eyes and gives me some weird salute, before grabbing Gray's arm and dragging him off into the trees. _Damn those two…_

I sit my ass down in the grass, pouting like a child. I don't want to admit it, but I'm nowhere near back up to full strength. But that doesn't mean that I can just sit back and do nothing while everyone else is out there looking for Wendy and Happy.

Hibiki looks back at me, away from his Archive screen. "So, do you have any other talents I don't know about? Something that might help? I know that we don't really consider ourselves a team, since our coalition was kind of thrown together, but we need to start thinking that way if we want to defeat the Oracion Seis. So I'll take any help you have to offer. As long as it won't get me killed by your brother."

I glance at his screen. "That depends… What are you working on now?"

He types a few things in and dots start appearing. "Fiddling with Archive, mostly. Archive magic is really good for keeping tabs on people." Then he glances over his shoulder at Lucy, who is sitting next to Erza. "You're not gonna go join the others, Lucy?"

She shakes her head. "No, I need to stay with Erza. I can;t leave her." Then she looks at me. "And someone needs to keep this troublemaker in line."

"Watch it…" Sometimes, I really hate being given the same labels as Natsu. He's the troublemaker, not me.

Lucy sighs. "It's not like I'd be any help anyway. I'm obviously the weakest fighter in the group."

"You're just being modest. I've heard rumors of your strength" Suddenly, I have a very bad feeling about what Hibiki is about to say. "There was the time you beat up nineteen vulcans that stood ten feet tall. And then there was Fairy Tail's battle against Phantom. I heard you knocked out their infamous Master Jose with your bare hands! And the time in Acalypha, when you single-handedly took on a dark guild that had over a thousand members!"

Lucy sweatdrops. "That's stretching the truth."

I shake my head. S _tretching the truth…? Macao was the one who beat the vulcans. And I heard you tell Levy about that trick you pulled with Jose, kicking him where the sun doesn't shine. And I know for a fact that the guild you took on only sent three dozen members. I know enough about Naked Mummy to know that their total membership is less than a hundred and fifty._

Lucy gets up and approaches our host. "So, Hibiki, how come you're not going to join the others?"

"What kind of man would I be if I left you ladies alone?" I can't believe that he said that with a straight face.

That makes Lucy smile, though. "Thanks. Guess you're no so bad after all. You're definitely a lot nicer than Sorcerer Weekly made you out to be."

"Good to know." He takes the compliment with a smile, before getting right back to business. "Thanks to Archive, I'm keeping track of the others. And I can make them aware of our current position. That way, once they've rescued Wendy and Happy, they'll be able to locate us and save Erza."

"Oh wow. You've got all the bases covered, don't you?" Lucy is more than a little impressed by the hard work Hibiki is putting in.

And surprisingly, he's actually modest about it. "You can thank Master Ichiya. I'm just doing what I was taught."

"Hm…" A tremor runs through my body, and my nose itches for just a moment. "Achoo!" I sniffle a little. "Damn it…"

The two of them look over at me, and Hibiki tosses me his jacket. "Wear that, it should help keep you warm."

Seeing as the thing landed right in my lap, it's a little difficult to ignore it. So I grumble and slide it over my shoulders. But I feel a little bad for wearing it, so I look up to Hibiki. "I can use telepathy magic."

He raises an eyebrow, then smiles. "Well, looks like we have that in common. Maybe we could figure something out with that."

There's no need for that, though. "I once expanded Warren's telepathic range. I might be able to do the same for yours…"

"Now there's a thought…" The monitor beeps, and Hibiki starts typing away. "Here we go. I found Natsu's group."

I bite my lip and look away from the screen. _What does it matter? Natsu doesn't want me to help? So it's not like I can just go join him…_

 _I'm useless here._


	60. In the Nick of Time

**For those of you wanting to see Ciara kick some serious butt…you will be getting what you wish for very soon…though you may wish you hadn't. Because I promise to make the most of Murphy's Law.**

* * *

Hibiki types away at Archive. "Hey Ciara, looks like Natsu and Gray have run into a dark guild."

I raise an eyebrow. "So? Give them five minutes and they'll wreak more than enough havoc to take down one dark guild." Then a strange wind current blows through the base, carrying with it a familiar scent. _Erigor…_ Natsu must be fighting him, judging by the scents of fire and wind. _Never thought that we'd run into that coward again._

Glancing over at Lucy, I smile. "Yeah, dark guilds aren't much of a problem around any of us…"

Lucy blushes a little. "You're talking about Acaplypha?"

I nod. "I heard a little about it in some of Natsu's garbled thoughts. I think that he was trying to update me on everything that I missed while I was out on that job." Then I sigh. "Though he could have chosen a better time than when I was in the middle of packing."

Lucy frowns. "But I didn't see you bring a bag or anything."

Grinning, I reach into my pocket and pull out a bag of apples. "I just stashed it all in my pockets."

Her jaw drops, and Hibiki looks over, rather interested. "Is that some kind of expansion spell?"

I nod. "It works with dimensional space and allows me to expand a space to hundreds of times its normal capacity. It's a form of dimensional magic, though I'm still working on deciphering some of the more difficult spells."

"Wow!" Lucy's eyes start shining as I toss her the food. "Maybe I should ask you to cast that spell on my closet!"

Chuckling slightly, I start drawing a diagram in the dirt. "Well, it took me twenty minutes to cast the spell on one pair of pants. To cast it on a closet, it would probably take me hours. And I would need to practice a lot first. I'm not very good at dimensional magic. That's actually the only spell of that type that I can cast successfully."

Lucy laughs nervously. "Oh, that's okay. I'm pretty sure that I'm not quite at the point where I need a walk-in closet just yet, so there's no rush."

I smile back at her, before dropping my eyes to Erza. "How's she doing?" I'm well aware that her makeshift tourniquet earlier, made of Lucy's belt, helped to stop the bleeding, but that hasn't stopped the spread of the poison.

Lucy's face falls and she looks back down at Erza. "She's getting worse…"

"I see…" I had a feeling that she was getting worse, so it's hardly a surprise to hear it. I turn to Hibiki. "So? Have you thought up anything that we can do here from base camp?"

His eyes leave Archive for a minute to focus on me, his expression much more positive than mine or Lucy's. "Actually, I have." The monitor beeps a few times. "I've had Archive scanning you for the last five minutes."

"Me?" Now that's confusing. "Don't you mean Erza?"

He shakes his head. "No, you. You said that you can use some telepathy magic, so I've had Archive scanning you to figure out the best way to fuse our abilities together. Minimizing magical strain, while boosting the range of my telepathy."

Now that puts a frown on my face. "Forget strain, I'll just boost it as far as I can, and we can worry about the rest later."

"No." Now, he loses a lot of that positive air. "You're running low on magic power thanks to that shield spell you cast earlier. We need you to recover so that you can join the fight again. Same with Erza." He glances to her for a moment. "You two are a couple of the strongest fighters here, that's obvious. Letting you two get knocked out of this fight is bad, and now we're paying for it. We're just barely getting organized again. So please, conserve your strength as much as possible. We're going to need it."

I grit my teeth and draw back in on myself. _Who does he think he is, telling me what to do like that. It's up to me to decide how hard I'm gonna push. Why is it that everyone seems so eager to dictate my every move!?_

"Hey, Ciara…why don't you come over here?" I lift my head to see Hibiki motioning to me. "I've got an idea."

 _Finally…_ I pick myself up and walk over to Hibiki. "So what's this idea?"

He grabs my hand and presses it to a keypad which, despite the whole floating in the air and being half transparent, is surprisingly solid. "Keep your hand there for a bit. Archive should be able to synchronize our brainwaves for optimal transmitting."

"Okay…" I glance down at my hand, then I glance back at Lucy. "You look like you want to know what's going on out there."

She nods. "Has anybody been able to track down Wendy yet?"

"I have no clue." Hibiki keeps typing away. "I can't get through to anybody."

That gets Lucy sitting up straight. "Why? What's the matter?"

"I don't know what's going on. The others might be out of the range of my telepathy, or there might be something jamming it. All I can see is where the teams are for now." He glances at me, a smile faint but present. "We should know soon though. I promise, we're going to save Erza."

My brain gets a bit of a jolt, but it's probably just because Natsu rammed his head into a tree or something. Then I get a sense of him blowing fires from every orifice of that hard head of his. _Great…Natsu's is getting mad again…_

"I heard that." Hibiki chuckles a little. "Looks like it worked."

I blink a couple of times, then register what he said. "Wait, you heard that!?" _But I was thinking that! I don't say my thoughts out loud! Okay…except that one time when…_

"Yes, I can hear your thoughts." Hibiki grins at me. And you should be able to hear mine as well.

My eyes widen, before a smile curls my lips. Well then, it looks like your Archive worked.

 _So it seems…_ He turns back to his Archive, then grins. "Found them! Natsu has Wendy!"

I take a look at the screen, and it looks like Archive did a whole lot more than just allow me to connect with Hibiki. "Looks like I've increased Archive's range as well."

"I wonder why…" Hibiki's thoughtful expression is nearly as nice as his sincere smile. "Wait, you use wind magic, right? Could those properties have applied themselves to Archive?"

I give that idea a little thought. "As a part of the natural world, wind extends itself over huge distances, reaching infinitely far, even if only weakly. If that particular property were applied to Archive, then I'm guessing that it would be enough to increase the range at which it can sense things. I use that kind of skill with air currents, kind of like bats and dolphins use echolocation."

"I see…that must be it." Hibiki types a little more, bringing up a map that shows one stationary dot, and another one moving. "The moving dot is Natsu, we're the other one."

"Going to send that map to Natsu?" It's definitely going to be funny watching him try to navigate using a map. There's a reason that I'm the one in charge of mapping when we're together on a job. "Color code the dots. Red for Natsu, silver for us."

"Okay…?" Hibiki shrugs and goes about coloring the dots. "Now, we've got to connect to Natsu."

"Leave that to me." It's no effort at all to connect Hibiki to Natsu. I've been connecting to him for years. Finding him is just instinct now. "Go ahead."

 _Natsu!_ Hibiki calls out to my brother, trying to get his attention as the idiot barrels through the forest.

That slows him down fast. _What the heck!?_ We must have startled him, because the fool skids to a stop.

Hibiki tries again. _Can you hear me? Can you her me, Natsu?_

 _Yes, Great Tree._

 _Great…what?_ That clearly throws Hibiki off for a second. _This is Hibiki from Blue Pegasus. Anyway, I'm glad I could reach you. No one else has responded so far._

 _You're a ven-tree-loquist?_

 _Would you knock it off?_ Hibiki must not appreciate Natsu's bad jokes. _And keep it down. The enemy has scouts throughout the woodsea. There's no telling who might be spying on us. That's why I'm speaking directly into your head. He glances at me. With some help from your sister._

I laugh once. _Hey there, Natsu._

 _Ciara! You're supposed to be resting!_

 _I've rested enough, Natsu. The least I can do is help with this._ It amuses me though that Hibiki has to speak out loud while using telepathy. Natsu and I never had any issues talking without even opening our mouths.

 _What's your status? Have you found Wendy and the cat?_

 _They're both right here. Wendy's unconscious, but Happy's already woken up._

 _That's wonderful. Now, hang tight._ Hibiki gets right back to typing. _I'm gonna upload a map into your mind. It'll lead you straight to the temporary camp we've set up. I was gonna send it to the cat too, but I can't seem to make a connection. He must be running low on magic power._

 _Hold on, what is this upload stuff? Stay out of my head!_

I sigh and shake my head. _Natsu, it's fine, it's just to guide you to us. Now suck it up and get moving!_

Natsu's mood shoots up instantly. _Oh wow, that's a cool map!_

 _Yeah…now use it, and your sense of smell to head straight for me. I'm about six feet away from Erza, so I should serve well as your homing beacon. No matter what, just focus on me._ It's best to give Natsu the most concrete destination possible. And to my big brother, that would be me.

 _Thanks Great Tree-I mean Hibiki!_ His stupidity still manages to astound me, though.

"…Please hurry…" Hibiki looks over at Erza now. "I'm afraid we don't have the luxury of time right now…"

Lucy looks back at us, then smiles at our unconscious friend. "Did you hear that, Erza? Wendy's going to be here soon. Just hold out a little bit longer, okay? You can do it. I may not be much of a fighter, but I'll be here to protect you. Promise." Then she notices Hibiki staring at her. "What the heck are you looking at? Don't you have some work to do?"

Hibiki's laugh is barely audible, but I've got pretty sensitive ears. "Sorry, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just nice to see some light in the darkness."

And it's nice to see that irony is still present. Being a Celestial Spirit wizard, Lucy's magic is literally a light in the darkness.

But now, I can sense someone else coming within the range of my telepathy, which has grown greatly in concert with Archive. I reach out, brushing faintly against their mind, and I recognize the magic attached to it. _Lyon!_

 _What the-? Who-?_

 _It's Ciara Dragneel!_

 _Ah, Ciara, right. How did you contact me?_

 _Telepathy! Now where are you and what are you doing?_

 _I'm near the cliffs! Gray and I are dealing with Racer. I have to go!_ His voice disappears, but I feel the pride rushing through him. Whatever their plan is, it must be a good one. And I have confidence that those two are going to win.

A few minutes later, two more allies enter the range of my magic. And one of them, I definitely recognize. _Gray!_

 _Ciara!?_

 _Yeah! I'm at base camp with Hibiki, he and I have combined our telepathic abilities and his Archive magic in order to increase the range at which we can contact people. Now what's it looking like on your end?_

 _Racer is on the ground, Lyon is a little injured, I'm all right, and Sherry doesn't have a scratch on her._

 _Good to hear._ I turn my focus on Lyon. _Did you play decoy?_

 _Yes…_ He sounds almost amused as he admits that. _But it worked. It-_ The connection suddenly cuts out for a second, and I can feel all three of them panicking. _Bomb!_ And there's my explanation.

 _Lyon, is he rigged with a bomb lacrima?_ I need to find out exactly what Lyon meant when he said that.

 _Yes! I need to get it away from the others as soon as-_

But there's no need for him to finish that sentence. From my connection to him, I can sense the pulsing energy of the bomb lacrima. _Hold on!_

I have never done this before, and in fact, I have no idea if it's even going to work. It feels like he's falling through the air. _Damn it, did you tackle him off the cliff!?_

 _Yes!_

That has got to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard of someone doing. Barring all of the things that Natsu does, of course. It's not fair to put him in the rankings, because his antics beat out everyone else's. So, I close my eyes and focus all of my concentration single-mindedly on Lyon. _Please let this work…_

Even though by any kind of logic, this shouldn't work, I feel my magic starting to drain a little as the simple spell takes effect. Simple, because it's not like I'm trying to protect him from the darkest of ll dark magics, it's just a simple explosion. And an explosion, I should be able to handle, even at this distance. _Come on…_

The blast wave from the bomb smashes against the shield around Lyon, sending him flying down into the forest, and slowly back out of my range of magic. But before the connection disappears, I her him faintly. _Thank you…_

The connection is cut, and I take a deep breath as I open my eyes. "Well…that was fun…" Casting magic over such a distance is really hard, even if I specialize in long range attacks.

Hibiki grabs my arm to steady me. "What happened? You look like you're going to faint!"

I shake my head slightly. "I'm fine. I just cast a spell that took a little more out of me that I expected it to. I'll be-" A distant rumbling draws my attention into the trees. "I'll be alright." _That must be the explosion that nearly took out Lyon._

Erza is getting worse, so Natsu had better hurry the hell up, or we're going to have a serious incident on our hands. Thankfully, I can smell him getting closer. Though, as the other two lack my sense of smell, the rustling of the bushes draws their attention in all the wrong ways.

Natsu pops out with a huge grin on his face. "You miss me!?" Wendy is draped over his shoulder like a rug, and the cats look like they've been on a roller-coaster.

"Natsu!" Lucy brightens up immediately at the sight of him. And that makes me smile. _Those two…if they don't date at some point, I'm going to lock them in a room together._

Natsu's grin disappears quickly. "How'd you do that, anyway? All of a sudden, your map popped right into my head!"

"I'll explain it to you later." Hibiki glances down at Wendy. "Is Wendy all right?"

"She's fine!" Natsu plops her down on the ground, along with Happy and Carla. Then he takes Wendy by the shoulder. "Time for you to wake up, kid! I saved you. Now you got to save Erza! Come on, rise and shine! Wakey wakey!"

"Don't be so rough with her!" Lucy reaches out to stop him, but it's already too late.

Wendy stirs, then opens her eyes. Then, she screams, wiggling away from Natsu. "I had to do it! Sorry!" That's pretty cryptic, since theres no reason to apologize for wanting to get away from Natsu as fast as possible. I get the feeling that there's a lot more going on here than just a little too much skinship, or being treated like a bag of potatoes.

And surprisingly, Natsu actually bows his head to the ground. He never bows to anybody. "I'm willing to overlook that right now. Erza as bitten by a poisonous snake. She's in bad shape. Please save her!"

"She's hurt?" Wendy turns her head to see Erza lying right next to her.

Despite not knowing any more about what's going on than I do right now, Hibiki nods. Erza is what's most important right now. "We need Erza to defeat the Oracion Seis. We don't stand a chance against them without her help."

Lucy bows her head as well. "Please, Wendy, we need her more than ever.

But judging by the look on Wendy's face, it's not begging that she needs. So I smile warmly at her. "You can do it. I believe in you." She needs encouragement.

Her face lights up with determination. "Yeah! I'll try to have her! No, I will!" She shuffles over to Erza, holding out her hands as they glow with a bright teal light. And slowly, the garish purple marks left by the poison running rampant through her body start to recede, disappearing as the poison is purged from her body. "Well, that should do it." Wendy pulls back her hands. "I got rid of all the venom. Now all we have to do is wait. She's probably not going to wake up for a little while. But she'll be back to normal when she does."

Encouraged by Wendy's success, and the celebrating of the others, Hibiki smiles. "Hey, do you think that you might be able to do something for Ciara as well? We could use her in top shape for this battle as well."

Carla protests immediately. "No! Absolutely not! I cannot allow Wendy to use her Sky Magic again!" Carla stares at Wendy from the corner of her eye. "She'll insist that she's fine, but I can tell that she's exhausted by the look on her face."

"No, you've got it all wrong!" Wendy draws back a little. "I'm just worried is all." She turns to me, looking quite determined. "I'll do you next, okay!?"

I don't say a word as she approaches me, her hands glowing again, despite Carla's protests. But as she starts frowning, I already know what the verdict is going to be. In fact, I knew it even before she decided to try healing me. "That's not going to work, you know…"

Wendy shakes her head and continues moving her hands. "No, I can do this! I promise!"

"No, you can't." I catch her hands, and the light around them dies. "I'm not injured, and I'm not poisoned. I've had this illness since I was a child, and even Magnolia's best healer couldn't do anything to cure me." I smile, trying to reassure her. "I've been managing this for years, so I'll be fine. It hasn't killed me yet, and I'm not planning on letting it get that far, ever. Okay?"

She looks straight up into my eyes, then nods sadly. "Okay…"

I tap her cheek lightly. "Don't look like that, now… You're a dragon slayer, remember? We're pretty tough."

"Dragon slayer…?" Her eyes go wide, and Natsu gives her a smile and a thumbs-up. That seems to be just enough to encourage her. "Yeah!"

Then, the ground starts to rumble once again, and blinding light shines through the trees.

 _So much for our touching moment..._

* * *

 **I invoke...Murphy's Law.**


	61. Dipped in Darkness

**For those who don't know what Murphy's Law is, here's it put simply. Along with the other two which were added later.**

 **Murphy's Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong…**

 **Finagle's Law: At the worst possible moment…**

 **Sod's Law: In the worst possible way.**

 **Angst ahead. And a good look into Ciara's turbulent mind. As well as a never before seen P.O.V. I do so hope that I capture his inner character well.**

* * *

Light shines through the trees, and the ground shakes with the power of whatever that light is coming from. And I have a feeling that the Oracion Seis are working on their plan to get at Nirvana. And that can't be allowed to happen.

"What is that!?" Lucy looks to the sky, her eyes holding fear instead of joy.

We all look to the sky as the light darkens. And Wendy's smile fades as well. "A giant pillar of black light."

"It's been unsealed! That's Nirvana!" I turn my sharp gaze on Hibiki. _How does he know-? Nevermind, I can't think about that now! I have to do something!_

"I'm going on ahead!" I crouch down, then take off like a bullet. If I'd stayed longer, Natsu would definitely have tried to stop me. But now, I'm moving too fast for even Natsu to catch up with me.

I head straight for the towering pillar of dark light, kicking the wind up around me, and making huge leaps that span hundreds of feet. And less than a minute later, I find myself at the base of the enormous pillar of light with what looks like a stone tower in the center. There's so much power coming from it, that I don't know if any of us have the power to stop this thing.

"So, the one with the pretty voice is here."

I spin around, and standing there is Cobra. "So, I assume that you're here to claim Nirvana?"

"No." He stares at me, a grin on his face. "That's for Brain to do. I'm just here for reconnaissance. Well, and one other reason."

I sink into a combative stance, ready to fight once more. "Oh? And why's that?"

"You." Cobra's grin widens, but I have no idea why. "Your voice is like a symphony, full of anger and pain and misery."

"Tch." My glare turns to ice, something that I learned a long time ago from Gray. "You don't know anything about me."

"Oh, I don't huh?" Cobra laughs at me. "You think so, huh? Then how would I know how much you hate this Igneel guy? Who is he? Ex-boyfriend?"

 _Igneel…_ My heartbeat quickens at the sound of his name. It dredges up all the memories that I really don't like thinking about. "Of course not."

"Hm…father, then?" Cobra quirks an eyebrow. "That's it, isn't it? He's your father. Though judging by those thoughts running around in your head, he's not in the picture anymore, is he? What, did he dump you when you were a kid?"

I grit my teeth and clench my fists, trying not to think about it. I don't want to hear this prick say anything more. "Shut up! You don't know anything!" I spring forwards and slash at him, just barely missing his face.

But he just leans back leisurely, amusement flitting across his face. "Oh come on, you don't really think that you're strong enough to beat me, do you? Isn't that why this Igneel abandoned you?"

"Shut up!" I slash at him again, aiming straight for his face. I just want to stop all the words coming out of his mouth. I know that a basic tactic of battle is to never go into a fight angry, but it's not my fault that this guy decided to piss me off.

"And then there's that brother of yours…" Cobra keeps dodging me, not even bothering to get his snake involved in the fight. "Seems like you rely on him more than you want to admit. Isn't that right?"

My anger quickly tinges with shame. I'm the one who made S-Class, I study every book of magic that I can get my hands on, I have more tricks and skills than him. Natsu should be the one relying on me, not the other way around. But that doesn't change the fact that I've been relying on him ever since we were little.

 _I'm useless, and that's why I'm always relying on Natsu. Because I can't trust myself to stay in control. Because I'm scared of what I could do to everyone._

 _I'm weak, because I can't control my power, and have to seal it all away. Because I could hurt someone, kill someone, instead of playing the hero like Natsu. And because I can't stop myself from getting sick because of overuse of magic._

 _I'm alone, because I've been abandoned. Natsu stays with me because Igneel told him to, even though Igneel is the one who abandoned us in the first place._

 _Igneel didn't want us anymore…and if he didn't want me, then how could I expect anyone else to? Even Gray didn't want me. Natsu is the one who learned Igneel's magic, not me. He's the one that everyone loves…_

"Wow, you're really messed up in the head, aren't you?" Cobra just keeps laughing, that irritating laughter digging deep into my mind. "No wonder that ice wizard dumped you."

My mind blanks. There's just nothing there. Nothing but the color red, the color of blood, and the color of dragon scales. I hate the color red.

When I open my eyes, Cobra lies below me, my hand at his throat, and his eyes bugging out. Whoa, now. Take it easy. I'm on your side."

"My side?" My voice comes out like a feral growl. "No one is on my side you ignorant fool."

"Don't you want to get back at those people who made you feel like crap?" He smiles, as though his stupid argument makes any difference to me.

But in the end, I smile. "You're right, I do." I raise my other hand above my head as I squeeze his throat. "And you're the first on that list, you pervert. You looked at me like I was a meal you wanted to gobble up. And now, you're going to die."

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

Things are not looking good now. Ciara disappeared in a second, off to try and stop Nirvana. Natsu ran off, following her. Erza has disappeared. I can't seem to contact anyone, let alone Ciara. I've got Wendy on my back, unconscious. And I'm the only one who knows about what Nirvana could do to all of us, but I can't worry or obsess over it, otherwise I'll be at as much risk as everyone else.

I can't possibly see what could make this situation any worse.

And now, I've got Lucy yelling in my ear. "What the hell was that!?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. But she's gonna be fine, I just knocked her out."

"Why'd you do it!? And why are we suddenly in a hurry!?" She just won't let it go.

"We've gotta catch up with Natsu, Ciara, and Erza. Just keep running till you reach the light." I have to stay focused, because if I don't, no one will.

"Why should we take orders from a brute like you?" Now the cat is at it. "I realize Wendy can be a bit of a whiner. That's no reason for you to strike her!"

"Not cool, dude!" _Great…now I've got both cats yelling in my ears…_

I take a deep, calming breath and slow to a stop.. "I did it because I had to." This is what I was hoping to avoid, but I guess there's no avoiding it now. "I haven't been completely honest. I know a lot more about Nirvana than I originally let on."

"What?" Happy's eyes go wide in surprise. "Why didn't you tell us?"

"I couldn't. Because of the nature of the magic, I couldn't say a word. Even just mentioning it now is risky and might put us in danger." Way too risky, but there's not much choice here. "That's why Guild Master Bob only told me about it. Mr. Ichiya, Ren, and Eve have no clue."

Lucy ha finally calmed down and become quiet. "So what did he tell you."

Here it comes… "Nirvana is a terrifying magic like no other. It alone has the ability…to turn light into darkness

"Are you for real!?" Happy looks surprised, then shocked, then worried, and I can't blame him, it's not a pleasant thing to think about.

"It can switch them?" Lucy seems to have gotten the idea as well. But it's so much more than that. And now that no one is protesting, we get moving again.

I nod. "But that doesn't happen until its final stage. The first thing it does when it's been unsealed is shoot off a black beam just like the one in front of us. Then it goes in search of those who are weak. It'll switch anyone wavering between light and dark to the opposite alignment. In other words, a good guy who's feeling down and out…will likely fall to the dark side.

"So that's why…" Now Carla is understanding as well. "You knocked Wendy unconscious to protect her!"

That's exactly it. "She was at high risk of becoming a target because of her guilt. If I hadn't stepped in when I did, she easily could have switched over to the dark side."

Lucy starts panicking a bit. "Now you've got me worried. Is anger a negative emotion?" She's obviously thinking about Natsu. "If so, Natsu's in danger!"

I consider it for a second. "That's a tough call. Normally it would be, but because his anger is for someone else's sake, I don't know if you could classify it that way." There's a lot of gray area when it comes to emotions, and someone like Natsu is hard, if not impossible to predict.

Happy rolls around in the air. "I feel like a dummy. Nothing you're saying makes any sense to me!"

"That's because you are a dummy!" Obviously, the cat is going to need to hear this very simply. And Carla is more than happy to oblige. "Allow me to spell it out for you. Now that Nirvana's seal has been broken, it has the power to turn those with good hearts evil, and those with evil hearts good. Do you get it now, blockhead?"

I couldn't have explained it better myself. "I kept quiet about it at first because if I told you what I knew, you'd be at risk! Thinking in terms of good and evil can bring negative emotions to the surface. Before you know it, they've taken hold of you. 'If only that person didn't exist…' 'Whose fault is it that I'm in pain?' 'Why does this always happen to me?' These pessimistic thoughts attract Nirvana and allow it to take control."

"So whenever Nirvana is fully activated, everybody in the alliance could suddenly turn evil?" Lucy's question should be a statement instead, because she hit the nail right on the head.

Happy holds out his paw. "One question. I understand the part about it turning us evil, but does that mean it'll turn the dark guild guys good?"

It's something to consider, however unlikely it may be. "It's possible, but there's no way of knowing for sure. What makes Nirvana truly terrifying is the fact that it can be controlled to do whatever its caster sees fit."

"What!?" Lucy nearly shrieks right into my ear again.

Since I'd rather not be loudly interrogated, I head her off. "I'll explain." Now, to come up with a hypothetical scenario. "Okay. Let's say that a wizard was to use nirvana against a guild. They could have the members start killing each other, or make them go to war with another guild for no reason. And they'd barely have to lift a finger. We've got to find a way to stop it and fast…otherwise the light guilds will be wiped out."

"So, when Nirvana is fully activated, everyone in the alliance could suddenly turn evil?" Lucy brings us back around to a dangerous point, since it doesn't hurt us at all if some of the Oracion Seis decide to switch sides.

"That's not good!" Happy flutters worriedly. "What if Natsu goes to the dark side!?" All that does is elicit a sigh from Lucy and a sweatdrop from Happy. "I guess evil Natsu wouldn't be much different than normal Natsu, huh?"

Carla grumbles lightly. "I got the feeling that he was a powder keg waiting to explode."

Regardless of Natsu's temperament should Nirvana switch him, we've got places to be right now. "Come on. We've got to hurry! We have to catch up with them as quickly as possible. We'll need all three of them to stop Nirvana."

"Wait!" Happy stops suddenly, and I skid to a stop in the dirt as well. "We've got a problem!"

I try not to let my worry and impatience show. "What is it? We don't have time to get distracted."

Happy floats up and down sluggishly. "I was worried about Natsu…but he'll be okay, I just know it. But if we keep going, it might not be safe."

"Not be safe?" Of course it won't be safe, getting close to that pillar of light means getting close to the Oracion Seis. But considering how brave this little guy was facing up to them, that can't be what he's scared of. "Happy, what's wrong?"

His wings flutter, almost like they're twitching. And his tail is twitching too. "When I was little, Ciara used to cry herself to sleep sometimes. And then, she and Natsu would fight all the time, all because she didn't want Natsu to protect her. She always gets annoyed when we try to help her…"

I freeze, digesting what he's saying. _If he's bringing this up now…then it means…_ "Happy…is Ciara in danger of turning against us?" It's a possibility that I don't like, but if it's there, then we have to be prepared for it.

Happy nods, and looks like he wants to burst into tears. "I'm scared…Ciara might…" He shakes his head, drying up as many of his tears as he can. "There's a bigger chance that she'll go dark side instead of Natsu. And if she does, then you don't wanna be within twenty miles of her!"

My blood goes cold with fear, though I try to wrangle it down, knowing that Nirvana could use it against me at any moment. "So you're saying that we might have to deal with a very hostile, and very unhappy S-Class Wind Dragon Slayer who will hold nothing back?"

Happy nods, and Lucy goes pale. "We're going to have to fight Ciara…?"

I look back towards the light, and try imagining the worst case scenario.

 _We're dead…_

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I slash my hand down towards Cobra's face, only to have a larger hand grab hold of my wrist. "Wait a moment, child."

Looking over my shoulder, I see a face that I recognize from our earlier skirmish. "You are…Brain, correct?"

He nods. "I am." He looks unafraid of me. And that's a big mistake.

I sneer derisively at him. "In that case, use that almighty brain of yours to decide whether or not it's a good idea to get in my way. As you can see, I'm a little busy right now."

"I'm aware of that." He looks down briefly at Cobra. "However, I would ask that you spare Cobra. He did not mean to earn your ire, simply to free you from the shackles that held you prisoner."

"Prisoner?" Now, this man is intriguing me. "And what exactly do you presume was binding me?"

He releases my hand and taps his staff on the ground. "Simple. The moral inhibitions that have been expected of you for so long."

My sneer disappears, as he now has my full attention. "And if I decide not to kill this fool for his arrogance? What can you possibly offer me?" If this man thinks that I am easily placated, then he is wrong. Particularly as he is the one who drained much of my magic power earlier with that irritating dark magic spell of his.

He spreads his arms wide. "The power of Nirvana, to wreak havoc as you see fit. To make those you loathe tremble beneath you."

"Power?" I scoff and rise to my feet, stepping over Cobra. "You'll have to do better than that. Power is not something that I am in short supply of."

"So I have seen. But this is power beyond that which can be housed in any single person." His calm confidence starts becoming increasingly manic. "I know how to use Nirvana. If you agree to help me, I will share its power with you as the means to your goals. There is very little that cannot be accomplished through the powers of Nirvana."

Now that interests me a little. "And why should I believe you? For all I know, you could just be blowing hot air. And I'm an expert on people who blow hot air."

A hint of satisfaction color's Brain's expression. "Powerful and cautious, an excellent combination. Fear not, I have long studied the power of Nirvana. I know how to unlock and harness its power. And I have many plans for when I gain complete control over it."

"Is that so…?" I glance over towards the pillar of light as it changes from black to white, and see another familiar face. "Well, then you'll have to wrestle it away from Jellal first. Because it looks like he's playing for keeps. And unless you have something I want, you're not getting any cooperation from me."

Brain grimaces slightly. "Of course. I will be rectifying this situation shortly." He glances at Cobra, who is still dusting himself off. "Remain here, and be sure not to upset the young lady."

As Brain walks towards where Jellal is rigging Nirvana with a complicated looking spell. _Well, I suppose that it's time to sit back and watch the show. Because from the smell of it, he's over there coughing up blood._ My eyes drift to another familiar face. _So…Erza is here as well? It seems that I'm in for quite the show. Erza will have to watch her old friend die._

Now that I'm no longer trying to rip his throat out, Cobra seems much more relaxed. "So…while the big man takes care of business, why don't we get to know each other?"

"Why?" I see no reason to get to know the buffoon that I was three inches from killing only a few minutes ago.

He picks at my right ponytail, sliding it through his fingers. "I just thought that if we're going to be putting up with each other for the time being, we should make an effort to get along."

I shoot him a dark glance. "Move your hand, or you'll lose a lot more than just a few digits." As he pulls his hand away, I notice that the hair sliding through his fingers is streaked with black. _That's…different._

Out of the corner of my eye, I notice flashing around the tower, and the magic circle that Jellal had placed on it shatters. _Well, looks like Nirvana is released. I guess that means that it's time to get on with this partnership._

I walk towards Nirvana, and the ground starts to shake. Brain holds out his arms to me. "Come now, join me, and we shall share in Nirvana's power."

While it is not the power that interests me, it is his promise that Nirvana will be the means to my own ends. I step towards him, only for Erza to grab my Arm. "Ciara! What do you think you're doing!?"

I turn my head and stare directly into her eyes. "For once, I'm doing what I want. And there's no one here to stop me." I wrench my arm from her grip and slam it into her stomach, crumpling her armor and sending her flying against the nearest tree. And by against, I mean right through it. And there is a certain satisfaction in listening to the normally sickening crack of her body against the tree. But all it shows it that I've got power, though still not enough.

Reaching up to my hair, I pull out my ribbons, unleashing all of the power sealed deep within me. I drop them to the ground right next to Jellal's head, and in that instant, my power rages forth, stirring all the winds around me.

"Wow, that's some power you've got." Cobra jogs up, still getting far too close for my tastes. "This is gonna be awesome."

Brain nods warmly as the tower rises higher into the sky. "Welcome, my dear, to the Oracion Seis."


	62. Friend to Foe

**Two words, and you made my day, Cardfighter. I've been waiting to pull this stunt ever since the very first chapter. (Truth is, I've had the storyline plotted out for over two years, but I only just got around to getting the start posted in February.) But yeah, I've been waiting to pull this for ages! And I did say that she was going to kick some ass. Guess whose.**

 **By the way, that crack from when Erza hit the tree was just the breaking of some of her armor, not her back. I'm not gonna kill anyone that's not meant to die. Even if it might look like they've kicked the bucket.**

 **I'm really getting the reactions that I was hoping for. I was trying for the "Oh shit" responses, and lo and behold, I got them. I promised Murphy's Law, and I think that I've delivered. Prepare for round two. And next chapter, round three. Only about three more chapters until then end of this arc. And then, a special set of chapters detailing the aftermath. I will put up warnings around those chapters, as they will not be pleasant.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I watch with curiosity as the tower that is Nirvana rises out of the ground, revealing more and more of a gigantic structure. It's not just a tower, or some beam of light. It's an entire city, old and ruined and uninhabited, but a city nonetheless. Unfortunately, I'm not into ancient, ruined architecture, otherwise I might be having a lot more fun.

The force of its eruption from the ground tears up half the forest as it rises on six enormous legs. It's a ancient, walking city. And I'm right where I belong, a mile above the ground. No matter the situation, I always feel more comfortable high in the sky.

Brain spreads out his arms in triumph. "Yes! At long last, I have obtained it! The ultimate weapon which extinguishes light! The legendary reversal magic, Nirvana! Those near-sighted guilds will cling to their piety, their fellowship, and trust. But now, such things will be stripped of meaning." He gazes outward, seeming to revel in this accomplishment. "Behold. Look at the world that now spreads out beneath our feet. And entire city, unshackled from time, and the earth itself. This is Nirvana's true form." He spreads his arms wide. "And from this seat of power, I can move this city to anywhere I see fit!"

"Oh yeah?" Cobra looks out at the horizon, then at Brain. "Well, I'm sure you've got somewhere in mind. So where we goin'?"

Brain's face goes a little blank. "I know exactly what our first target shall be. A certain guild hall."

"So, we're starting with a bang, are we?" Cobra seems to know something that I don't, but it hardly matters. As long as I get what I want when the opportunity presents itself, I'll be happy. It would be stupid to rush into things, seeing as I have yet to track down Igneel.

"It shall be the first of many lights to be extinguished!"

I clear my throat, interrupting Brain before he can start a another verse to his speech. "Alright, so we've got you a walking city. Now how do you use this thing?"

"Patience, my dear." He walks to the center of the platform on top of the tower, and strikes his staff down. After some groaning from the ancient joints, the legs start moving, and this whole city starts walking off towards one edge of the forest. With it moving, he turns to me. "Now that Nirvana is moving, I will require someone to drive it."

"Drive it?" A truly evil thought occurs to me. "This is a vehicle…"

"Of a sort."

I sniff the air and pick out Natsu's scent. "If it'll give that stupid brother of mine a reason to hurl, then I'll drive this thing halfway across the continent for you. But be warned. If he's here, then he's going to cause all sorts of trouble. We have a tendency to do that…"

"I see…" Brain becomes pensive for a moment. "Are you well versed in defensive magic?"

"Depends…" I scrutinize him carefully, ignoring Cobra as he talks to that giant snake of his. "Mostly on the size of what I'm trying to protect."

He turns his gaze onto the city. "Is it possible for you to cast a barrier around the entirety of Nirvana?"

"Nope." No point in sugarcoating it for him. But that's not the only trick I've got up my sleeve. "I can't make a barrier that big, at least, not a magical one. But I could do something else, if you don't mind a bit of wind."

Brain taps his staff on the ground a few times. "That's right, you are a wind wizard, are you not?"

"Pfft, if you want to put it simply, yeah." He has no idea what's about to hit him. "Calling me a wind wizard would be like comparing Nirvana's size to a hill."

"Oh?" Now he looks intrigued. "How so?"

I laugh and shake my head, wind swirling in sharp gusts around me. "By rearing and training, I am the Wind Dragon Slayer." Those gusts of wind rise into the air, swirling faster and faster as they spread out into the sky. "I was raised by the fire dragon known as Igneel, whom I plan to punish for abandoning me."

"Lost Magic?" Brain looks at me in fascinated wonder. "Then you are quited suitable to be a caretaker for this ancient city." He waves his staff, and golden lights appear in a chain all along the perimeter. "Nirvana! Begin your march now! Transform my darkness into light!"

But just as the golden lights appear and the interface joins with the tower, a single speck flashes through the sky. I sigh and the winds swirl faster and faster, quickly turning into a small, but growing hurricane. "And that would be my brother. The Fire Dragon Slayer. A true child of Igneel." I spit the words out like bitter medicine. "Should I dispose of him?"

But from the looks of it, he's coming in too hot. And on Happy. "I'm putting the brakes on this thing!"

"No, the fire dragon!" Brain mutters curses under his breath as Natsu comes smashing in, wrecking some of the upper platform.

But Happy flies Natsu right back up, and Natsu unleashes hell from his mouth. "Fire Dragon ROAR!"

Since I would rather not get roasted like a ham, I shove Cobra aside and face the incoming fire. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" My cyclone smashes against Natsu's, smothering his flames.

That stops Natsu in his tracks as his eyes widen, fixing on me. "Ciara!?"

"Tch." I click my tongue and move back towards Brain, trying to send a clear message to Natsu. _I do not stand with you anymore._

"Stop this flaming idiot at once, Cobra!" Brain must be picking Cobra over me since I would probably wreck Nirvana if Natsu and I had it out. I mean, I'd like to fight, but I'm not stupid. I know what kind of devastation my magic can cause.

"I hear ya." Cobra moves forward, towards the flames now spewing once again from Natsu's mouth. "Cubellios!" The giant snake obeys Cobra's call and races through the air, slamming into Natsu. The it tosses Cobra up there with him, and the four of them, two wizards and two animals, fly out of sight to continue their battle.

With the two morons gone, I should finally have some peace and quiet. And now, Brain approaches me once again. "Would you happen to be creating a hurricane to protect the city?"

I'm actually impressed that he caught on to the idea so quickly. "I am. As a dragon slayer who is essentially one with the wind, bending it to my will only works to a certain extent. Like this, I can use my own power, then let nature take control of providing the power, while I act at the center, as the beacon for the storm. Something akin to a lightning rod."

"I see, well done." He walks away from me as I stand in the center of the tower's platform. "Stay here for now, and keep our current course. There are things that I must see to. Therefore, I will leave you here to guard the tower."

Brain walks off towards the tower stairs, taking them down to the ground floor. That leaves me alone to feel the wind. And of course, to hear and smell every clash of fire and poison that Cobra and Natsu exchange.

The explosion is pretty predictable, after all, that idiot never knows when to quit. Though what I'm hearing from down there is more than a little interesting. _So…Cobra is the Poison Dragon Slayer, huh? That explains a lot._

Still, seeing a Poison Dragon Roar hurtling through the sky is a little surprising. I doubt that Natsu could take one of those head on and escape unscathed.

It's been fifteen minutes since the duel between Cobra and Natsu began. And a deafening roar shakes Nirvana, so loud that I have to slam my hands over my own ears to block out all the noise. I haven't heard anything like this in a very long time. It almost sounds like Igneel's roar. And just the sound of it makes me writhe in anger. Natsu must have turned Cobra's own hearing on him and hit him with that at point blank range. The moron must have shattered Snake Boy's eardrums.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

I'm exhausted. That fight with Cobra really took it out of me. And the poison shots I took aren't helping. And then there was the thinking too much, not thinking at all, the dragon slayer reveal, and the whole thing with old and new generation dragon slayers. It's hard for my head to handle all of that.

And then there was Ciara. She's up at the top of the tower in the middle of the city. And it looked like she was the one driving. But that's impossible. There's no way she would betray us and join them! Brain has to be threatening her somehow.

Happy starts losing altitude quickly. "Oh man, Natsu…I'm starting to not feel so good."

"It's…'cause of his poison…" I struggle to get the words out. I'm just so tired, and my whole body is numb. The two of us crash hard onto the ground. "And now…I can't…even move." The city starts to tilt, and I start feeling even sicker. "And what's worse, this thing's a vehicle."

Cobra limps over, his face screaming pure revenge. "I swear I'll put an end to you for the honor of the six demons."

"No." I refuse to give up and die here. After all, who is gonna save my sister if I don't make it out of here? "You're wrong. No way, pal."

"I hear it loud and clear, the bell tolling on the old generation." He holds a fist full of poison above my head. "It's over. Your kind is done! Time for the new dragon slayers!"

But instead of Cobra whacking me in the head, it's him who gets hit, in the back. I look up to see Brain standing there, pointing that staff of his at Cobra. "That's enough, Cobra. You may stand down."

"Brain? But why?" There's something wrong. Neither of us get why this guy is calling Cobra off. And Cobra is shaking. "Are you mad?"

"You've performed extraordinarily well, but it's time for you to rest." I wonder if it's just me, but it looks like Brain has a few less tattoos on his face now. "I'm sorry, did you hear that?" He must have thought something that made Cobra really mad, because he's shaking even harder now. And Brain just laughs.

Cobra forgets about me, turning his attention, and his tear, on Brain. "How dare you. You traitor!" But he's not strong enough to take on Brain, and he knows it, reaching out to his giant snake instead. "Cubellios."

Cobra collapses, and it looks like he's gone and stopped breathing. "He's gone." That pisses me off. Even if they're a dark guild, you're not supposed to turn on your allies like that. "How could you do that to him? He was your friend."

"With the power I now have at my disposal, I will have no problem gathering friends that will much better serve me. Nirvana will make it so." By friends, he must be talking about Ciara. And whatever spell he's using to hold her here…I'm going to break it.

I struggle to get up, my anger fueling me. "You don't make true friends with power and intimidation. All you get are puppets."

"You shouldn't make such a fuss. After all, your power is what I admire about you the most. It would do me good to have a friend like you." His smile really puts me off. "Just like I enjoy having a friend like your sister. After all…" He sweeps his hand around, motioning to the storm. "This is her doing, after all. She agreed quite readily to assist me, you know."

"No way. There's no way." I growl at him, not believing a single word of his lies. "There's no way that Ciara would help you of her own free will."

"Are you so sure?" Brain seems awfully sure of himself. "Nirvana made her much more agreeable."

It starts to click. "So you're controlling her with Nirvana?"

"No. I am not controlling her at all." Hes gone right back to lying again. "You see, Nirvana has the power to turn light into darkness. This applies to the hearts of people as well. Harboring dark emotions leads to the changing of that light into darkness. And that is what has happened to your sister. She is fully aware of what she is doing. However, the difference now is that she no longer cares what happens to others. She is freer now than she has ever been."

"You're wrong." I know in my heart when Ciara is the most free. And it's not like this, not when she's giving in to all of her anger. "She's free when she's flying. When she can fall through the clouds and not worry about touching the ground. This is not free…"

"So you believe…" Brain approaches me, then grabs me by the scarf. "Come now, I believe that it's time for a family reunion."

As Brain drags me towards the tower, my motion sickness still giving me grief, I hear a familiar voice calling for me. "Natsu!" I look over at her, trying not to hurl as she, Gray, and Jura stop there. "What happened to you?"

I swallow down my nausea for a second. "It's moving. I just can't handle it." It's times like this when I really hate my motion sickness. But no matter what I do, there's just no cure for it. Well, except for Ciara's sleep spells. And Erza knocking me out.

Happy moans from over where he fell. "Hey guys…please help…"

"Are you okay!?" Lucy sounds more concerned for Happy than for me, and I'm the one with incurable motion sickness.

Jura inspects him lightly. "Sir cat is still alive."

Thankfully, Happy is worried about me. "You guys got to save Natsu. Brain's taking him away. He's got Ciara too."

Brain stops moving, which makes my butt stop hurting. "The six demons have been cut down to a meager three. We've been chopped in half. So in order to stop the bleeding in our once healthy ranks, I will fortify them with the dragon slayers.

"I always knew this was gonna happen someday. One of these dark guilds was gonna try to pull Natsu over to their side." Gray sounds like he's almost disappointed. I mean, I'm a lot more valuable than he thinks I am.

"You must be out of your mind if you think you're ever gonna get that hard-head to cooperate with you." Lucy obviously doesn't have much faith in the fact that I do use my brain…once in a while…

But Brain doesn't care. "Once Nirvana darkens his heart, he will gladly do my bidding. His goals and my own will be intertwined. And should that fail, I'm sure that his sister will prove useful in bringing him to heel."

"Ciara!?" Gray sounds like he had no idea that Brain had her.

Lucy, not so much. "So you do have her then…Happy and Hibiki were right, she did go dark side."

"She what!?" Gray's voice is starting to make my head spin even worse. "There's no way! Ciara can't go dark side, she's not…" But whatever he was going to say dies in his throat.

But as for Brain's plans for me, there's no way I'm giving in without a fight. So I chomp down on his hand. "In your dreams."

Brain lifts his arm into the air, and me along with it. "You still have the strength to fight?" He slams me into the ground, trying to beat me into submission. But the poor guy has no idea how hard that really is.

I groan a little as my nausea returns. "Ugh…I am so sick…"

Jura thinks it's cool to make fun of me. "The spirit is strong, but the stomach weak." Not cool, man…not cool.

"Yeah, you can say that again. Kind of gets in the way." Gray…you suck too.

But beggars can't be choosers. "Help me." And I'm feeling sicker than ever. I hate this place. "Please help me. I'm beggin' ya. Beat this guy…and stop this thing."

"Oh, we're gonna stop it. But not just for your sake." Well, at least Gray is planning on stopping this thing. Even though getting rescued by him is definitely not my first choice. Or my second choice. Or my third choice.

Magic energy starts pulsing around Brain. "Is that so? You'll stop Nirvana? Try your best. But you mustn't waste any time. We're quickly approaching our first target, the Cait Shelter guild hall. And the Wind Dragon Slayer is guiding us there as we speak."

 _Ciara!_

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I swear that it feels like I've been driving this thing for hours, and we're still not at whatever destination Brain picked out. And without him here, I have no idea how much farther I'm supposed to go.

But rather than Brain, the one that I smell, or rather, the many, are very familiar scents to me. _So…it looks like I've got company._ I turn towards the stairs, and several forms come into sight, along with the sickening scent of blood. Many different kinds of blood.

"We beat Brain, so why is this thing still moving!?" Lucy, always asking too many questions for her own good.

"We're just going to have to shut it down manually!" Gray takes the simplistic approach, as usual.

"Wait, she's up here, I can smell her!" That's Natsu, but for some reason, he doesn't sound sick anymore. _Wendy must have done something…some kind of healing spell to cure his motion sickness._

Nirvana's journey is going to have to wait. I don't fancy the idea of holding them all off with a barrier while trying to concentrate on driving. So it's better to wipe them all out quickly before getting back to work. So I'll just let the city drive itself for now.

I turn to them, my arms spread wide, in a mock gesture of greeting. "Welcome to the crown of Nirvana." Natsu, Gray, Lucy, Jura, Wendy, Happy, and Carla stand before me. "Prepare to die."


	63. Black Wind

**I'm sorry for taking this long to update, I was just taking my time to plan out the fight, then write it up so that it would be nice and long, but not too long, as well as detailed and interesting enough to satisfy me. Plus, I'm trying to keep an average word count of over 3800 per chapter. I think I have more than done that with this chapter.**

 **For those of you hoping for a peaceful resolution…I'm going to disappoint you. Welcome to sibling rivalry to the max. Because this is not going to be pretty, and it's not going to be very peaceful either.**

 **I also hope that this chapter will answer some questions about precisely what her capabilities as a dragon slayer are.**

 **And a warning. She is a chatterbox, just like Natsu (you know, if I haven't already made that pretty clear). Combine that with a personality flip, and you get some very condescending commentary.**

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

Whoever the person in front of me is, it can't be my sister. That's what my eyes are telling me. But my nose is telling me that Ciara is the one standing in front of me. But ether I'm seeing thing that aren't there, or my nose is lying to me. Because this can't be her. I haven't even been able to hear her thoughts ever since that pillar of black light shot into the sky.

Her pink hair is streaked heavily with black, and it's tumbling down her back, instead of being held back by ribbons. Ciara never takes those off. She only did it with Laxus because there was no other way. There's no way she would take them off now. And her eyes look almost gray now, because the part that is usually white is now the blackest I've ever seen. Like a bottomless chasm, which is what her expression reminds me of right now.

"You should trust your nose, Natsu." The voice coming from her is so familiar. But it's all wrong. This is so, so wrong. "Your thoughts are written all over your face." Wind explodes from the spot she's standing, blasting towards us in sharp gusts. It's unmistakable, that power is hers. Which means that we're in serious shit unless we can calm her down.

"Ciara! Brain is down! Whatever he said to threaten you, it doesn't matter now!" She's the reasonable type, she'll listen if I just tell her what happened. There's no way that she would help to destroy Wendy and Carla's guild. She's not the kind of person who could do something that terrible. "Just stop Nirvana and come back with us!"

"Stop Nirvana?" She tilts her head, as if amused. "I don't know how to stop Nirvana. And if Brain isn't here, then I have no idea how far to drive it. And as for threats…" Sharp wind claws engulf her hands. "If anything, I'm the one who threatened him. Though I guess I should have expected that you assumed differently. After all, how could your sweet, precious, well-behaved little sister ever possibly threaten someone?" Sarcasm drips from her mouth like Happy's drool when he sees smoked fish.

With a flick of her wrist, a blade of wind comes whizzing towards me, straight at my head. I duck fast, and it's barely enough. And when I look back at Ciara, I'm more than a little ticked off. "Hey! That could have blown my head off!"

She looks at me, and seems kind of bored. "Well, it was supposed to blow you off of Nirvana. But blowing your head off would work as well." Her hand start to glow, and I know well enough that that isn't her typical dragon slayer magic, that's something else on an entirely different level. And it's not something that I want to get hit with. I've been her testing dummy more than once, and I've regretted it every time. Unfortunately, she always bribes me with food, so I always go along with it.

"Natsu…" Gray steps forward, standing side by side with me. "I know you don't want to hear this, but I don't think we're going to have a choice here. We need to bring her down if we want to stop her. She's not going to listen to us. It's just like with Sherry. She's been switched by Nirvana. I'd be thrilled if we could solve this peacefully, but…I've never seen this look on her face before."

I lock eyes with my sister, and it's not a pleasant feeling. It's like I don't even know her anymore, like she's disappeared and isn't coming back. Damn it…

But there's no way that I'm going to turn my back on her now. Not now, and not ever.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

"Well, you're right on one count. I'm definitely not going to be listening to you." If I have my way, I'll never have to listen to anyone ever again. "And once I'm done with all of you, I'll wait for Brain to return. Once his goals are accomplished, I will be enlisting his help in pursuing my own."

"Your goals?" Gray shuffles a few inches closer to me, as though he's hoping I won't notice. "What exactly are you trying to accomplish by joining the enemy?"

I scoff. "Do not use that tone with me. I am in no way inferior to Brain. I simply plan to use him, as I don't have the knowledge required to properly control Nirvana myself. As for my goals…" I've talked this long because I want to make their hearts bleed before I rip them out of their chests. "To destroy everyone and everything that ever made me hate the world."

In an instant, I let spirals of wind circle my hands, then unleash them in a flurry of spinning blades on my unsuspecting opponents. Lucy gets blown back first, then Happy, Carla and Wendy. Only Jura, Gray and Natsu manage to stand their ground against my powerful winds, but not without cost. I can smell the metallic scent of their blood in my nose. And never before has it smelled this satisfying.

"Come, then. I would be more than happy to be the one responsible for killing all of you!" The sheer terror flitting through them spurs me on. "Challenge me, and I will stain the earth with your blood. You are in my territory now, a storm is where I am strongest!" I point up at the growing storm, which has now reached a couple of miles in width.

Jura approaches next, this time walking right past both of the boys. "If you intend to choose the path of evil and stand in the way of our mission, then I will have no choice but to strike you down."

"Strike me down?" I laugh at the very thought. "You really think that you can beat me? If so, then you're even more delusional than the two idiots who think that talking to me will produce anything in their favor." I glance at Gray, who should have known better than to try such a roundabout way of finding a weak spot. Because now, there isn't one. I let the power flood through me, in a way that I haven't felt since the Tower of Heaven. It feels good, very good.

"Very well." Jura waves his hands through the air. "Iron Rock-"

"Too late." I disappear into the wind, and the next thing the poor fool knows, I'm driving a punch straight into his stomach, and smashing him into the ground. It has all the force of he hurricane above our heads concentrated into it. If it were anyone weaker who took this hit, they would be shattered into splinters by now.

He coughs from the force of my punch, and struggles to breathe as his eyes go wide. Obviously, he wasn't expecting me to have this kind of power. To be fair, I doubt that anyone was. I lean over him, ready to tear his heart out. Unfortunately, it seems that my idiot brother has other plans.

I place my hands on the ground and flip upward, dodging the blast of fire that Natsu aims at where I just was above Jura. I glare irritably at Natsu, before replacing it with a smile. "Well done. It seems that you've prolonged the wizard saint's life. For now. Although, that means that you've shortened your own."

"Oh yeah!?" Natsu lunges at me, so I dodge him and strike him in the back, sending him flying several meters.

"Really, Natsu?" I turn to face him, rather amused by his antics. "I know your moves inside and out. There's nothing that you can do that will take me by surprise."

Despite the force I put into the blow, he still gets up and comes at me again, this time with his hands on fire. "Oh yeah!?" He swipes at my face, trying to catch me and send me sprawling to the ground.

Unfortunately for this idiot, I wasn't lying. I know very well how he fights. I back up a bit, then lean backwards, letting my left leg swing up and clip his chin. He has obviously forgotten that I am another of his old sparring partners, so my fighting skills are quite technically proficient. I can still outdo him in both speed and flexibility. And right now, I might even have as much physical strength as him too.

He uses his own speed to get in close, grabbing my arms then igniting a raging inferno around the two of us. "Think you can fight your way out of this!?" The fire is so hot that I can't seem to get the wind to respond to me, which means that I have to fight my way out without it. I grab Natsu's scarf and pull his head down towards my knee, but he grabs me around the waist and flips me over his head.

As the flames disappear, ice starts to cover the ground, and tendrils of it starts to snake up my legs. "Gray…" I wrench my feet free, and turn to face the annoying ice wizard. "I know your tricks too. And even better, I know how you think. So even the tricks you haven't come up with, I'll be able to predict."

"You sure about that?" He puts his hands together, casting another spell. And judging by his stance… "Ice-Make: Hammers!"

When I said that he was predictable, I meant it. I close my eyes and flip back on my hands, then jump into the air, bending my legs and dodging every hammer he creates. There's a total of seven of them, and the last one comes down on top of me, only to be shattered by a single punch.

I hit the ground right behind him and kick him in the back, sending him skidding across the ground. "I told you so!"

As Gray struggles to get back up, rock walls start erupting around me. I glance behind me, to see that the wizard saint is back on his feet, breathing hard. "Iron Rock Prison!" The slabs of rock slam together around me, enclosing me in solid, total darkness.

* * *

Gray's P.O.V.

I hadn't thought about that…that she would know my moves and be able to predict them. I suppose that I should have, after all, we've been on plenty of jobs together. She knows my patterns as well I know them myself.

"Gray, come here…" Natsu breathes hard as he picks himself up off the ground. "We need a way to beat her…and I think I know how."

"Oh yeah?" I agree that we need a plan, but knowing Natsu, it's not going to be a very good one. He's not exactly known for making plans that work. Or even following a plan in the first place.

He nods. "I need to talk to her. I think…I think that I can get her to listen to me, if I just get the chance to talk to her."

That's a problem. While Natsu is probably the only one who would be able to talk her down, she's not willing to listen to reason right now. "Problem…she's too strong. There's no way she'll listen to you while she's kicking our asses."

"I know." Natsu gazes at where his sister is currently entombed. "So I need you to do something for me."

"Well, make it fast, because I don't think those rocks are going to hold her for long." Not that I doubt Jura, it's just that I've seen what Ciara can do, and I don't know if there's any wizard alive that could stop her right now.

"I need you to stab her in the back." He looks a lot more serious right now than I could have ever expected while uttering those words.

"What?" _He needs me to do what now? Stab her in the back?_ "And how am I supposed to do that?"

He glares at me. "Take your ice, and stab her in the back. I'll keep her attention focused on me, so you do what you gotta to stop her."

"What!?" I hate this job already, and it usually takes more than five seconds for that to happen. "Why can't you do it!?"

He holds up a fist full of fire. "Fire ain't the greatest for stabbing."

I see his point, but I still don't like this. "Alright, we'll do this your way, but if you-"

A huge blast nearly knocks me off my feet, and when I look up, Ciara is there, smashing a crater into Nirvana, using Jura as the blunt object. "Did you really think that such a petty cage would be enough to hold me?"

Bloodied and bruised, Jura doesn't get back up after that assault. I thought that he would have more of a chance against her. That is…until I see what's covering her skin.

Scales. Silvery-blue scales covering the sides of her face, forehead, her shoulders all the way to the backs of her hands, the sides and back of her neck, and probably well under her clothes. Her irises are silver, now standing out starkly against the blackened whites of her eyes. And joining the black streaks in her hair are silver streaks. It reminds me of the remnants I saw at the Tower of Heaven. And those are not pleasant memories.

Right now, she's even scarier than before.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I step over Jura's unmoving form, my eyes catching sight of Natsu and Gray. I can feel power flowing through me, and it's a very nice feeling. "So, shall we be continuing our little dance, brother?"

"Yeah." He shoves Gray aside roughly. "Let's dance." His whole body lights on fire, and he springs at me, murder in his eyes.

Now this is what I was looking forward to, an all out brawl with him, and I'm definitely going to be putting him in the ground.

An instant later, our fists connect, and fire and win explode from the point of impact. And if Natsu were any weaker or less determined, I probably would have sent him flying. "Nice try, Natsu. But I'm more powerful than you are now."

"You're right, you are." He looks at me seriously, but without fear. "But that's not going to stop me from saving you."

"Saving me?" I scoff easily. "I don't need saving, least of all by you." _After all, the only one I can rely on is myself._

In my pulsing anger, blades of wind explode from my body, hurtling out in every direction, and most of them hitting Natsu straight on. His feet dig into the ground as he tries to keep from moving. And it's almost admirable, seeing as I only move him back a couple of meters.

Fire rages around him, growing hotter and hotter as it races in circles around us. His magic is increasing, which meas that Gray has probably gone running for cover. Too bad for Natsu, because he's going to need all the help he can get.

He tries to punch me in the head, but I block it and return one to his stomach, hitting him right where I kneed him earlier. I know the basics of battle well. And Lyon had the right idea. Aim for the opponent's weak spot. And while he's doubled over, I raise my leg and kick him right in the chest, hurling him well across what's left of this ruined tower.

Holding out my hand, a burst of silver light forms there. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Spear of the Gale."

Unlike the last time, this one is much more powerful. And I have a little more time to prepare it. It's a giant silver spear, which looks almost solid, except for the twisting and twirling wisps of silver smoke contained within. It has all the destructive power of my strongest roar, and all of the precision of my wind bullets. It's one of the most deadly weapons in my arsenal.

"Die." I heft the spear overhead, opting to throw it myself this time. It races towards Natsu, destined to hit him head on.

Well, if there's anything that can be said for a Fairy Tail wizard, it's that they spit in the face of destiny. Natsu somehow manages to dodge the attack, and sprint right for me while I'm dealing with the recoil from the attack.

I never said it was perfect, only that it was deadly.

Natsu catches my hands, nearly burning the skin from my wrists. Or at least, he would be, if it weren't for the scales now protecting me. "Ciara, I'm sorry, but this is my only choice."

"What!?" I don't get it, sure, he has hold of me, but I can take this opportunity to blast him at point blank range. Speaking of… I take a deep breath, ready to hit him with a full powered roar at a total distance of half a foot. It'll be more than enough to turn his head to mush.

But I don't get the chance.

All of a sudden, I feel a piercing cold like a blade in my back and gasp as Natsu releases me, and I hit the ground hard. I try to roll from my stomach to my side, but pain explodes in my back. I cry out and the world flashes so many colors that it's disorienting, and I can feel the spreading of a slowly expanding pool of blood. My blood.

Natsu grimaces, approaching me again, but looking over my head instead. "Thanks, Gray…I can take it from here…" _That explains the cold blade…it was made of ice… Gray literally stabbed me in the back._

Natsu kneels next to me, tears in his eyes. "Sorry, sis…I didn't want to have to do that."

"I hate you…" I do what I can to spit that at him with venom, but I'm not entirely sure how successful I am.

"I know…" His gaze drops and he takes my hands. "You hate a lot of things right now. But I promise, I've been trying really hard to be a good big brother." He wraps his arms around me, getting blood everywhere. "It's time to stop fighting each other and start protecting our friends."

"Get off me." I try to break his grip, but he is still stronger than me.

"I'm not going to abandon you the way Igneel abandoned us, I promise. We're twins…that means that we always have to stick together. No matter how much we fight, and no matter how much we annoy each other…we've gotta stay together. Forever." He hugs me tighter and the world spins.

 _Forever...?_ I feel tears welling up in my eyes, and every emotion I've ever had floods into me, I start sobbing into his shoulder, my heart breaking as the darkness starts to ebb away and I realize the horror of all that I've done. My hair rids itself of the black, covering me in a sheet of color. "Natsu…"

"It's okay…I promise that it's going to be okay…" He runs his hand through my hair and breathes soothingly over my ear. "Just listen to the sound of my voice. Because I promise that it's all going to be okay."

 _No, it's not…_ I look up at Natsu sadly. "I'm sorry…" Then I push myself out of his arms and limp over towards the center of the tower. _But I have to do this…_

Taking in a deep breath, I turn to the sky. "Wind Dragon's Roar!" Instead of my usual roar, I reverse the direction that the wind swirls in, and blast that up into the sky.

The roar slams into the storm clouds above us, and the reversed currents of my roar act against those of the storm. They cancel each other out, bringing the hurricane grinding to a halt. The storm clouds will take a while to disperse, but the windy remnants of the storm should die down within the next few hours. For now, the most dangerous part has passed.

Pain tears through my chest, especially around my lungs and heart. Liquid bubbles up in my throat, and I cough it up, splattering the ground with red. Blood…

My knees go weak, and my vision blurs, and I feel myself being caught by a pair of strong, warm arms as I fall unconscious.

Natsu's P.O.V.

Ciara collapses into my arms unconscious, probably from using up way too much magic. And now, she's bleeding, bad. I look over to Wendy, who has been hiding behind a pillar with Lucy. "Wendy…can you help her?"

The little girl's eyes widen, then she nods and starts jogging over. "How bad is she?"

"Bad…" I lay her on the ground, all ready for Wendy to work her magic. "I…told Gray to stab her. I thought it was the only way to make her listen…"

"I see." Wendy kneels next to us, and moves her hands over Ciara as they start to glow. "She's in really bad shape…I can save her, but she won't be able to fight for a while. Her magic is almost gone…"

"That's fine…" I watch as Wendy works on Ciara. Though it's perfectly alright with me if Ciara won't be able to fight for a while. I was going to stop her anyway.

Ciara stirs a little, but stays asleep. The scales are fading from her skin, and the silver from her hair. Now, it's all just pink. Though it's going to need a lot of washing and brushing when we get home, because it's a mess of dirt and blood. Maybe she'll even let me help her take a bath. Or we could just take a bath together like we did when we were little.

For some reason, I imagine Lucy hitting me for suggesting that.

 _Weird…_

Once she's done with Ciara's serious injuries, Wendy stands up and starts sucking in the air. And I'm wondering once again how it tastes. Then again, I could probably ask Ciara, since she eats basically the same thing. Well, except that it has to be moving. She used to yell at me all the time for mixing up eating wind with eating air.

Wendy heads over to the crater to tend to Jura, while I start wiping some of the blood from Ciara's face. _Why did it have to come to this…?_

Most alarmingly, Nirvana still hasn't stopped moving. I thought that by beating Brain, and then Ciara, this thing would stop moving. But apparently, that's not the case, because we're still headed in the same direction as ever.

Straight for Wendy and Carla's guild, Cait Shelter.

Happy comes toddling up with Carla. "Why is Nirvana still moving!?"

"I don't know…" I really don't. I don't understand this old city at all. Nothing about it makes sense. And it sure as hell doesn't smell right.

Happy frowns. "So if there isn't a pilot seat or control panel where we can stop this thing, what are we gonna do?"

"Destroy it, of course." That's my usual solution to things, and usually, it works pretty well. Well, except for when it gets me dragged in front of Gramps, or in front of the Magic Council. That doesn't go so well.

Lucy sweatdrops. "Leave it to us to demolish a city, right?"

Gray comes over, supporting Jura until the old guy can stand on his own. "Not to sound pessimistic, but that's a pretty tall order!"

Jura nods. "Before that, we should see if Brain knows how to stop Nirvana." He glances over to where Ciara is lying, unconscious. "And I believe that leaving her here would be best. If something should happen, Sir Happy will be able to perform a rescue quickly."

"Aye, sir!" Happy, even though he's running as low on magic power as the rest of us, looks determined to carry out that mission should he have to.

Carla sighs. "I doubt that brute would share such information with us."

Wendy gets a weird look in her eye for a second, which has Lucy concerned. "You okay?"

"Think of something that'll help?" Gray is trying to be optimistic, but that's hard, especially after the battle we just had.

"Well, I'm not quite sure…" Wendy's shy expression turns into a smile. "But it may be the best option we have, so I'll do my best to find it."

"Wendy? Where are you going child!?" Carla flies off after Wendy, who has already started running down the stairs.

Lucy watches her retreating form. "She sure is determined." I'd definitely agree with that.

Then a voice invades our heads. _My friends, can you hear me? It is I, the wizard known as Hoteye._

Lucy nearly jumps out of her skin. "You guys hear that too, or am I goin' crazy?"

I nod. "I heard it."

Jura decides to talk to him instead of being surprised. "Did you defeat midnight, Richard?"

 _I tried my best. But in the end, it seems my magic simply wasn't strong enough to trump his. Do not concern yourself with my rescue. You must work together to bring Midnight down for good. If you succeed in defeating him, Nirvana's source of magic power will be rendered dry, and the city will cease it's destructive path._

"Am I supposed to know this guy?" The voice sounds familiar to me, but I just can't place it with a face.

"So we can stop Nirvana without destroying the whole thing?" Gray must be thinking pretty small to not want to destroy it. But hey, whatever works.

 _He's directly below you, just outside of the royal throne. His power is not one to be underestimated. Please, be cautious my friends._

Jura nods. "The same to you, Richard."

"What are we waiting for!?" Lucy claps her hands excitedly.

Gray is just as pumped up by this news as I am. "Nice, this mess just got a whole lot easier."

I grin, ready to bring all this insanity to an end. "I'm all fired up now. We're comin' for ya, Sleepy Head!" _And it's time to go kick the crap out of Midnight._

 _Only one of the six prayer still remains on the battlefield. Every ounce of my trust and confidence belongs to you, my friends. Defeat Midnight, and stop Nirvana once and for all. Oh yeah! I wish you luck, my faithful comrades._

"Alright!" I pump my fist in the air, then glance back once at Ciara's unconscious body. _I'll be back for you real soon, sis. Promise._


	64. Nirvana Falls

**I spent the afternoon painting the fence with Mom. That was…tiring. But it looks a ton better, and it's not even finished. So that's good.**

 **So, someone likes Ciara gone dark side, huh…? Well, it's not the last time that you're going to see it. It'll pop up now and again. After all, it's not like those feelings are just going to go away. Plus, it'll be fun to make her go dark right in the middle of the Grand Magic Games…(whoops, spoiler alert).**

 **For now, though, she's not trying to destroy everything in sight. Let's leave that to Zero.**

 **Oh, and I'm going to warn you now, there's going to be blood. The one thing I don't like about the anime is the omittance of nearly all the blood. So prepare for blood, or the remnants of it at least.**

* * *

I had a dream…a nightmare, that I fought with Natsu, using Dragon Force. I nearly killed him, along with Gray, and a guy named Jura. But that's impossible, there's no way that I could do something like that.

I couldn't…

A breeze brushes against my cheek, a gentle caress. But then I catch the scent of blood. Mine…Natsu's…Gray's…and someone else's. And there's no shortage of it, at least, not on the ground or in the air around me. There's sure to be a shortage of it inside bodies, though.

My eyes open slowly, and I can see a starry sky above my head. I turn my head, and I see the ruined top of the tower of Nirvana. _It wasn't…a nightmare…_ That explains why my entire body feels like it's been run over by a train. Then I look at my hands, and they're drenched in fresh blood.

Then a deep rumbling and multiple magical shots fired from above catch my attention, and I roll over onto my stomach, groaning in pain as I struggle to my knees. Is that…? I look into the sky and see a flying horse. _Christina…that's Blue Pegasus up there._

I crawl to one of the pillars ringing the tower, leaving a trail of bloody hand prints behind me, and I see what they were firing for. Some kind of magical laser has already fired one shot on what looks like a guild hall. Cait Shelter…

A very familiar voice comes seemingly out of nowhere. _Do you read me? Someone, anyone, respond! Please, let me know that you're okay!_

 _I know that voice, it's Hibiki!_ And that voice belongs to Erza. Seems like she's been through a battle recently, judging by how she's panting ever so slightly.

 _Yeah!_ Wendy sounds like she's doing alright as well, which means that I didn't kill her at least. But I have no idea about the others. They might have died from the injuries, or been too weak to continue fighting, and ended up dead anyway. And even if no one is dead, that doesn't reverse the damage I've caused.

 _Erza and Wendy, good to know you're alive and well._

 _In case you were wondering, I'm alive but not quite well._ And there's an annoying voice that I had rather hoped I wouldn't hear again for a while.

 _Master Ichiya, glad to hear it._ I'm guessing Hibiki means about the alive part.

Erza's voice sounds relieved. _I can't believe it. I never expected to see the magic bomber fly again._

 _Nor did I. Certainly not, after we watched the Oracion Seis shoot her down._ Carla is right, it's incredible that it could get airborne again after the damage it took in that explosion.

That piques Wendy's curiosity. _How'd you get her flying again?_

 _Hard work, and lots of it._ Hibiki sounds proud, but also like he wants to laugh. _For a group of wizards who barely know each other, we're pretty good at working together to get the job done. Christina lost one of her wings when she was shot down, so Lyon's using his Ice-Make magic to replace it. You'll see on the bow, Sherry's combining her marionette magic with Ren's air magic to keep the damaged hull intact. Our attack on Nirvana was thanks to Eve's snow magic._

Carla seems more than a little stunned by the lengths that they would go to in order to protect her guild. _Thank you so much…_

 _I used it to fuse a couple of Christina's magic bombs together._ Eve sounds more than a little tired, in fact, he sounds like he could pass out right now. _When fired, they did very little damage to Nirvana. Even though…they're so powerful. That took…the last of my magic energy…_

 _We owe you one…_ And coming from Erza, that's definitely a promise.

Wendy is probably bawling now. _Because of you, my guild is safe. Thank you._

Christina seems to be dipping low over the city, so I take a breath and start sucking up the small gusts of wind that are twisting around the tower. _My turn to help them…_ "Breath of the Wind Dragon." Wind shoots out of my mouth, causing an updraft that lifts Christina ever higher into the air.

 _Whoa! What was that!?_ Hibiki sounds a little panicked, as he obviously wasn't expecting to gain any extra altitude.

 _Consider that…my contribution._ My head starts to spin a little. Using telepathy immediately after setting off a spell with as little magic as I have is a bad idea. _And I'm sorry about the hurricane earlier…it must have been hard to take off and approach Nirvana._

 _Ciara!? Is that you!?_ Hibiki latches onto my presence like a lifeline. _I'm glad to see that you're alright! I thought that Nirvana had-_

 _It did._ My words shut him up quite effectively. _It did…I'm the one who caused the hurricane._

 _You caused the…_ From the sound of it, Hibiki is more than a little stunned. _How? Even Ren can't do that._

 _I'm a lot stronger than you think I am…_ And that's exactly why I've caused such havoc today. This is my only way of making up for it right now. _How is everyone up there, are you alright? I probably should have warned you that you were going to gain some altitude from an updraft._

Hibiki laughs wryly. _I'm sure you can tell that everyone here is running low on magic energy right now. I'm afraid we can't attack from the ship anymore. Power's too low. Just flying this far was hard enough._ And probably made harder by the presence of my earlier hurricane. But I can almost see Hibiki's reassuring smile. _Don't worry, we're gonna be fine. But listen up. There's one last thing. A little bit of good news._

 _Unless it's how to take down Nirvana, there's not much I would consider to be good news…_ I lean back and lie flat on my back. This whole mess has taken a lot out of me. And who knows how long I'll be laid up in bed this time…

 _I finally found what I've been looking for in the Archive._ Hibiki's excitement starts leaking through the telepathic connection, and as actual feeling instead of thought. _I know how to stop Nirvana._

Hibiki's excitement manages to contaminate Erza now. _Please, tell us!_

 _You know those six appendages we thought were legs? Well, they aren't. They're pipes._ He makes it sound like the world's biggest toilet when he puts it like that. _Apparently, they suck the magic energy out of the earth, which then is used to power Nirvana. At the base of each leg is a lacrima that controls the supply of magic energy. From what I understand, if all six lacrima are destroyed simultaneously, it will wreak havoc on Nirvana's control system therefore forcing it to shut down. They must be destroyed at once, or the other five will simply repair the damaged one._

 _Simultaneously destroy six lacrima?_ It's good to hear that I'm not the only one trying to grapple with the impossibility of this situation. Erza has grasped the magnitude as well. _How do we do that!?_

 _If I could, I'd maintain telepathy to time out the strike._ Hibiki thinks for a few seconds, no doubt running through countless possible solutions in his head. _Try this. I'll give each of you guys a synced timer. I'm uploading it to you now. But listen, guys, it has to be precise._

I can feel Hibiki's magic working around in my head, and the timer appears in my mind as numerical values, like the magic alarm clock that I set if I've got something important to do.

When the download is complete, Wendy squeaks. _Twenty minutes?_

 _That's when Nirvana will be fully charged and ready to fire again._ I don't think I want to know how Hibiki came up with that time frame. _If anybody can do it, it's you guys. I have faith in you._

 _Care to wager a bet?_ A brand new voice echoes over the connection. And it is most definitely not one of us. Even I didn't sound nearly as malevolent as this man.

 _Who's that!?_

 _Who are you!?_ Erza seems to be under the impression that if she just demands something of the enemy, they'll give it up willingly. Then again, this guy contacted us, so he might just answer the question.

Wendy starts panicking again. _It's that creepy Brain guy!_

Hibiki's earlier excitement turns to frustration and panic. _How was he able to hijack my telepathy?_

 _I am Zero. Master of the Oracion Seis. Brain is no more._ And that's certainly not the introduction I was hoping he'd give. _First of all, allow me to commend you. You fooled me. I never suspected there might be other wizards capable of Archive magic like Brain. Now heed my words, wizards of light! I am going to obliterate everything you hold dear! I've already begun by destroying three of your little friends. A dragon slayer, an ice wizard, and a celestial wizard._ He laughs as he lists off Natsu, Gray, and Lucy. _And a cat._ And Happy.

Hibiki can't believe his ears. _He got Natsu and the others!?_

 _What's they ever do to you!?_ I shake my head at Wendy's question. Knowing them, they probably challenged the guy.

But Zero isn't one to be side-tracked. _Did I hear you say something about destroying Nirvana's lacrima simultaneously? Well you can try. But I'm standing right in front of one of them, and I have no intention of leaving._ He keeps laughing, since he knows that in our state, it'll take a miracle for one of us to beat him in time to destroy whichever lacrima he's guarding. _As long as I'm here, it'll be impossible to destroy all six at once!_

There's a sudden jolt through the connection, and it gives me a throbbing headache. Hibiki groans a little. _Our telepathic connection's been cut off._ On the bright side, that means that we don't have to listen to Zero spewing shit anymore.

In the background, Erza seems to be having a conversation with someone. Knowing her, probably Jellal. Then, Carla cuts in. _Excuse me, I think you're forgetting something, like basic math! We don't have six wizards with enough magic energy to go through with your plan!_

 _Oh no!_ This only seems to have occurred to Wendy now. _I can't fight! I'm sorry. I can't help you!_

Honestly, I hadn't expected Zero to take out Natsu, Lucy, and Gray. Between the three of them, plus me, Erza, and Jellal, we would have more than enough firepower to take out all six at once. I never expected Wendy to try taking one of them down, she just isn't an attack type. Well, not yet, anyway.

Erza sighs. _We can't do it on our own. Is there anyone else strong enough to help us?_

 _Yes, my honey._ I had no idea that Ichiya was actually here on Nirvana with us. But at this point, I'm willing to take any and all help. No matter how creepy the little man is. I'm able-bodied and at your service. Although I am tied up right now.

 _Master Ichiya, that's three._ Hibiki must not be counting Jellal, since he hasn't said anything yet. _Who else? Oh no._ The connection cuts out for a second, so I use my magic to boost it and bring it back. _Thanks, Ciara. I'm almost out of magic energy. We gotta hurry, you guys._

 _We need three more people!_ Erza's cool is gone, though I suppose that I shouldn't have expected it to stay completely intact after everything that's happened today. _There's got to be someone else! Can anyone help!?_ If she's not counting Jellal, then his magic must be so drained that he can't cast any spells right now.

Unfortunately, Christina is losing altitude above us, and blowing another gust up there would just unbalance the ship, as it's lost one of its wings. That means that Lyon is out of magic, which means that he's no help. Even has already collapsed, and Hibiki is almost gone too. That leaves only Ren and Sherry, and they're all that's keeping Christina in the air right now. Though from the looks of the hull, I'd say that Sherry just went down as well.

Lyon's voice calls through weakly. _Gray, get up. You must… Think of Ur. Don't let her down. You must keep fighting. Don't let these guys get the best of you._

Surprisingly, the next one is Sherry. _I've always hated you, Lucy. You think you're so cute. You know, you'll never compare to me. You're an air-headed crybaby. There's one thing I can say. You always give it your all. I never thought I would really care whether you died. But I was wrong, Lucy. Please, you have to respond._

 _Respond, Tomcat._ It sounds more like an order than a request from Carla.

I get right back on my feet, the wind swirling all around me, small streams of it being sucked straight into my stomach. _Natsu, you dumbass… Get up! Your friends are in trouble, and you're just lying there like you just hopped off a train. Is this how a Fairy Tail wizard does things? Because last I checked, destroying shit is our specialty. Your specialty. You're the most destructive member of Fairy Tail, and now, it's time for you to prove it. So get up and help me destroy this damned city!_

Slowly, I feel Natsu's mind starting to respond. He's awake, but just barely. He's going to need another nudge if he's going to pick himself up and get back in this fight. And I intend to give him that nudge.

 _Damn it, Natsu! GET UP!_ I basically scream at him across the telepathic connection, and the force of my thoughts is enough to make everyone jump. But if it made them jump, then maybe, just maybe…

Hibiki laughs weakly. _Way to get worked up there…_ Then he directs his thoughts right at them. _Can you hear our voices? If you can, please respond!_

 _Yeah, we hear you._ He sounds exhausted, but I've never been so happy to hear my brother's voice before. Stranger still is that it's only been a little while since I tried to rip his throat out.

 _Natsu…_ Relief emanates from Hibiki.

 _Destroy…all six…lacrima…at one time…_ Gray seems to have gotten the message, even while unconscious.

Lucy laughs tiredly. _So who's fighting Zero? Cause we'd like another crack at him. Right, boys?_

 _Eighteen minutes left, we've gotta hurry._ Thanks to Happy, I now know that they all have a timer as well. _We owe it to Carla and Wendy to protect their guild!_

 _Guys…even with Ciara boosting the signal, my telepathy's about to cut out. A while ago, I uploaded a map to each of your minds. I numbered the lacrima so you could find them. Everybody choose a number, okay? Then split up-_ There's an explosion up on Christina, and the connection is cut. But thanks to my own telepathy, our network here on the ground is still intact.

Natsu must have sniffed out Zero, because he picks first. _I'll take one._

 _Two._ Gray goes and picks his fast as well.

 _Guess I'll take three._ Lucy almost comically panics. _Please don't let Zero be there._

 _Then I shall take number four. I can tell it's the closes to me thanks to the smell of its parfum._ Somehow, Ichiya manages to make everything about smells.

 _You mean, because you see it on the map?_ Erza wastes no time in bursting his bubble. _I can take number five._

 _Erza!_ Natsu sounds so happy now. _Guess you're feeling better, huh?_

 _Yeah, it's all thanks to you guys._

 _Then that leaves me with number six. It's the farthest from any of your locations, which makes it perfect for me. I can get there in a flash._ I couldn't have planned this out any better myself.

Natsu has other ideas. _No way, you're too injured to be going after a lacrima!_

 _Natsu, forget about me for once. I've got more than enough magic to do this, so just let it go. We don't have time to be arguing about this, so let it go and let's get this done. We can argue about it after the rest of us survive this!_ Drawing attention to the fact that Christina made a rather terrible crash-landing is not what I would like to do, but I have to drill this into Natsu's head. Besides, I have a feeling that those guys won't die so easily. They probably pulled off a last-minute miracle. _Now, for the rest of us, let's go!_

I cut off the connection in an instant, and rise into the air, sucking up all of the wind that comes from being this high in the air. Even though it doesn't restore any of my physical strength, it does wonders for my magic reserves. Unfortunately, making and controlling that hurricane did more damage to me than I'd like to admit. But I can worry about that later.

Thanks to that meal, I hit the ground running, the wind pushing me forwards, over the side of the tower. I sail through the air, heading straight for the sixth appendage. It's time that we put and end to all of this. Nirvana is going to fall today.

I arrive at the lacrima chamber with fourteen minutes to spare. The lacrima itself is pretty big, probably ten feet wide. But while I contemplate how to go about destroying the lacrima, I can sense a battle beginning. And knowing that power well, I can only assume that it means that Natsu has found Zero.

Silver light swirls around me, and the whole room fills with my wind magic. Because once the lacrima are destroyed, I plan on bringing down this whole city. Magic fills me up, and I prepare to use a roar to shatter the lacrima. And by narrowing the funnel's diameter, I will be able to direct more power onto a single target.

As I watch the timer count down, my nerves start to fray a little. I know that Natsu isn't dead, I would be able to feel it if he was. But I still worry that he might not be able to beat Zero before the timer is finished counting. Then I feel Natsu go into Dragon Force and I smile, because there is no way he will lose with that kind of power.

With three minutes left, I can clearly feel Natsu's pain and anger, though for a moment he completely disappears, and comes back even more powerful than before. It looks like his days of surprising me aren't quite over yet.

And when the timer finally clicks to zero, it's go time. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" I unleash a roar like no other. A focused beam of swirling wind that cuts clean through the lacrima and walls. The lacrima shatters into a million shining pieces, and the room starts coming down around me, the foundations shattered in the same blast that destroyed the lacrima.

I race out into the hallway and start running. _Everyone! Get out of here! Get Jura and run for it, this city is coming down!_

Natsu is the one who picks up first. _Ciara, what the hell are you planning to do!?_

Smiling, I race through the hallways and back up towards the tower. _I'm going to hit Nirvana where it hurts, with all of the power I have left. If I hit it right, I should be able to crack this whole city apart, using the age cracks that are already in the foundations._

 _Are you sure that's gonna work!?_

He's got a point, I'm not entirely sure if it's going to work. But this is the only thing I can think of that will put an end to this situation permanently. _All I can do is try, right!? Besides, destroying stuff is our specialty!_

The tower comes into view, and I shoot straight up the side, coming out into the air over the tower. I can sense everyone making their way off this city-sized deathtrap. So I fly up above the tower, staring down into the middle of the crater I made using Jura's head. _The cracks extend out from there… Looks like this is going to take everything I've got._

I take in a deep breath, and concentrate all of my power into my left hand. "Wind Dragon's Shining Claws!" I hit the crater with such force that the tower collapses underneath me, propelling me downward through the throne room, and through another ten floors below that. Everything shatters under my touch. I suppose that I have my brother's battles to thank for that. He and the others put so many cracks into this place, that all they need is a little pressure, and they spread like a spider's web.

The city shakes, and I see the cracks spread out across the entire structure. Pieces start falling off, and the tower itself starts coming down on top of me.

I look around, searching for an exit, but the room I'm in has no doors, and trying to escape through the air is suicide. Which leaves me with only one choice. I crouch low to the ground and slam my palms to the ground. _Please…let there still be enough magic for this…_ The floor glows, and though its not much, a small shield comes up around me as everything comes crashing down, burying me under the rubble of the entire tower.

When the last of my magic runs out, I black out.

And I don't expect to wake up.


	65. Critical

**Time for some special time through the eyes of the Blue Pegasus boys. And by special time, I mean them dealing with an emergency that they never expected.**

 **By the way, the reviews page is currently not working for me, but I'm still getting to see the reviews via email. No reviews have popped up on the reviews page since the three on May 11th, so the site might be dealing with glitches, or something.**

 **But there was one review in particular that caught my eye, mainly because it deals with *cough* Zeref *cough* I'll respond to that at the bottom, so if anyone isn't up to date with the manga, I don't go spoiling much by putting it up here. But as you couldn't not write a review, I couldn't not write a reply.**

 **Now, on with digging Ciara out of a mountain.**

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

Christina is wrecked, and our wounds have been tended to. Cait Shelter dissolved, literally. And Jellal and the Oracion Seis were all arrested. And that leaves only one thing. Finding the last of our allies, still buried in the wreckage of Nirvana. We won, but it's come at a high price.

My search party consists of me and Ren, as well as Jura, Lucy, and Natsu. But its been a couple of days since Nirvana came crashing down. And we've already been at this for hours, with no results.

 _Ciara!? Ciara, where are you!?_ I call out using my telepathy, and I think that Natsu is doing the same, though with limited success. From what I can tell, the talent for telepathy is Ciara's, not Natsu's. And he can only use it himself with his sister. That's why he's also sniffing around, hunting for her scent.

"I can smell her off this way…" He climbs over a few more rocks, heading right for where the center of the city is now lying in pieces. "She hit the tower in the center, so she should be somewhere around here…" He freezes in his tracks. "Got her. She's below us." He sniffs the air again. "And I smell blood."

I hadn't anticipated finding her injured, but now that I think about it, I really should have. _I should have had Wendy come with us. Depending on how badly she's injured, it may not be possible to move her._

But first things first, we have to get to her. "Ren, Jura, do you think that the two of you can do something about this rubble? You're going to have to be gentle, otherwise we could crush her."

The two of them nod, then go about carefully moving pieces of stone. This is a delicate operation, to put it mildly. And for all we know, she might not have made it. If that's the case, which I sincerely hope not, then the least we should do is recover her in one piece.

This really isn't a question I want to ask, but I feel like I have to. "Natsu, is there any chance that she's…not injured?" I'm trying to be delicate about it, but I get the feeling that it's not going to be easy.

"What are you talking about?" He looks at me as though my head suddenly made a full turn. "Of course she's injured, I can smell the blood."

"That's not what I meant…" I swallow nervously before looking him in the eye. "Is there a chance that her injuries might have been too serious to survive?"

Now he gets it, and his eyes widen, though only for an instant. "No, she's alive. I would know if something happened to her." He sounds so sure, that it's impossible to doubt him. If he says that it's so, then it means that as long as we don't do anything stupid, then we should find her alive at the bottom of this pile of rubble.

Some pieces of rubble start rolling off the pile, moving alarmingly fast. I turn to Ren, a hint of anger flashing through me. "I said to be careful! She's alive down there, so we don't wanna do anything that might kill her!"

"Got it!" Ren starts shooting air into the cracks, creating a positive pressure zone down there. And while he does that, Natsu helps Jura to move the rubble from the pile. This quickly reduces the pile to a much more manageable size in only a few minutes.

Now, all of the large pieces are taken care of, leaving only a couple of tons of small pieces. But now that we're not at rick of bringing a whole mountain down on her, we can work faster, and I start digging into the pile as well.

Rocks tumble across the ground, slowly revealing a feebly stirring form, and the pungent smell of blood. Once I catch sight of her face, I hold up my hands. "Alright, everyone stop. We've got her uncovered now."

At my word, everyone backs off, and thankfully, none of the rocks go tumbling onto her. Ren's air magic allows him to hover over the hole. "I've got her. I can extract her with my air magic."

I nod. "Do it. But be gentle. We don't want to open up her wounds." Since she's still alive, it means that her wounds have closed enough for the blood to stop pouring out. Despite that, she seems covered in far too much blood to be healthy. "She's going to need serious medical attention, and fast." I turn to Natsu, who has clenched fists and is grinding his teeth together. "She can't go all the way back to Magnolia. She's not stable enough."

He looks like he wants to argue, to scream and rage at me, but he doesn't. It's a rather unexpected display of control, considering that he's been pretty impulsive so far. "So what do we do?"

"We bring her back to Blue Pegasus." I've been mulling this idea over for a while. "We have the facilities there to take care of her, and it's much closer to here than Fairy Tail. That's probably the best thing for her."

"Alright." That's a surprise. I half expected him to put up a fuss about not being able to take her home with him. "You promise that you guys can take care of her, right?"

"Of course." I gingerly venture to pat him on the shoulder, and when he doesn't shove me away, I take that as a good sign. "She'll have to stay with us for a while, so that we can make sure that there's no permanent damage to her. But I promise that I'll get in contact with you guys as soon as she's out of critical condition, alright?"

Natsu nods slowly. "Okay. I'll trust you guys to take care of her for me." That's a good vote of confidence. Now, we just have to make sure that we deliver on my promise.

Ren's magic slowly extracts Ciara from the hole, but thankfully, she didn't hit anything on the way up. "Alright, so what do we do with her now?"

As he hovers her above the ground, I walk over to take a look at her, and it's much worse than I feared. "We pack her up and get her back to Blue Pegasus as quickly as possible. And Master Bob is going to need to have the infirmary prepped for when we arrive."

Ren nods and carefully starts walking her over to the road, where we have transport waiting. Natsu grabs my arm, staring at me with a serious gaze. "Be careful with her. Okay? She gets sick easy, especially after a fight. She has an episode whenever her magic gets too low. You need to keep her warm."

And once again, that's not the kind of thing I expected from Natsu. But this means that she's gotten hurt, or at least gotten sick before. That means that she's got a chronic condition. "Thank you for telling me. But knowing that, we may have to keep her longer."

"I know." Natsu watches as his sister disappears through the trees. "I guess the bright side is that she's going to be asleep the whole time. You can do whatever you have to, and she can't stop you."

 _So she's comatose?_ That's definitely not what I wanted to hear, since that just complicates things even more. On the other hand, he's right. This will go much faster if she's not fighting us the whole way. "I will take that under consideration. But now, I have to go. We need to get her back to the guild and fast."

"Alright. Then go." Natsu pushes me towards the road. "But you had better call Fairy Tail when she wakes up. Me and Happy, Erza and Gramps, and Lucy and Gray, we're all gonna want to know how she's doing."

His insistence and listing of names makes me smile. "Roger that. I'll be sure to call you guys when her condition has stabilized." I take some momentum from his pushing and start jogging after Ren. _I'll save her, I swear it._

* * *

Eve's P.O.V.

When I came around with a magic-mobile, I was expecting that Ren and Hibiki would pile in after finding Ciara for Fairy Tail. What I wasn't expecting was for Ren and Hibiki to wrench open the doors in a panic and shove Ciara inside.

After that, Hibiki convinced me to put my magic into overdrive while driving the car back to the guild. And once I checked the back seat, I figured out why.

That's pretty much how the four of us ended up here, almost breaking down the front doors of Blue Pegasus. And Hibiki is keeping an eye on Ciara, quickly growing frantic. "Master Bob, we're here!"

Master Bob comes hurrying around the counter. "Everyone out of the way please, we've got an injured Fairy." I remember a time when he told us that when he was our age, he was a member of Fairy Tail, long before he founded Blue Pegasus. From what I've heard, the master of Quatro Cerberus was a member of Fairy Tail as well, before founding his own guild as well. So I guess that seeing a member of his old guild injured hits a sore spot for our master.

With everyone out of the way, we have a clear path to the back of the guild, where we've stashed our high-tech infirmary. When we upgraded it, we figured that it was go big or go home, an attitude that Master Bob probably brought with him from his Fairy Tail days.

Jenny follows us into the infirmary, her blond hair bouncing behind her in a ponytail. "How bad is she hurt!?"

"Bad." Hibiki leans over Ciara as Ren lays her on a sterile metal table. "She's lost a lot of blood, and her magic's been depleted by fighting. We're going to have to clean her up, then test her vital signs. Worst case scenario, we might need to give her a blood transfusion."

That's a pretty serious diagnosis, and I don't know if we have the equipment needed to treat her. And then there's the transfusion. Last I checked, Hibiki's blood is compatible with anyone's, but I don't know if the normal rules apply to dragon slayers. If we do something wrong, it just might kill her.

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

Since it's not decent for us guys to be in there while Jenny cleans Ciara up, we wait outside the infirmary doors. But it's more than a little nerve-wracking, since for all we know, every second could be the moment that her critical condition takes a turn for the worse.

Fifteen minutes later, Jenny opens the doors. "Alright, I got her cleaned up and changed. I found some extra clothes in her pocket."

"Right…that expansion spell." I'd forgotten that she'd cast a spell on the pockets of her jeans. There might be something in there that we can use to help her, but exploring her supplies will have to wait. "How is she?"

Jenny frowns. "Not good. It looks like she got crushed under a mountain."

That's not actually too far from the truth. "Then I need to see her. Natsu is going to want a full report on her injuries, and I'm sure that the master of Fairy Tail will want to know as well." But this is not a list that I'm looking forward to making.

Jenny fidgets a little. You know, normally, it wouldn't bother me if you guys saw a girl in her underwear, but I'm not sure that this is a good-"

I cut Jenny off right there. "I'm not planning on hitting on her. She's a patient here, and we don't know what else Nirvana could have done to her." The truth is, from what I heard about that fight from Natsu, Ciara was heavily influenced by Nirvana. That means that not only is she suffering from physical injuries, but she's got a boatload of trauma left over from the incident.

 _Looks like I'll have to do a psychological evaluation as well…_ I've done it before, thanks to Archive. I can take notes on responses to questions, and general emotions felt during a session. But it's not something that I like doing, because it involves getting a lot closer to people than I usually do. And that's saying something, considering how close I usually get with the clients who come to our club.

I push open the door to the infirmary and walk over to the only occupied bed. And it's surprisingly easy to ignore the fact that she's barely wearing anything. The blue, purple, yellow, green, and black bruises that cover her body make for an effective distraction. And then there are the small cuts that litter her body, probably from all the sharp rocks that fell on her after she passed out. Knowing what I've learned about her abilities, she probably avoided being crushed by using the last of her strength to put up a barrier to protect herself.

Light flashes through the air as I activate Archive. "I'll do a scan of her right now. The sooner we know what we're dealing with, the better."

Jenny nods and backs away, taking Ciara's shredded clothes with her as Eve comes into the room. "Tell me what you need and I'll get it."

As Archive starts beeping, I start getting reading back. "Antiseptic salve, lots of bandages, and some of Master Ichiya's pain-killer perfume. We're going to need that if she wakes up." Then, Archive beeps again and I bite my tongue to stop myself from cursing. It looks bad if I curse. "And I'll need some braces. One of her legs and some of her ribs have cracked bones. They're not broken, but I would rather be safe than sorry."

Eve nods and runs off without a word. We've got no time to lose, and even if Ciara has the same crazy strength that Natsu does, there's no way that this is going to be a picnic.

Archive beeps again as more of the analysis is complete. And it's not good. "Ren!"

At the sound of my voice, Ren bursts into the room. "What is it, Hibiki?"

I look him dead in the eye, perfectly serious. "I need you to get me two drip bags. One needs blood, the other needs the house special."

Ren's eyes go wide, but just like Even, he doesn't stick around long enough to argue about it. Our house special is a mixture that we use only when we've got a member in the direst of medical circumstances. It's hard to make, and we usually need a lot when the situation calls for its use, so we try to only use it in emergencies.

Well, this is an emergency. She's definitely in critical condition. Which means that it's up to us to make sure that she doesn't die.

 _I will not let her die on us._

* * *

 **Okay, so let's talk about the Dragneel family. Manga spoilers ahead, so if you don't want them, don't read this section. This is a reply to a review done on chapter 46.**

 **Hello TenraiTsukiyomi. I thank you for making so many connections between Ciara and Zeref. I've been designing her to be more of a middle ground, something where the traits of both Natsu and Zeref overlap, with some deviation, which we will see starting in the GMG arc (or rather, it is there that it will become obvious).**

 **Now of course, many of the books she collects can only be read properly by people who know how to speak the language that was spoken 400 years earlier. And somehow, I doubt that Igneel taught them what would be spoken in an unknown time far into the future. That just makes no sense. And yes, her books, she loves her books, and they make up for what she lacks in Natsu's raw power. Along with her Dragon Slayer Magic, she studies barrier magic, curse-breaking, and dimensional magic, as well as a little bit of sleep magic. But when push comes to shove, wind will always be her go to in a fight.**

 **And yes, the gestures are meant both for practical focusing reasons, but also to unknowingly mirror Zeref's own habits. And after this arc in particular, I hope that I've drawn a few more parallels.**

 **The way that I'm going to tackle their history is a surprise, but for both their future and their past, which get dealt with by three large arcs later on, I make use of the mysteries and plot holes that Mashima has left behind for us. Those little details that are still unknown or ambiguous.**

 **And of course, when the Tenrou arc comes along and Ciara comes face to face with Zeref…well the reaction is going to be interesting, I promise. I actually came up with it long before the whole Zeref Dragneel reveal, I think it was back in 2013, when I was halfway through my first run-through of Fairy Tail. When the reveal happened, I actually pumped my fist (because me and my own brother predicted that Zeref would turn out to be either Natsu's brother or father, oh, and we also toyed around with the Eclipse sending the dragon slayers into the future idea, I'm sure that you can imagine our reaction when that turned out to be canon). It made my reaction from Zeref to her presence make so much more sense.**

 **As for the twists I "could" have made, just wait, and you see the twist I "have" made. I am going to exploit the canon plot to the max. For now, though, baby steps. I can't just reveal all of the details at once.**

 **Now, as I haven't been able to read the very end of your review yet, I'll leave this here for now. But I hope that I've gotten to most of your burning questions, and maybe inspired a few more. And just to tease you…**

 **Wait till the Grand Magic Games when Sting and Rogue get involved…plenty of holes in that plot to exploit.**


	66. A Dangerous Line

**No, Cardfighter, it is not weird for you to want Hibiki and Ciara together. That ship is precisely what I'm going to be teasing through the next few chapters. Except that the "nurse" is Hibiki, and the "patient" is Ciara. So something of a reverse Florence Nightingale. And it involves tending more to the psyche.**

 **But let me know if you guys wanna see Hibiki take her out on a "date". I was thinking about that, since it would be to help her get used to seeing people again after being kept in relative isolation for her recovery. Something to help get her spirits up as well. She's going to need it.**

 **Alright I said that there was a chapter that was going to get copious warnings, and here it is. This chapter is not going to be pleasant. It deals with guilt, self-hatred, body issues (sort of), self-esteem problems, and self-harm. Now, while it's not too graphic, I still fell like I should put the warnings in.**

 **If these themes bother you, then know that it is not crucial to the story, should you decide to skip it. This chapter is in order to provide insight into Ciara's state of mind, as well as the demons she harbors as a result of the Nirvana incident. There will be some references to it later, though only in passing. Frankly, this description alone should suffice for giving a general idea of what happens, since I'm sure that many of you could use your imaginations to fill in the blanks.**

 **For those of you with a stronger stomach, you may want to read this chapter. It's not an easy one for me to write, seeing as I had some pretty dark thoughts as a teenager. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) I was too depressed to actually act on those dark thoughts. So while her thoughts might seem a little incoherent at times, that's kind of just how it works. Things that usually have no relation suddenly do, and thoughts that once caused utter happiness now cause a surge of despair, guilt, and self-hatred. That disconnected and disjointed feeling is real, and it's not fun. But I remember enough of it that I think this chapter will be a compelling one.**

 **Anyway, those thoughts are how I initially got started on writing. Stories are my lights in the darkness, each of them special and unique. So while this chapter comes from a very dark place, it will get better.**

 **Promise.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

The first thing that comes to mind is that my whole body hurts. The second is that I'm wrapped tightly in bandages. The third, there are several blankets laid on top of me. Fourth, this room is very warm. And last, this is most definitely not my bed.

Despite the pain, I sit up and take a look around. It looks like an infirmary, just not the one in Fairy Tail. Though I'd rather hoped that I wouldn't be back in an infirmary again any time soon. _How did I get here…? And where is here, anyway?_

But as I move to get out of bed, something tugs at my left arm. I drop my gaze and notice a tube going into my arm, right in the crook of my elbow. And accompanying it are bandages that cover both my arms and legs, as well as most of my stomach and back. I don't quite look like a mummy, but it seems that I'm pretty close. _Someone has been here…tending to me… But why…? Why would anyone want to help me, after what I did?_

Pulling the tube out of my arm, I slide out of bed and rise unsteadily to my feet. _I shouldn't be here. I need to leave, now._ Though first, I have to figure out where here is.

But as I move away from the bed, I spot a door left slightly open. I approach it and push it in, revealing a pristine white and blue bathroom. _It's so bright in here…_ As a dragon slayer, I'm sensitive to loud noises, strong smells, and bright light. It's great for tracking, but in places like this, it just gives me a headache.

I close the door behind me, just in case anyone out there decided to get curious and pay me a visit. Seeing as I have no idea where I am, I can't rule out anything. I don't even know if I'm in friendly or unfriendly territory.

Built into the wall over a sink is a large, perfectly clean mirror. And in it, I can see a girl with long pink hair, covered from the neck down in clean white bandages. But the last time I saw that pale skin, it was covered in scales. And that's not something that's easy to forget.

 _I have to see them again…_

Small blades of wind slice at my bandages, and they each flutter to the floor, baring my bruised skin. Small red lines litter my body, and the dark blue and yellow bruises extend over my stomach and thighs, as well as up and over my shoulders and back, some of them ending on my neck. I really look like I had a mountain dropped on me.

But there's something I need to see, something that I've never wanted to look at before, catching only a blurry glimpse of it at the Tower of Heaven. But I have to know. I have to see what they saw that day. I reach inside myself, looking for that power.

At my command, scales extend over my body, covering about seventy percent of my skin. I hadn't actually expected to see them cover this much, but I suppose that I should have expected there to be more, since I can't really feel where the skin ends and the scales begin.

But all I feel while looking at the scales is hatred and distaste. _Ugly…they're ugly. I look like a monster, something that's part human and part…dragon._ All I can see in the mirror is a grotesque figure with a human-like form. It is a creature that is more than capable of destruction, and incapable of feeling remorse for the destruction caused by their actions.

Looking at them, I notice a few things. The scales curl up and meet in the middle of my forehead, almost like the pattern of a tiara. Those same swirls appear over my cheekbones, as well as my collarbones. The swirls don't end there, though, they continue down my chest, curling around in wave-like patterns. It reminds me of the identical currents found in both the water and the wind. The swirls continue down, covering my shoulders and most of my back, leaving a bare patch right in the middle of my lower back, identical to the bare patch on my stomach.

It doesn't take long to figure out that the scales keep going down, curving and curling over my hips and onto the skin of my legs in the same swirly patterns found on my chest, face, and back. But they resembles the patterns on my arms more, curling around like wrapping a wire around a sick, the curls branching off from the main stem. It could almost pass for beautiful artwork. Even the silver streaks in my hair could be considered pretty. If it weren't for the slitted pupils of my eyes, and the sharp points of my nails, now nearly filed into claws. My abnormally sharp canines do nothing to soften the image.

 _Ugly and undesirable…not to mention dangerous. It's hard to believe that someone would bother taking the time to treat my wounds, rather than just leaving me to die. I shouldn't stay here…I have to go home._

But is home really the best idea?

 _No, this is wrong, everything is so wrong. I can't keep going like this…I can't just go back…_ It disgusts me to even entertain the possibility of going back to Fairy Tail. And more than that, it frightens me. If something were to go wrong, I could turn on them as well. And if that happened, they could all end up dead. And it would be all my fault.

But there's something I can do to protect them. Something that only I can do. I stare into the palms of my hands, then clench them as the scales disappear. _This will be easier if I've got no protection from physical harm._

Once the last of the scales disappear, a few soft breezes fill the bathroom. At first, it's a gentle caress, reminding me of Natsu, and of when he used to snuggle up next to me while we slept. _I'm sorry…_

A moment later, blood starts dripping into the sink, rivulets of scarlet, staining the pure white basin a deep red. And I watch with grim satisfaction as the blood seeps down the drain.

 _I am too dangerous to be left alive._

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

It's been a week since we got back with Ciara, and she still hasn't woken up. I've been getting nervous, since I have no idea how long she's supposed to sleep for Natsu indicated that she would be asleep for a while, but past a few days is getting into dangerous territory. And until she wakes up, I have no intention of making a full report on her health to Fairy Tail.

I push open the door to the infirmary, expecting to see Ciara still lying in bed. But when I pull back the curtain, she's gone, and the IV tubes are lying on the floor. _What the hell!?_

Then, as I turn towards the bathroom, the smell of blood assaults my nose. _Why is there such a strong smell of blood?_ I approach the bathroom cautiously, as it's the source of the smell.

I nudge the door open with my foot, and my eyes widen as I take in the sight of Ciara's body on the floor, surrounded by blood. "NO!" I drop to the floor next to Ciara and press my fingers to her neck. _Okay, she still has a pulse, that's good._

The infirmary door bangs open and Even comes running in. "Hibiki, what's wrong!?"

My eyes find the source of the blood, two clean cuts, one on each of her wrists. "She's bleeding, bad. Get me new bandages and another blood bag."

As Eve runs out, I pick up some of the shredded bandages, and gingerly use them to try and stop the flow of blood. I must have caught this only a few minutes after the bleeding started, otherwise we'd probably have lost her.

I gather her into my arms and make my way back to her bed, staring at her hastily bandaged wrists. "Why…why would you do this…?" I've seen enough to know that those kinds of injuries don't happen by accident.

"Hibiki, I've got the bag!" Eve runs in, making a beeline for us. "What happened? Did someone come in here and hurt her?"

"No…" I take the bag from Eve and hook her back up to the tubes. "We've got another problem." I unwrap her wrists and take the new bandages from Eve. "Bring Master Bob here. We need to arrange for an anti-magic barrier to be put on the infirmary."

"An anti-magic barrier?" Eve sounds confused by my suggestion. "Why?"

Touching one of her wrists, I unwrap the old bandages, revealing two identical cuts. "Because she used her wind magic to do this." And no matter how much she protests, I'm not going to let her have access to her magic if this is what she's going to use it for.

"Seriously!?" Eve approaches the bed, looking down worriedly as I wrap the new bandages around the ravaged skin. "But why…?"

"That is what I intend to find out." Sitting by her side, I finish binding the bandages, and lace my fingers together to rest my chin on them, watching her. "Please, get Master Bob."

"Yeah…okay." Eve backs away from the bed and heads out into the guild hall to find our master.

I watch in silence as the last of the blood drips through the tube and into her arm. "Why…? What's hurting you so much that you would do this to yourself? Is it Nirvana? Because it wasn't your fault, you know." I just don't understand why she would ever think that this is a solution for anything.

But I also remember the time that I lost Karen. That led me to a pretty dark place, and Nirvana nearly latched onto that in a bad way. I could have seriously hurt Lucy if I'd let it take over. I let Angel rile me up, and I nearly lost myself because of it.

It seems that her mental state is much worse than I'd anticipated. At this rate, a simple evaluation isn't going to cut it. I need to do something, and soon. But I wonder if this was triggered suddenly, or if there's another reason for it. But there's something causing her to go to extremes, and my instincts are telling me that it's because she blames herself for what happened a week ago.

"Is that why you did this…?" My fingers fall away from each other, finding hers instead. "Was it the guilt…?" Thinking out loud helps things to make sense. But that doesn't make it any easier to take. "You can't…it'll hurt everyone a lot more if you hurt yourself. I promised Natsu that I would save you. Don't make me a liar…"

As she sleeps, I busy myself with tying her ribbons back into her hair. I've only had a week to try and figure out exactly how she gets her hair to stay the way it does, but I think I know it well enough to put it back the way it should be. Though it should also be a good way to pass the time.

Because I'm not going anywhere until she wakes up.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Pain, that's the first thing I feel. And as a rule, pain means that I'm alive. Even thought, right now, I shouldn't be. I'm waking up when I shouldn't be waking up ever again.

And that means that I've been saved…again.

My eyes crack open, only to be greeted with dimmed lights around me, and the presence of a heaviness on my arm. My movements are sluggish as I force my eyes open and turn my head. There's a head of light hair there, and the soft sounds of breathing.

I try to shift my arm away, but the movement wakes the sleeping man by my side. With a soft groan, he lifts his head and rubs at his eyes. And I recognize that face well, even in the dark. Hibiki.

The sleepiness works its way out of his eyes as they fix themselves on me. But what seems out of place on his face today is the unusually serious expression, where I've gotten used to seeing a playboy's smile.

His grip on my hand tightens. "You're awake."

"I shouldn't be…" As I look around, I realize that I must be at Blue Pegasus. It makes sense, if I was brought here after they dug me out. After all, their guild was much closer to Nirvana than Fairy Tail. "Why did you save me?"

His eyes narrow at me as he sits up straight. "I promised your brother that I would. Plus, I don't like the idea of losing one of our allies after the battle is already over."

My heart sinks just a little. _Of course…it's not like he cares either…_

"The real question, is why you tried to kill yourself in the first place." Hibiki's expression doesn't change, even for an instant. "Why did you do it?"

That's not a question that I really want to answer. So I raise my other hand, ready to use a spell and put him back to sleep. But for some reason, I can't touch my magic. It's like there's no magic in the air around me at all. "What the…?" I try again, but it's no use. And my eyes fall to Hibiki. "What did you do? Why can't I use any magic?"

He frowns deeply. "It's an anti-magic barrier. I arranged for one to be put up, after I found you lying on the floor in a pool of your own blood." He traces the lines under the bandages on my wrists. "So, why did you do it?"

Obviously, I'm not getting off the hook with Hibiki. And now, he's gone so far as to cut me off from my magic. Ad judging by the fact that he fell asleep holding my hand, he's probably sticking around to make sure that there's someone keeping an eye on me at all hours.

He squeezes my hand again. "Is it because of what happened with Nirvana?"

I nod slowly, then shake my head a little. "Nirvana just proved…that I'm dangerous. Too dangerous to exist." That much has been proved on more occasions than just this one. But it also hadn't gotten this far ever before. And that scares me.

"I see…so that's why." He gets up from his seat next to my bed and heads for the door, pausing a moment. "I'll do what I have to to protect you, even if that means protecting you from yourself. So don't try this again."

The door closes, cutting me off from the only human contact I've had since I woke up. And now, I've been left without my magic.

This couldn't possibly get any worse.

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

That did not go as well as I'd hoped. I've basically confirmed exactly what I'd hoped wasn't true. She's beating herself up for what happened while she was under the influence of Nirvana, something that she normally wouldn't do otherwise.

Ren is waiting for me outside the infirmary, his expression even more serious than usual. "How is she?"

"Bad…" I sigh and shake my head. "She's depressed and suicidal. I barely caught her in time after she tried to…" The words taste sour on my tongue, and I can bring myself to spit them out. "She needs watching. And while her physical injuries should heal with no problem, I'm worried that she'll try to hurt herself again."

My friend nods quietly. "I'll see what I can do. Between the three of us, we should be able to work out who watches her and when."

"Alright." That's fine with me, since this is definitely something personal. And I don't know if it's a good idea to let the rest of the guild know the details of what's going on. "Let Master Bob know as well…"

I don't even realize that I'm unsteady until Ren puts his hand on my shoulder. "Hey, you need to get some sleep. You've been in there most of the day, and that's not good for your body."

"Alright…" I hate to admit it, but this isn't something that I can handle on my own. "Come get me if anything happens."

"Yeah…will do."

With some effort, I manage to not stumble my way through the empty guild hall. It's dark inside and out, which means that it must be pretty late.

And I'm not looking forward to the call I'll have to make in the morning.


	67. A Bright Smile

**Since it would take forever to describe a full month of recovery, I'll be sticking to the important parts. And it'll give Hibiki and Ciara a chance to get to know each other a little. Before she goes back to Fairy Tail and more shit goes down with Gildarts' return, and the Edolas arc. Though there'll be a little more between her return and the Edolas arc, since I want to have her develop a relationship with Wendy as well.**

 **Prepare for angst, then fluff.**

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

I wait patiently as the communication lacrima flickers to life. But my patience is due to apprehension and fear, not self-control. I tried to sleep last night, but it wasn't easy. And one of the faces I've been dreading seeing appears on the lacrima.

The old master of Fairy Tail looks stern as the image comes through the lacrima. "You're from Blue Pegasus…one of Bob's brats. I assume that you're calling to tell me something about Ciara?"

I nod. "I hesitated in calling, but I did promise that I would call once she woke up."

"I see…" The old man looks like he's seeing right through me. "What happened?"

I assume that he's asking about what happened here, since what happened back during the fighting would be better described by Natsu, who actually fought with her while she was under Nirvana's influence. "Guilt." That one word about sums up the entirety of the problem. "It's too much for her. Even though what happened wasn't her fault, she continues to blame herself, and now she's convinced that she's too dangerous to exist."

Makarov's eyes widen, which means that he probably understands the words that I've left unsaid. "How is her condition?"

"Bad." There's no reason to sugarcoat this. "It was bad enough when she came in with significant blood loss, and cuts and bruises all over her body. She slept for a week, and when she woke up…" Terrifying images flash through my head as I remember what I saw next. "I found her lying on the bathroom floor, bleeding out. We managed to stabilize her last night, but I'm worried that she'll try again."

"I see…" Makarov crosses his arms and starts thinking hard. "Then I believe that she and Natsu should not see each other for now. As he one of those that she nearly killed, seeing him might set off her guilt."

"I agree." It hurts to think that she won't get to see any of her friends for a while, but if it's what it'll take to improve her health, then that's what will have to be done. "She's unstable, so I'd like to keep her here until I'm satisfied that she won't try anything that dangerous again. We've put an anti-magic field around the infirmary, and there is nothing sharp in there that she can use to hurt herself. Ren, Eve and I are also working in shifts to watch her."

Makarov nods. "I appreciate the efforts that you are putting towards the recovery of my child. Her presence is sorely missed, but the brats will just have to do without her while she recovers." He observes me sternly. "I can trust that to you, correct?"

It feels like there's doom attached to that promise, but I nod. "Yes. I'll do what I have to to help her recover from this. But it will take time, and it's not going to be easy." Undoing the damage of a single day might take weeks, or even months. But if that's what it takes…

"Very well." The old man gives me a faint smile. "Then I expect you to do your best. But do not blame yourself if there are some things that simply cannot be fixed." He's giving me an out, when I really don't want to have to need one.

"Sir…" There's so much that I want to say, but I'm afraid of jinxing everything. "I'll do my best."

Makarov disappears as the connection cuts out. But I sit for another minute, contemplating what to do. All I can really think of is to draw on my own experience, what happened here after Karen died. There were plenty of people who were sad, and there was some blame thrown around. But right now, Ciara is the one blaming herself, even though no one else is.

 _So what's the real problem…?_

Nirvana was magic that dealt with emotions. And it turned those who were wavering between darkness and light. So it stands to reason that Ciara was walking that line. But why? She's a powerful S-Class wizard from one of the strongest guilds in the kingdom. She's well-loved and well-respected by both her peers and her admirers. And she has a reputation that befits her S-Class status.

That means that there has to be something in her past, something that tortures her so much that it would make her walk the fine line between light and darkness. _So what is it that's hurting her that much?_

Thinking about it isn't going to solve anything. The only way to get to the bottom of this is to ask her directly. So I get up and walk away from the communication lacrima, and head to the back, towards the infirmary. My mind whirls with a hundred questions that I could ask her, trying to pick out just the right ones. Because the wrong ones could set her off in all the worst ways.

When I reach the infirmary, I knock softly on the door. And a fain voice replies from within. "Come in."

I open the door, closing it behind me before pushing aside the curtain. On the bright side, Ciara looks refreshed and alert, which means that she's got enough blood in her body to avoid the grogginess that I was worried about. But there's a darkness in her eyes that I'd hoped not to see. A vain hope, but a small spark of it, nonetheless.

Sitting next to her, I take her hands, finding them warm. "Did you sleep well?"

She looks at me, her eyes moving up and down. "Better than you did, it seems. You haven't even fixed your bedhead."

My eyes widen, and one of my hands shoots up to my hair, only to find it a mess. _Shoot! Did I actually make a call looking like this!?_ I try to pat my hair down, but it's an almost futile battle without hair products around.

Her head tilts slightly, before a tiny noise comes from her throat. "You're weird for a Blue Pegasus playboy."

"Playboy?" I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised that she sees me like that, but it still stings a little. I do try to be less frivolous around her. Then again, I try to be less frivolous around any girl who could knock me into next year with a flick of her finger.

A strange expression crosses her face, one that I can't quite place. It's almost like a wry smile, combined with dim resignation. "Yeah, you and the other two, Ren and Eve, the three of you are weird, but you're the weirdest. It's like you've got two personalities."

The irony of her statement doesn't pass me by. Though I have to be careful how to broach the topic. "From what I hear, I'm not the only one. I heard from Natsu that you knocked him around pretty good. Did he say something stupid?" From what I've seen, the siblings have a strong relationship that relies a lot on teasing and giving each other a hard time. Though that's not surprising, considering their similar, yet polar opposite personalities.

There's a momentary spark in her eyes at the mention of Natsu's name. "I guess…he's always saying stupid crap around me. The moron never did know when to shut up."

I try and fail to suppress a smile. Natsu does seem like the kind of guy with no brain to mouth filter. "What, does he tease you about guys?"

She rolls her eyes. "He might, if he would let any of them within a mile of me with those kinds of intentions."

Now, I'm sensing a story behind that. "What, did he do something stupid and out you to your crush by accident?"

A dark shadow crosses her face for a moment. "No, he made me break up with my boyfriend when I was almost fifteen."

Alright, that's a surprise. I wouldn't have pegged her for someone who would have let their brother interfere in her relationships. "What happened? Did he pick a fight with him?"

"Understatement…" She sighs, but at least I've got her talking now. As long as she keep talking, I might be able to get to the bottom of all of this. "He caught us making out in the guild hall. So it's not like it's a huge secret. Most of Fairy Tail knows, and a couple dozen members actually witnessed it all. He basically ripped me off Gray's lap and started slinging death threats before I started screaming at him."

If it weren't for the fact that my chin is resting on my hand, my jaw would probably have dropped. "Gray as in Fullbuster? That ice wizard?"

She nods. "That's the one."

For some reason, that seems more than a little strange, seeing as those two seem to be on sibling terms at best. "Mind if I ask how that happened?"

She shakes her head, a small smile creeping to her lips. _Progress!_ "I get it…how could the sister of a hot-head like Natsu ever go out with the one who seems to be almost his arch-nemesis, right?" She sighs, and her gaze loses some focus. "Gray and I used to go out on jobs together, back before I made S-Class, and a few afterward as well. It was…fun. We did a lot of cool stuff together. And it was never awkward…just fun." Obviously she misses being with him. "But after Natsu caught us, we called it quits, and never got back together. It was Gray's call, I just went along with it."

A bad break-up is more than enough to cause some negative feelings. But enough to linger this long…I'm not entirely sure. "Well, I think he was an idiot." I guess that being frank with her is probably the best choice, since I'm not sure if a dragon slayer can smell lies. They can probably smell fear, though. _That's a scary thought…_

She glances at me, another spark in her eyes. "You think so? It was probably the smartest move, though, since fighting Natsu isn't exactly the easiest of tasks."

"Fighting Natsu?" For some reason, that sounds more than a little ominous. "What, does he have overprotective instincts or something?"

She nods. "That would be putting it mildly. He basically tried to kill Gray when he thought that there was a chance that I might be taken advantage of. Thankfully, he no longer pries into those kinds of affairs. Not after the two of us fought over it. But he's been obsessed with protecting me ever since we were little, just because I used to get sick all the time."

"You used to get sick all the time?" I remember that she had an episode during the fighting, but there was a lot that went unsaid. "You said that you had an illness since you were a child, right? What kind of illness?"

Her eyes flash to me, hardening like ice. "Why do you want to know that?"

 _Shoot, she's defensive now!_ It's time to backtrack a little. "Well, I am in charge of taking care of you while you're here. So if there's going to be something that could cause complications, it would be better for me to know the details sooner rather than later."

She stares at me suspiciously for a few seconds, before relaxing slightly. "Chronic Magic Deficiency Disease."

Four words, and they speak volumes. They also explain exactly why Natsu reacted the way he did. The only problem, that shouldn't be possible. "Chronic Magic Deficiency Disease?" I shoot her a questioning look, nd she nods. "How is that even possible?"

She shrugs and shakes her head. "I don't know. Porlyusica said that there's something inside me draining my magic. So until I increased my magic reserves, I kept getting sick all the time. It doesn't happen much now."

That's more than a little worrying. "So if your magic drops to zero…?"

"I'll probably die." She says it so flatly, so bluntly, that I'm reminded of what I found yesterday. "That's why Natsu is always so paranoid about my health."

"That makes sense…" I'll have to add that to my notes later. But as long as the barrier stays intact, there should be nothing to worry about.

She frowns at me, suddenly looking rather confused. "Why are you here, anyway? Aren't there plenty of pretty girls just waiting for you to lavish attention on them? Why would you be on infirmary duty?"

That sting wasn't quite what I was expecting from her. But I put on a smile anyway. "Probably, but I'm busy right now. The other girls can wait. I'm here because I promised your brother that I would help you, and because I want to be here."

Her shoulders slump a little, instead of perking up at the assertion. "Still…I can't imagine why you would pass up the opportunity to have beautiful women hanging all over you, just to look after a wreck like me." Obviously something crushed her self-esteem, and I have a feeling that it has to do with a break-up with a certain ice wizard.

I venture forward, a little more hesitantly than I normally would, since I'm not sure how she would react to the usual compliments. This is a delicate situation. "Well, if it makes any difference, I think that you're pretty beautiful." I hope that my tone is sincere enough to get my thoughts across. Because I'm certainly not lying.

She looks at me scathingly. "Coming from someone who will hit on anything female, that's not much of a compliment."

Well, I suppose that I deserved that one. I shrug. "That doesn't make it any less true. Isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder?"

Surprisingly, her eyes widen, and a faint blush blooms on her cheeks, before she hides her face behind her bright pink hair. "Don't say things like that…"

 _Is she embarrassed?_ This is definitely something I can use. "I can't help it. Beautiful words befit beautiful ladies."

She blushes deeper, trying to hide it all behind her long hair. And though it could definitely do with some washing, it's impossible to miss the silky texture of her hair. Her skin is lightly tanned, probably from being outside all the time. And she's somewhat tall for a girl, I'd put her at about five foot six, jut like her brother. And that height gives her a nicely curved body that's clearly seen many years of physical training. She's not delicate, that's for sure, but there's a certain soft quality to her, balanced out by the strength of her form.

But that strength is something barely seen now. She looks small and fragile, and easily broken. She needs to be handled with care. At least until her devil may care attitude returns. Then she'll be way more than I can handle on my own.

Suddenly, there's a loud growl in the room, and I spin around, expecting to see an animal behind me. But there's nothing there. It's perplexing. Until I turn back to Ciara, who is clutching her stomach, an even brighter blush coloring her cheeks.

It takes me a few seconds to register the situation, but when I do, I burst out laughing. "Looks like someone's hungry, huh!?" I should have expected her to be hungry. I just didn't want to force any food on her, in case she couldn't handle it and ended up throwing it back up.

She hides her face in her hands as her stomach growls again. "Ugh…that's so not cool…" And what's funny is that her stomach refuses to quiet down. In fact, I would swear that it's getting louder by the second.

I stifle my laughter and get up from my chair. "I'll be right back with something for you to eat, alright?" She nods silently, her face still buried far from where I can see it. I chuckle quietly as I leave the room to fetch her something to eat.

* * *

Sixteen days later…

Thankfully after breaking through to her during our first conversation, the next few become easier. And after about a week, she stops dipping back into a listless gaze, and starts rummaging in her jeans for some books that she stashed in there. Which is why I frequently find her reading old books whenever I walk in with her food.

And with her on the road to recovery, slowly but surely, I start reporting in to Makarov every other day. And he's been quite pleased with her progress. I was certainly worried for the first week or so, when she still showed signs of a potential relapse. But she's now at the point where I've felt comfortable lifting the anti-magic barrier.

Which bring me to the moment when I walk into the infirmary, only to find a mess of papers all over the floor, the beds pushed back, and markings from a light pen ringing the only clear space on the floor. And right in the middle is Ciara.

I place a tray of food onto one of the beds, and slowly approach, being careful not to disrupt the diagrams. I know full well what happens when you disrupt someone when they're clearly working on a difficult magic formula. "So…what kind of spell are you working on?"

Still bent over on the floor, scribbling runes, Ciara spares a brief glance at me. "Advanced curse-breaking magic. I've got a particularly clumsy client who has a knack for buying cursed objects. So I figured that I'd get a head start on learning the next tier of curse-breaking spells before another incident happens."

"Hm…better to be prepared, right?" I can definitely understand where she's coming from. And the fact that she's preparing for a job that could happen well into the future is definitely the best sign I've seen that she's not going to try and hurt herself anymore. Sure, I can still see some darkness floating around in her eyes, but I think that after the effort I put into stopping her first attempt, she realized that trying again would be pointless, as well as painful.

She nods, continuing to scribble on the floor. "Unfortunately, all I can do is practice writing the magic circle. I've got no cursed objects around to practice on."

"So you need something to practice on?" I'd love to see her practicing. There's a certain excitement around her when she talks about magic, so I'd like to try and encourage that excitement if possible.

Nodding again, she consults some of her papers. "I'm working with an ancient script, so it's hard to tell for sure if I wrote everything down right, let alone interpreted everything correctly. The only way to know for sure is to try it out and see if the spell works."

"That makes sense…" I bend over and take a look at the runes. And as expected, they're completely unintelligible to me, even with everything that I've explored with my Archive magic. Though on the bright side, if she's got nothing to test the spell on, at least there's no chance of it backfiring and blowing up the building. "Oh, and I brought you food." I motion over towards the bed, since she's probably watching me out of the corner of her eye. It's something that she has a habit of doing. Ren and Eve have both noticed it as well during their shifts.

She finally looks up from her diagram, her nose sniffing the air until her eyes fall on the loaded tray. "That looks…good…" A happy smile crosses her face, and I swear that she looks like she's going to start drooling.

I laugh a little. "Oh, and your master wants me to tell you that Natsu says hi. And that he's waiting to go on a job with you when you get back."

She groans a little and bangs her head against the floor. "I don't wanna go on a job with him…"

And here we are, back in a delicate situation. So I lower my voice to a soothing tone. "Hey, I'm sure that Natsu just wants to spend some time with you."

"That's what I'm afraid of…" Now, I'm confused. And she raises her head with a pained and frustrated look on her face. "He'll say that he wants to go on a job with me, then he'll refuse to listen to anything I say, and he'll end up destroying half a town while trying to complete the job! I do have a reputation to uphold!"

Now I see that my worrying was for nothing. "So that's it…" I can definitely see Natsu destroying half a town while on a job. I fact, I'm pretty sure that I've read several articles in Sorcerer Weekly about some of the things he's gone and destroyed while out working. It's something that Fairy Tail is most definitely famous for.

Ciara shuffles over to the bed, grabbing for the tray. "Food…" She shoves the sandwich in her mouth first, taking only a few bites to down the entire thing. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that her mouth is made of rubber. And the small bit of cake that I swiped for her is the next thing to disappear. Thankfully, the club usually has plenty of leftovers, so it's been no problem to feed her giant appetite. Master Bob insists that throwing out perfectly good food is a waste. So since we have a human vacuum cleaner in the infirmary, he just piles all the leftovers from breakfast, lunch, and dinner onto trays for her to eat. And the sheer size of her appetite astounds me, seeing as she clears every tray.

As I watch her eat, a strained smile on my face, my curiosity hits. "Do you eat that much because you like food, or because you're a dragon slayer?" At this point, I'm chalking most of her eccentric mannerisms up to her being a dragon slayer. Because she seems to share them with her brother.

She looks up from her food, gulping down whats in her mouth, then wiping off her lips. "Dragon slayers burn a lot of calories when they fight. And just as many when they're healing. Even under normal circumstances, we've got huge appetites." She slurps down some lemonade before clarifying. "Of course, I'm basing this off the similarities between me, Natsu, and Gajeel. It might not be true for every dragon slayer. Like Wendy, she's still a small kid, so her appetite might not be so big yet. Mine wasn't when I was her age. But it's gotten bigger with time."

"Good to know." I have noticed that her appetite has been steadily growing in the past couple of weeks. So if this is the kind of amount she normally eats, then that means that she's almost fully recovered. I'll be able to discharge her soon. And I'm sure that her friends and family back at Fairy Tail will be more than happy to see her back.

She inhales the last of the food and pats her stomach with a bright smile, and surprisingly, her abdomen shows no growth or stretching after such a large meal. "Ah…the way to a dragon slayer's heart is through their stomach." I'm not sure if that's just something she felt like saying, or if it was directed at me. But I don't mind finding out sometime in the future. Though her ability to inhale food and not gain a million pounds is definitely a secret that most of the girls here would die for.

In fact, I have yet to find a way to celebrate her impending discharge. And that is something that I had better make sure is memorable. Because after everything that happened last month, I want her to have a good memory of being here.

As I look back to her, I hold in my laughter as I notice that she's fallen asleep, with a soft smile on her face. _So…she's the type to fall asleep after she eats, huh?_ I noticed it a few times, but seeing it happen right in front of my eyes, instead of when my back is turned, is enough to confirm it.

So I shift her into a more comfortable position on the bed, take the tray away, and slide a blanket over her. I brush my hand against the side of her face and smile. "I'll see you tomorrow."

* * *

 **Next time is date day. So if anyone has an idea where Hibiki would take a special girl, speak up. I've got a few ideas of my own, but a little extra input would be nice.**


	68. Silver Glow

**Okay, so I realize that some people really like the idea of Ciara getting with Hibiki. However, I will warn you now, though frankly it only takes two words.**

 **Tenrou Island.**

 **I'm sure that you can see where I'm going with that. Ciara is going to be part of the group going, since she's S-Class, and she's supposed to be helping out with the S-Class trial (now that Laxus is exiled). So…the world gets to spend almost seven years (really six and a half if you look at the time-line correctly) thinking that she, along with everyone else on Tenrou Island, is dead.**

 **So for those of you who like the ship…I'm sorry. For those of you who don't, don't worry, it's not going to get very far. Besides, I did say that I'm saving her for a certain ship.**

 **So in short…it's not gonna happen for Ciara and Hibiki. I'm not gonna start something serious, only to have the seven year skip get in the middle of it. They will turn out to be good friends, though.**

 **But in the meantime, enjoy some time alone for those two. Though it's rather funny. All the reviews I got said something along the lines of looking at the sky (sunset, moon, or stars), a picnic, or a boat ride. Or some combination thereof.**

 **Boat ride by moonlight**

 **Picnic under the stars x2 (with candles?)**

 **Sailing down a river**

 **Special sunset cliff**

 **I am seeing a trend here…**

 **You guys really thought this through, didn't you…?**

 **Is this a conspiracy?**

 **You're all in cahoots with each other…I know it…reviews glitch be damned.**

 **But they're good suggestions, so I'm using them as the base for developing the chapter. In fact, I think I'll just go ahead and combine them all. You know, to an extent, and with my own little flair thrown in. And I'm trying to keep Hibiki as in character as possible, while not flaunting the playboy side too much. And I hope that the end is as sweet as I think it is.**

* * *

I've lost track of the days I've been here. But judging by the smells coming in the window, the cherry blossoms are falling. _I wonder if they've held the annual flower party yet…? Maybe Macao will actually win a round this year…_

I hate being kept inside, though that's a general rule that goes with my free-spirited and downright windy nature. And I think that I've gotten paler from the lack of sunlight in here. I mean it's bright, that's for sure, but it's not sunlight. If Natsu were here, he would forcibly drag me outside to get some sun. And then suggest a day long training session.

Okay, maybe it's not actually so bad being in here. At least I've had plenty of time to myself, and I've gotten a good start on my studying. Plus, they must have a ton of leftover food from the guild hall each day, because my strength is definitely almost back up to normal. I think I've inhaled a mountain of food since arriving. And talking to Hibiki has been nice, he's shown me that he's not all air-headed playboy. Which is good, otherwise I might have knocked his block off.

Jolting me from my thoughts, the door opens to reveal Hibiki. "Hey, you're up, that's good. I thought that you were going to sleep the whole afternoon away."

I nod quietly, my eyes traveling up and down, taking in the sight of him. He looks worlds better, and much less tired than he has lately. Though his lack of sleep was my fault. "How are you?"

"I'm doing well." He sits himself on the bed, a smile playing on his lips. "How about you? Feeling better now? You look a little lost in thought."

"I guess…" I tilt my head back towards the window, the smell of flowers still wafting inside. "I'm just thinking about home right now…it's the right time of year for the annual flower party. So I was just wondering if they were having fun."

"I see…" Hibiki looks a little pained as he draws my attention back to him. "Master Makarov called earlier today, and told me that the party was yesterday. Everyone missed you."

"Oh…" I'm surprised, but I know that I shouldn't be. Knowing Fairy Tail, my absence would definitely not go unnoticed. I've been a member for so long that I'm basically expected to be at most of the major events. "So I did miss the party…"

Hibiki gives me a weird look, then he smiles widely. "Well, I think you've been cooped up in here long enough."

"Does that mean that you're sure that I'm not going to do anything stupid?" I poke at him with a jibe, but there's no power behind it. After all of the effort he's put in to nurse me back to health, it would be rude to put all of that work to waste. Besides, I don't really feel like having Natsu yell at me for being stupid. And I know that no matter what, he'll have my back. All I have to do is stay in control. And getting back into my studying has helped reaffirm my belief that if I try, I can maintain control. Besides, it's not like Nirvana can touch me again. The last thing I did in that battle was bring that city down.

Hibiki just smiles and tosses some of my nicer clothes onto my lap. "Yeah, I'm sure. Now go take a shower and get changed, you're going outside today."

He gets up, leaving the room with a bounce in his step. What's got him so excited…? The last time I saw him acting like this was before all the fighting, when he, Ren, and Eve were trying to charm all the girls who showed up. Including me.

But as I look down at the clean clothes in my lap, I find myself smiling. _Looks like I'm finally going to get some sun._

* * *

It feels good to be nice and clean, without all of the tubes and bandages. And whatever Hibiki used to wash my clothes smells really good. I tie my hair back up, after spending several minutes drying it all out. That's the hardest part of cleaning up, drying my hair.

Seeing as he said that I'll be going outside today, I venture to open the infirmary door myself. Unexpectedly, it's not locked, and there's no barrier of any sort to keep me inside. _I guess he was serious…_ I knew that he took the anti-magic barrier down, but I didn't expect him to just leave me in here without protection. _I guess he trusts me…_

I've never been out into the rest of the guild hall before, but luckily, I have an amazing sense of direction, as well as a very sensitive nose. I pick out Hibiki's scent, one that I've become rather accustomed to over the past few weeks. And I follow my nose through the hallways, and out into what almost looks like a nightclub.

Unfortunately, it's here that Hibiki's scent starts being overwhelmed by copious other scents, including several strong perfumes that make me want to throw up. So, I sniff out the alcohol and head over to the bar, since it's a smell I'm used to, and don't mind so much.

Working the bar is a familiar face, the cross-dressing master of Blue Pegasus, Bob. A former member of Fairy Tail, himself. That makes me feel a lot better as I walk up to the bar. "Hi, Master Bob."

My appearance instantly puts a smile on his face. "Ciara, honey, how are you?"

"Better." It's not a lie, I do feel better, a lot better, in fact. "Have you seen Hibiki? He told me to shower and change, because apparently I'm going outside today."

Master Bob claps his hands together. "Oh, that's fantastic! I think I saw Hibiki entertaining a few of the ladies over in the corner. Why don't you have a drink while you wait?"

"That sounds good…" At least Cana isn't here. If she saw me accepting a drink, she'd challenge me to another drinking contest. And while I'm perfectly capable of holding my liquor, there's only so much I can stand before the smell gets to me.

Master Bob soon places a cocktail glass full of a bright red liquid in front of me. "Here you are, sweetheart. I hope you like it."

I pick up the glass and swirl the contents, before taking a sip of the sweet and sour liquid. "Mmm…cherry, lemon, and raspberry?" I raise an eyebrow at Blue Pegasus' master. "That's an interesting choice."

He chuckles. "An interesting drink for an interesting young lady."

"I'll agree with that." A voice tickles my ear as I'm joined at the bar by a familiar face. Hibiki. He grins at me and ruffles his hair. "Having fun before we even leave the building?"

I down the rest of my drink, humming happily at the pleasant tingling sensation as the drink races down my throat. "Well, I had to find something to do."

As I place my glass back on the counter, Hibiki slips his fingers through mine. "Well, then I suppose that I'd better entertain you for the rest of the afternoon."

Without giving me a chance to either protest, or ask him exactly what he means by entertain, he pulls me off the barstool and towards the door. Normally, I don't like being manhandled. But today, I'm rather curious about what exactly he's up to.

Unfortunately, I'll have to wait to find out, because it looks like Hibiki's fan club has found us. Half a dozen girls swarm around us, and they give me more than a few nasty looks.

"Who's the girl? Is she trying to steal Hibiki from us?"

"Doesn't look like anything special. She's still just a little kid!"

"Hibiki…what are you hanging around with a pipsqueak like her?"

Despite the irritating comments being hurled around, Hibiki just smiles. "Sorry ladies, I've got a previous engagement with this young lady here. I'm sure that Eve will be more than happy to take my place for the afternoon."

One of the women, more pushy than the others, grabs Hibiki's arm. "Why won't you stay? Surely you aren't interested in this brat?"

Finally, I feel my patience snap like a taut wire. "Don't call me a brat. And stop talking like I'm not here." My tone is as obnoxious and belligerent as they deserve, because I don't believe in treating bullies nicely. I also make sure to talk right down to them, since they deserve no better after their comments. "If you've got a problem with me, then how about you say something to my face, instead of playing around like a bunch of lovesick little girls who've had their favorite toy snatched away."

She sure doesn't like that, and she raises her hand as though to slap me. But as soon as her hand gets withing three inches of my face, I slip my hand away from Hibiki's and catch her wrist. I move faster than the eye can see, and it clearly throws her off, seeing as her eyes widen in shock. "How did you-"

"Sight, hearing, smell, physical strength, speed, reflexes…all enhanced beyond the abilities of normal wizards. Apart from our use of Lost Magic, that is what makes a dragon slayer unique." I drop her arm and take a step back, my eyes nearly burning with suppressed anger. "Pick your targets better in the future, because picking on someone stronger than you is not a good idea."

As I turn to Hibiki, I notice that the woman's eyes have found my guild emblem, exposed by the open shoulders of my shirt. And no matter how quietly she speaks, I can still hear her. "…Dragon Wing? Impossible…why would she be here?"

"Why I am here is none of your business." To prove my point, I allow a hint of superiority to bleed into my voice. It's not really something I like to do, but I'll make an exception here. "I suggest that you not try something so foolish again."

The woman looks like she wants to snap back at me, but Hibiki cuts her off, pulling on my fingers again. "Come on, Ciara, it's time to get you outside for some fresh air." Then he calls over to a head of bright blond hair. "Oh Eve, do you mind attending to these lovely ladies for me?"

Said blond comes bouncing over quite happily. "No problem." Then he glances at me for a brief moment and grins a little. "Have fun on your date, Hibiki."

My eyes widen as Hibiki pulls me out the front doors. "Date!?" I focus on Hibiki as he guides me down the front walkway of the guild hall. "What is he talking about?"

Hibiki flashes me a smile. "Just wait and see. I promise that you'll enjoy yourself." Then he chuckles a little and his eyes sparkle at me. "But what was that? I almost thought that you were going to attack her for a minute."

A smirk curves my lips. "When you're an S-Class wizard in one of the strongest guilds out there, you almost naturally know how to intimidate others when you have to. Though honestly, I think we all prefer the parties. Plenty of alcohol to go around, and more noise than should be legal. Actually, I think we've gotten noise complaints before…"

Hibiki laughs lightly. "Sounds like Fairy Tail has a lot of fun."

"Yeah…" I look up at the sky, which is now a beautiful shade of blue. "We definitely have the best parties…" Then I shake my head and grin. "But what really got to me was being called a brat. Laxus used to call me one all the time, and I hated it."

"Dreyar?" Hibiki's eyes flash again. "Isn't he the master's grandson? He's got the Thunder Legion hanging around him, right?"

"No…" I shake my head slightly. "He's been gone from Fairy Tail for a while, probably almost two months now." I take a deep breath and force a smile back on my face. "It's funny, I almost miss being called a brat. But that's in the past. So all there is to do is move forward, right?"

"Right." Hibiki tugs on my hand and points down into town. "Come on, there's something I want to show you."

Now, if I were in my right mind, I would probably be rolling my eyes and trying to tug my way out of Hibiki's grip, but I'm curious. Unfortunately, though I try to keep it under control, my curiosity often gets the best of me. And I really want to know exactly what he's so excited about.

I find out quickly enough.

The town is decorated with flowers. Though I suppose that it might be more accurate to say that it looks like a flower monster threw up all over it, because there are flowers literally everywhere. I suppose that it isn't unexpected for this time of year. Fiore, true to its name, always has flowers blooming, though they peak at certain times of the year.

The breeze that blows through the town smells wonderful, and I breathe in the scent for a moment, relishing the freshness that I've been denied for almost a month.

Then, I smell the food. And Hibiki starts laughing. "You really look like you're going to start drooling."

I blush and turn, intending to smack him a little. "Stop teasing me!"

But thanks to him still having my hand gripped firmly in his, smacking him proves to be something of a challenge as he dodges my other hand. "Haha, hey! I just thought that you might want to eat something tasty!"

I freeze, a little confused. "Couldn't we have done that back at the guild hall?"

He shakes his head. "That's not the kind of tasty I meant." He motions out towards the nice-smelling market. "Natsu told me that you like to eat the breezes around markets. He also told me about his liking of charcoal fires, and especially ones that burn cherry and maple logs."

I soon see what he's getting at. "And like Gajeel's inexplicable liking for the taste of well-aged iron."

Hibiki chuckles again. "Well, eat up."

I lick my lips in anticipation, and another breeze wafts towards me, bringing with it all sorts of wonderful scents. I suck in a breath, and the tasty breeze soon disappears between my lips.

I must have a very happy look on my face, because Hibiki smiles even more brightly. "So, what did it taste like?"

"Let's see…" I roll the tastes back over in my mouth, trying to pick each of them apart. "Apple and cherry pies, probably from a bakery. A whole bunch of fruit, like apples and oranges, plums and pears. Flowers, flowers everywhere. And…" This one is perplexing. "Vanilla oil and cinnamon?" I sniff around a little, and the scent seems to be coming right from this spot. "Strange…"

With another short laugh, Hibiki leans towards me slightly. "I think that would be me. Your brother warned me that you don't like the smell of strong perfume, though I guessed most of it myself after learning how that nose works." He tweaks my nose lightly, and it kind of burns a little. But I catch a whiff of the vanilla and cinnamon again. It's sweet, and a little spicy. It suits him.

But then, I catch the scent of yet another market breeze, and I can't resist the temptation of slurping it all down. It's basically like giving a kid candy. You can't just expect them not to eat it. Plus, this is a delicious way of storing up magic to replace what I'm still missing.

When I've finally had my fill of delicious breezes, thought I could easily stand there forever just sucking them back, Hibiki motions towards the other side of the town. "Come on, I've got more surprises."

"More?" That in itself is a surprise. But I might as well just treat this like another little adventure. "Alright, then where are we going?"

"You'll see." Hibiki pulls on my hand, leading me straight into town, and past all of the market stalls that are giving off such delicious smells. Which of course means that I can't help but gobble up a few extra breezes, just from the sheer temptation of the smells.

Once past the market and away fro most prying eyes, Hibiki stops. That's a little confusing. "Uh, Hibiki? Where are we?"

He turns to me and slides his hand out of mine. "Alright, so for the next surprise, I need you to put this on." He pulls out a dark strip of cloth and waves it in front of my eyes.

I nearly deadpan. "A blindfold? Seriously? That's so corny…"

Hibiki laughs again, and his laughter is contagious, I swear. "I know, but corny or not, I want to surprise you properly. And I don't trust those dragon slayer eyes of yours not to give away the surprise."

I pout a little, then sigh. "Fine…" I reach for the blindfold, but Hibiki pulls his hands away, sidling around behind me and gently pulling the blindfold up over my eyes.

Once it's securely fastened behind my head, and under my ponytails for good measure, he takes my hand again. "Ready to go?"

"I guess?" I'm not worried or anything. Even without my sight, my hearing and smell are more than enough to alert me to any danger that might appear. Not that anything should happen. I doubt that Hibiki would ever try to lead anyone straight into danger.

"Good!" Hibiki tugs me along again, a bit slower this time, since he's probably making sure that I don't trip. "You're going to love this, I promise."

It's an interesting promise, seeing as we haven't had a lot of time for him to explore the depths of my psyche. I mean, he's been working hard to help me through my issues, but somehow, that's been enough to glean enough information that he's sounding pretty confident that I'll enjoy whatever surprise he has in mind.

We walk for several more minutes. And with every passing second, a dull roar starts to get louder. _Is that a river…?_ It definitely sounds like a river to me, but since I don't know the landscape here, I can't be sure until we get closer.

"Alright now, watch your step." Hibiki places his other hand at my waist, guiding me along wooden planks. _This must be a dock…a dock on a river._ With that context, I cautiously step forward as Hibiki latches on more tightly to my waist. "Careful, there's a foot and a half drop in front of you."

"Yeah…this is a boat, right?" I lean down, out of Hibiki's grip, my feet finding the hard bottom of a boat as it rocks slightly. I bounce a breeze off of the boat, quickly finding an appropriate place to sit down. "I heard the water…and I know the feel of wooden planks very well." The old guild hall used to have a wooden floor. Before we had to rebuild it and gave it a new stone floor.

Hibiki climbs in after me, settling himself into the boat as well. "Alright, we'll be there soon, it's just a short boat ride away."

I smile as the boat slowly starts moving, being swept away by the current. "It's times like this that I'm glad to not have my brother's penchant for motion sickness. He's a nightmare on anything that moves."

Another laugh erupts from Hibiki. "What's with that, anyway?"

I shrug. "Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. My first instinct would be to attribute it to being a dragon slayer, since that's where most of our weirdness comes from. But so far, I don't get motion sickness, and neither do Gajeel and Wendy. At least, that's only as far as I've heard and seen. So I can't be sure. So I think it might just be him."

"That's strange…" He sounds thoughtful for a moment, then he chuckles just a little. "In any case, I'm glad that you don't get motion sickness, that would definitely make this difficult."

"Make what difficult…?" He still hasn't explained to me where we are, or where we're going. He said that he had a surprise, but the suspense is killing me. So, I try to bite back my impatience, which is an unfortunate flaw of mine. Something that I undoubtedly share with Natsu.

Hibiki goes quiet for a minute, before the boat bumps against the shore. And from the sounds of it, we're near rapids. The sound of rushing water has gotten significantly louder. But it's a pleasant hum. The sounds of nature always are.

Hibiki's hands grasp mine, and he pulls me up and out of the boat. "Okay, we're here. And just in time too, the show is about to start."

"Show…?" It makes no sense to me, until Hibiki pulls the blindfold away, revealing a beautiful field of grass, cut in half by the river, ending in a sparkling waterfall. And up in the sky, the sun is starting to go down, bathing the world in hues of red, orange, gold, and pink. "Whoa…"

Hibiki motions off to the side of the river with his hand. "There's more." And as I follow the line of his arm, my eyes fall on a picnic basket and blanket.

My jaw nearly drops. "And when exactly did you plan this!?"

"Yesterday." He admits it almost unashamedly. "It's to celebrate your discharge."

 _Discharge…?_ As soon as I process that, my eyes brighten. "So I'm not going to be stuck in a boring room anymore!?"

He laughs as he tugs me over to the blanket. "I know that you've been bored in there, so I thought I'd go all out for the celebration."

"No kidding…" I look around, and it's all so nice that I can't help but feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "Do you do this for all your patients?"

"Only the pretty ones." He winks as he pulls open the picnic basket. Then, he pulls out the champagne. "Care for a drink?"

"Who says I drink?" Playing coy might be a little silly, but right now, I'm feeling silly.

Obviously, he doesn't buy it, because his smile quickly becomes a smirk. "I saw you drinking at the bar earlier. Besides, I was under the impression that drinking was a requirement of Fairy Tail wizards."

His assumption amuses me, especially since it's pretty bang on. "Fair enough. But I hope that I'll be putting something in my stomach other than wind, because I'm not big into drinking on an empty stomach."

With a sweep of his hand, Hibiki opens the other side of the basket and scoops out enough food to feed Natsu. Pasta, soup, a variety of fruits, as well as some strawberry shortcake for dessert. It's a spread that would make Erza jealous.

Last out are a couple of glasses, into which he pours the rosy champagne. And the mix of aromas tickles my nose and makes my head feel a little fuzzy. And that usually only happens when there's so much alcohol being passed around that I end up inhaling all the fumes. It makes me thankful for my high tolerance for alcohol.

Needless to say, I eat much more quickly than Hibiki, and he spends the first couple of minutes watching me with amusement. One day, I'm definitely going to have to grill him about why watching me eat is so funny.

In the half hour it takes for the two of us to clear the plates of pasta, the soup, as well as the entire cake and half the bottle of champagne, the sun has gone down to the point where it is only a thin crescent on the horizon, and the sky is now bathed in pink, purple, and a few last remnants of gold.

Hibiki tips his glass against his lips again, already on his third glass of champagne. Thankfully, he seems to have a decent tolerance for alcohol, because his movements are still perfectly steady. I've tried being a little more creative, and the piece of watermelon in my mouth is soaked through with the tingly rose liquid.

Licking some stray watermelon juice from my lips, I stare curiously at Hibiki. "Okay…a walk through town, a blindfolded boat ride, and a picnic at sunset. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you'd taken me on a date." I direct a pointed look at him, thinking of what Eve said earlier as we left the guild hall.

"Caught on, huh?" Hibiki smiles and puts down his empty glass. "Does it upset you?"

"No…" I shake my head and finish off my watermelon, tossing the rind away and leaning back into the blanket. "I just don't really date anymore…after the last time." But that's far in the past now. "And then there's my work. Until a few months ago, when everything started going to hell, I would take so many jobs that I might spend a week a month in Magnolia. And that was mostly just to check in and take my next job. I get restless if I stay in one place for too long."

A free spirit that goes with your magic, huh?" Hibiki slides down next to me, his head propped up by his elbow. "That's actually something I admire. You take your work seriously. It was obvious ever since I first saw you drawing diagrams on the infirmary floor. When you put your mind to something, you're not easy to turn away."

"That's the truth…" A wry smile creeps across my face. "You wouldn't believe the number of arguments my stubborn personality has started. I actually can't believe that you put up for me this long, especially considering how stubborn I was at first."

"True, you could give a mountain a run for its money." His bad joke makes me laugh. "Hm…I thought so…"

I stop laughing and look at him quizzically. "Thought what?"

He brushes my bangs aside and smiles. "You look pretty under the sun, but it's something else entirely to see you under the moon."

As he's said, the sun has finally gone down, leaving the moon hanging alone in the sky, shining brightly, with only the stars for company. And I'm absolutely certain that I'm blushing the same color as my hair. "I'm not one of those air-headed women you deal with in your guild's lounge. Compliments only get you so far."

"True." His smile becomes gentle, one that I've gotten used to over the past few weeks. "With you, they're something to be used carefully and sparingly, and only when appropriate. But it's hard not to compliment you when you glow as beautifully as the moon."

I roll my eyes. "Stop it."

"I'm serious." He stifles a laugh and pulls a mirror out of his pocket. _Should have figured that he'd have a mirror on hand at all times._ "Take a look for yourself."

Intrigued, I look into the mirror, and he's right. I'm literally glowing. I lean away from him and sit up, staring at my hands. And even without a mirror, I can see them glowing faintly in the moonlight. "How…?"

"Your magic has been spilling out the whole time." He sit up as well, stuffing the mirror back into his pocket. "I thought it was a trick of the light earlier, but as soon as the sun went down, I realized that it wasn't. Looks like you glow silver when it's dark out."

Staring back down at my hands, it actually seems rather poetic. "Natsu burns like the sun…and I glow like the moon…" _I guess this makes our song make even more sense now…_

"Looks like someone has discovered a poetic talent." Hibiki takes my hand, pressing his lips to my fingers. "A dragon who glows in the moonlight. It sounds like something from a legend, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…" Through my blush, I find myself smiling. "Hey Hibiki…there's something I want you to hear."

He raises his eyes to mine, curiosity flickering in them. "What is it?"

I take in a deep breath, relaxing my body appropriately. It's something that I only share with a select few people, because it's something precious to both me and Natsu. And my voice floats out into the star-ridden sky.

 ** _"Hey Fairy, where are you going?"_**


	69. Mentor

**Jeez, I think I'm going to be the one fangirling now. Thank you Bea, for shipping Ciara and Rogue. I don't think anyone has blatantly shipped those two yet. There's been…speculation and questions about what's going to happen when she meets up with "those two" again at the GMG, but I'm so happy that the shipping has started!**

 **Though I kinda want to know who else ships her with Rogue, and who ships her with someone else. I think there was one person who suggested Laxus…and I was just like "Nope!". So, anyone else? I'd be very interested to see your nominations.**

 **Besides, the purpose of her getting close to Hibiki, as well as her dating Gray, are mostly of ammunition. After all, given the right motives, even the most stubborn of people can be made to get jealous.**

 **Also, I should probably mention that the multiple first person P.O.V.s are actually a form of training for me. I write novels (that I hope to get published eventually, one is already finished and in the editing stage). And those novels switch P.O.V. every chapter, always giving a first person point of view. So by doing that with this story, it's proving to be very good practice. Also, there's just so much more that can be conveyed in first person, that third person lacks. That includes things like thoughts and feelings, as well as perception of the little things, so how each person interprets the same thing. Well, that's my opinion on P.O.V. anyway.**

 **Now, it's time for Ciara to return home, meet up with Wendy again, and start the day off doing her favorite thing *rolls eyes*. Gets angsty for a bit, then cute again.**

* * *

Either the universe hates me, or I have the dumbest guild on the planet.

I'm going with the latter.

No sooner do I finally walk in the front door after a month away, that a table comes flying right at my face. _Already…?_ _It's almost like they like destroying the guild hall._

 _Who am I kidding? This is Fairy Tail. Of course they love destroying the guild hall._

As soon as the table gets within five feet of me, I flip forwards, smashing my leg against the table and flattening it against the floor. And I follow it up with a gust of wind that flattens everyone in the guild hall. And honestly, these troublemakers deserve nothing less than my full wrath.

The only survivors of my attack are Wendy, Mira, Cana, and Lucy, who are all sitting at the bar, looking at their moaning and groaning guild mates with sympathetic eyes. That is, before their eyes turn to me, and I'm instantly assaulted by Cana's voice. "Hey all ! Ciara's back!"

As expected, at the mention of my name, the guild hall erupts in a flurry of tangled bodies extracting themselves from various piles, and enough noise to drown out a typhoon.

A tiny blue blur comes flying at me, smacking into my chest and burying its furry head there, crying big round tears. "I misshed Shia…"

I pat Happy on the head, ruffling his fur a little bit. "Aw…I missed you too, Happy."

Suddenly, I'm swarmed by a sea of faces. Macao and Wakaba, Laki and Vijeeter, Max and Nab, Elfman manages to butt through the crowd with his big body, and there's a loud influx of noise as they quiet enthusiastically welcome me home.

When I manage to pry myself from the crowd, I end up in a very surprising hug. Cool skin, and wavy blue hair that could only belong to one person. "Juvia?"

She nods a little, her eyelashes brushing against my neck. Sometimes I forget that I'm taller than a lot of the girls here. "You were greatly missed by everyone…"

I pat her on the head and smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you guys." I lower my voice and try to hold in a laugh. "So, have you gotten any closer to Gray?"

She lets go of me, blushing furiously. Then she starts pressing her fingers together. "No…"

"Hm…?" I grin at her reassuringly. "Then we'll just have to do something about that, now won't we?" Then I lean in close to her ear. "By the way, he likes sandwiches. That's what he usually packed whenever we went on jobs."

Her eyes start to sparkle gratefully. "Yes! I will remember that!"

With a last pat on her head, I move further inside, where I'm ambushed by Wendy next. "I was so worried!" She latches onto me, her head barely coming up to my chest. And honestly, I'm a little worried that I might end up accidentally suffocating her. I don't take the same pleasure in suffocating people in my cleavage that Erza does.

Loosening her grip on me, I crouch down, getting to her level. "Sorry about that. I was just a little more injured than your healing powers could have dealt with. But I'm fine now, I promise. And when did you join Fairy Tail?"

She flashes me her new blue guild emblem. "Well, after…after Cait Shelter disappeared, Natsu and the others brought me here so I could join Fairy Tail. Everyone was very nice and welcoming."

"That's good…" If there's one thing out guild is good at, it's welcoming new members. And considering how many we end up dragging in, it's no wonder.

"Ciara." That's a voice and tone I know all too well. And it means that I'm in trouble.

After gently ushering Wendy away, I look up and see Gramps sitting there on the bar. "Yes, Master?"

He gestures to me. "I'd like to see you in my office."

"Of course." I can imagine that there's a lot that he wants to talk to me about. In fact, I half expect to go the same way as Laxus after what I did.

I follow Gramps into his office, closing the door behind us. And once he sits on his desk, he looks sternly at me. "There is something that came to my attention that must be addressed. I assume that you know what that is."

My eyes drop to the floor. "I nearly killed Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Wendy, Happy, and Carla. Along with the rest of the allied forces."

"Hm…well there is that, but that is not what I was referring to." My eyes snap up to him in confusion, but his gaze is still stern. "If you wish to leave Fairy Tail, there are better ways to do that."

"What?" Now, I'm confused. I've never talked about wanting to leave Fairy Tail. And thinking about it, the concept actually seems a little foreign to me. The only time the possibility ever came up was when there was a chance that Natsu could have gotten kicked out over the Galuna Island incident.

Gramps drops his eyes, focusing on my left hand. "I was informed by Hibiki Lates of what you attempted while in his care."

 _Oh._

I stand there, feeling a little ashamed of myself. I hadn't expected Hibiki to actually tell anyone what I did, but it makes sense that he would tell Gramps. "I see…"

As he continues to stare at my hand, I know what it is that he wants to see. So I reach for my new wristbands, something I picked up on the way home. I wanted to conceal what happened from everyone. But it seems that that won't be an option with the old man.

The wristband falls away, and he reaches for my hand, examining my wrist, where there is a thin red line reaching across it. "Oh, my child…that you were driven to this…"

I pull my arm back and cover the scar with my wristband again. "Hibiki talked me out of it…"

Gramps sighs sadly. "I hope that you know that they don't blame you for what happened. Nirvana was to blame, nothing more, nothing less. Everyone in Fairy Tail has their demons. You are simply unfortunate enough to carry more than your share. And for that, I am sorry."

I shake my head. "Don't be. There's nothing you can do. It's best to just leave it be."

"Leaving it be is how it came to this." His stern expression returns, though only slightly. "If you feel like this again, just remember that your family is here for you. And we will make sure to help you through the darkness."

It hurts, honestly. It hurts to hear him talk like this. But I know that he feels that he needs to. "Okay."

Gramps coughs. "And I suggest that you speak with Natsu. He was very…agitated three weeks ago. It was nearly impossible to keep the boy from blasting into Blue Pegasus in order to see you."

"Three weeks…?" Then it hits me. _Of course…with how dark my thoughts were, and what I tried to do, there's no way he wouldn't have felt something…_

Gramps coughs again. "Now then, I think this meeting is concluded. Why don't you go and have some fun with your friends. I'm sure that they're eager to celebrate your return."

"Okay." I turn around and open the door, heading back out into the guild hall.

As soon as I'm back out in the hall, Happy plops himself down on my head. "Ciara! Natsu's been keeping me awake with all his pacing. Tell him to stop!"

Turning my head, I catch sight of my brother. So I put a smile on my face and walk over, making sure not to throw Happy off my head. "Hey, Natsu. I've heard that you're keeping our little buddy awake at night with your pacing. You know that thinking is bad for you, right?"

He locks eyes with me, his gaze hard and cold. "You and I need to talk."

I sigh, taking Happy off my head and gesturing to the door. "I know…let's go."

"No." He grabs my wrist and pulls me towards the table where Gray, Lucy, and Erza are sitting. "We're doing this here."

My eyes widen as I realize that he's about to out me in front of his whole team. "Natsu, no! Let me go! This isn't any of their business!"

With one last tug, he yanks me onto one of the benches angrily. "We're a team, that includes you!"

I don't know exactly what he hopes to accomplish here, but it can't be good. "Natsu…don't you dare…"

My warning goes unheeded, and he pulls off my left wristband, his angry expression intensifying as he sees the scar. "I knew it." I can feel his hands shaking, and I know that it's taking everything he has for him to not blow up and announce this to the entire guild hall.

Gray's eyes widen, and he drops his cup on the table. "What the hell!? How did you get those!?"

Erza's eyes are on me, searching my face, and Lucy's hands are trembling. "Did you do this?"

I tear my arm from Natsu's grip and hide the marked skin under my sleeve. "Yeah, I did. The guilt got to me, and I didn't want to put anyone in danger anymore. Happy now?"

"Of course not…" Erza pulls me away from Natsu and wraps me in an armor-filled hug. "You should have told us… No one blames you, so you shouldn't blame yourself either."

It's exactly what Hibiki said. But seeing them all again, it's hard not to start blaming myself again. If Natsu and Gray hadn't almost killed me, none of them would be sitting here right now.

"But…how did Natsu know?" Lucy's voice rouses me from the hug as she looks between me and my brother.

Natsu's hand twitches and he grabs his own wrist. "Because I felt it."

Suddenly, a new guilt passes through me. "Telepathy…it's gotten stronger?" He half nods, half shrugs. But it;s the only explanation. It's never been strong enough to pass physical sensations over such a distance, but I suppose that if it's gotten strong enough, it just might.

Gray's eyes flick between us, then he sighs. "Well, just don't do it again, alright? This conversation is getting depressing."

"I won't." My lack of hesitation must surprise them, but I'm chalking it up to Hibiki's influence. "I just…it'll take me some time to get over it. I just need some time."

"Some time, and something to do, right?" Gray smiles at me, because he knows me that well. "I think I can help you with that."

"How?" I really want to know how, because I want to be able to push the last of the dark thoughts from my mind as soon as possible. Only then, will I really be able to get on with my life. Hibiki did his part, and then some. But now, it's time for me to do mine.

Gray looks behind me, so I turn around, only to come face to face with an embarrassed Wendy. I raise an eyebrow, and she fidgets a little. "Um…well…I just came over because I wanted to ask you…if you could help me with my training."

Was that what I was expecting? Not in a million years. "Me? Why?"

She fidgets a little more, then clenches her fists and looks me in the eye. "Because I think I could learn a lot from you! You're strong and brave, and I know that there's so much that you could teach me about being a dragon slayer!" She finishes her request with a bow, and I can't help but wonder about her attitude.

I turn to Erza suspiciously. "Okay, what has she been told about me?"

My red-haired friend smiles brightly. "Everything.

I deadpan. "Everything…?"

She nods. "Gray, Natsu, and I have told her about every job we've gone on with you, as well as what happened on Galuna Island, with Eisenwald, during the war with Phantom Lord, as well as what happened at the Tower of Heaven and before the Fantasia Parade. Lucy even did her part to fill in some blanks."

I'm not sure if I should be happy or pissed off about them telling Wendy about so much of my history, and knowing them, they probably spared no detail. But at least now her request makes sense. If she's heard of all the kinds of magic that I can use, I can understand why she would ask me to do this. But I turn back to her, curiosity getting at me. "Have you asked Natsu to train you?"

She sweatdrops a little. "I don't know if asking Natsu would be a good idea…"

I know exactly what she means. "Point taken." With my curiosity out of the way, I suppose that this would be a good way for me to occupy myself. "So, when would you like to start?"

She smiles and shrugs. "Whenever is good for you. I know that this is a big favor to ask…"

Hearing that is more than enough for me. I get up from the table, grab my wristband from Natsu, and slip it back onto my wrist. "Alright, let's go."

"Huh!?" She jump a little as I head towards the doors. "Go where!?"

I stop at the doors and smile slightly, shaking my head. "Clean out those dragon slayer ears of yours and listen up. Me and you are headed out back. You wanted training, and that's what you're getting."

That shocks her. But she stands up straight and nods. "Yes Ma'am!"

With a smile, I push open the doors and head out into the sunlight. "Then get over here. We start now."

Wendy races out of the doors right behind me, Carla hot on her heels. "Wait, child! Do you know what you're getting yourself into!?"

"Oh Carla, it'll be fine!" Wendy bounds towards me, an eager smile on her face. "So what will I be doing first?"

This poor girl has no idea how hard I'm going to work her. Luckily for her, it's not going to be nearly as hard as I worked myself at her age. "First, we're headed to the lake. I need to know exactly how much you can do. Then, we can get to work on improving and discovering skills. Okay?"

"Okay!" Wendy skips alongside me, though I'm sure that her happy attitude will vanish before long.

* * *

I hover over the water, staring at Wendy. "Come on, now. I'll assume that after watching me and Natsu, you're capable of a basic roar, or at least have the gist of it. So let's see what you've got."

Wendy looks a little nervous. "But what if I hurt you?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Hurt me? Exactly how powerful is your roar?"

"Well…not very powerful yet, but still…" She looks extremely hesitant. It must be in her nature as a healer.

So I sigh. "Listen…don't worry about hurting me, because chances are, you won't be able to must enough power to do any permanent damage. I'm tougher than I look, so I think that I can handle a basic roar. If I feel like there's any real threat to my health, I'll just dodge it. I know well enough that I can dodge roars if I have to. So just give it a go, and we'll work from there."

"Okay…" She sucks in a deep breath, before expelling all of it. "Sky Dragon's Roar!"

The little bursts of wind come flying at me, in a wind tunnel not unlike my own. The difference is, when the roar hits me, it reminds me more of fluffy clouds than of sharp blades. But I expected that. I had assumed from the beginning that because of the healing magic, her own attacks would be slightly less suited for offense than mine. My attacks feel more like a flurry of swords, than a nursery of puffy clouds.

However, it's definitely a start, and can serve many applications once she makes it stronger. And she's also less likely to accidentally flatten a building with it. Or scrape it straight off the ground.

I clap my hands approvingly. "That was very good for the first try today. And it's clear that you don't have much experience in offensive magic. Taking that into account, that was actually fairly powerful."

That puts a smile on her face, though only briefly. "But that wasn't good enough for a real fight, right?"

Floating over to the bank, I nod slowly. "Against a regular opponent…you might be able to knock them down, even throw them around a little, but that's not a finishing blow. You won't knock anyone out quite yet, unless they have a habit of fainting."

Carla, who has so far been watching silently, nods. "That seems to be a fair assessment of her abilities. Before the coalition, she had very little reason to learn offensive magic." She walks over, examining me. "However, I am curious. How exactly does your magic, the magic of a Wind Dragon Slayer, differ from Wendy's, a Sky Dragon Slayer?"

"Hm…" I try to come up with the best way to explain it. And hopefully, least destructive. Then, it hits me. "Alright, Wendy, I want you to concentrate some magic in your hand. Sky magic."

She looks a little perplexed, but she nods and clenches her fists, focusing her magic towards her hand. "Okay, now what?"

I point to the grass and crouch down. "Now, I want you to press that magic to the ground."

Obediently, she kneels down and presses her handful of magic to the ground, ruffling and twisting up the blades of grass. "Okay, so what did that do?"

"Honestly, not much." I focus a little bit of magic into my own hand. "But that's what I expected. Now watch this. I'm using the same amount of magic power that you did, only this is wind magic, not sky magic."

She she watches, I press my hand to the grass. And unlike her power, mine completely shreds all of the grass under my hand, as well as a whole six inches in every direction. And the ground gets ripped up as well, spitting dirt everywhere. Her eyes widen as I take my hand away. "Oh wow! My magic didn't do that!"

Carla examines the two patches carefully. "I see…so your magic focuses more on the motion of the wind, rather than the air as an element."

I nod. "Exactly. That's why I can't suck up any power from air that isn't moving. It's the energy in the gusts that I convert into magic power. And following that logic, all of my attacks follow the destructive nature of wind, rather than the benign nature of air itself. That's why the ground looks like it's been attacked by Erza's swords."

"Oh…I get it now." Wendy's curiosity seems sated, for the moment. "But you can still help me train, right?"

"Of course." I pat her on the head. "Destructive force aside, air and wind aren't all that different. You're just more support oriented than I am. I'm the one who is better suited for all out combat, preferably against multiple opponents, as my attacks tend to lash out in every direction. But remember, that's not a bad thing. In battle, many kinds of fighters are needed. Offensive fighters, defensive fighters, specialists, and support units. It takes wizards of all stripes to wage a successful battle. That's why some of us choose to practice more than one kind of magic, to make up for our abundance of specialists."

Wendy claps her hands together excitedly. "I see, so that's why you know how to make barriers, right!?"

"Yes." My hands glow a little. "I can also break curses, and make people fall asleep. I can serve several purposes, as well as being a front-line fighter because of my wind magic. I'm fast enough that being able to get the first strike in makes up for what I lack in raw power."

Carla scrutinizes me carefully. "Yes…however, you are not lacking in power."

"Well, I suppose not." I shrug a little. "But I wouldn't to subject anyone to me and Natsu having a full on roaring competition. I think that if we aimed our roars at each other, he would probably be able to push mine back, before the two elements would start decimating everything within a five mile radius. Fire and wind make a potent combination. So keep that in mind in case you ever find yourself in battle with a partner. Air and wind magic are quite versatile, and can be combined with nearly anything else, with very powerful, and very interesting effects."

Wendy nods, and it looks like she's making a lot of mental notes. "Okay, is there anything else I should know?"

I think about it for a second, before nodding. "Yeah, I guess." I focus magic into my fingers, making little blades of wind around them. "This is the Wind Dragon's Shining Claws. When magic is expelled from my foot, it's the Wind Dragon's Talon. Natsu has his Fire Dragon's Iron Fist, as well as his Fire Dragon's Talon. And Gajeel has his Iron Dragon's Demon Lance. Basically, apart from the roar and talon, you can make up and name your own moves. The special ones get special names, and there are some secret arts that you would have to learn from your dragon parent. But I just made up one of mine, the Spear of the Gale. So as Dragon Slayers, we get some leeway with our magical attacks."

Carla turns up her nose a little. "How silly, to just name spells however you like."

"It works for us." I ignore her and turn back to Wendy. "So, I want you to come out here with me and practice every afternoon. We'll work on your basic combat spells together, and I'll see what I can do about getting you some of my magic books for reading. You might find some extra support magic in one of them."

"Really!?" Wendy's eyes start shining again. "Thank you!" She lunges forward into my arms, wrapping hers around my waist.

I pat her on the head gently. "Alright…so are you ready to really get to work?"

She leans away and nods her head, her eyes still shining brightly with excitement. "Yeah!"

And is how I got my first ever magic student.


	70. Gildarts Returns

**After this chapter, the Edolas Arc begins. Now, I know that a lot of people don't like this arc much. And that's why I'll be trying to spice it up as much as possible. You know...within reason. Hopefully, it will turn out better than the original.**

 **Oh, and can anyone guess whether or not Ciara will be able to use any magic in Edolas?**

* * *

"So what is this formula again?" Wendy points to the next page in my book as I look over her shoulder. She's been taking her training seriously, and she's been improving her combat abilities by leaps and bounds. It's only been a week, but she's been learning so much that it makes me proud to be her teacher.

I examine the formula and smile. "That's a spell for making your hair change color. I tried it once…and my hair turned green for a week. It's definitely not a spell for a novice, that's for sure." Better to warn her off it now before she ends up with a hair day from hell.

Lucy glances over, smiling. "Gotta say, you two are looking right at home at Fairy Tail."

Wendy looks up at her, returning the smile. "Yeah."

Carla stops sipping her tea for a moment. "Actually, we live in the girls-only dorm."

"How come you don't live there too, Lucy? It's really nice and cozy." Wendy asks it as an innocent question, and I chuckle, seeing as she doesn't know about how Natsu keeps breaking into Lucy's house at random hours.

Lucy deadpans. "Yeah, well, I didn't find out about it until after I got my place. Plus, the rent there is like a hundred thousand jewel a month. My apartment is way more affordable, and I'm broke."

Wendy laughs nervously. "Well, if it wasn't for all of Ciara's training, I probably wouldn't be able to afford a place in the dorms."

I smile faintly at her. "Well, I've got more money than I need, so I don't mind having you tag along on jobs. Besides, it's good practical experience for you." I've taken a few jobs lately, and she's tagged along on them. They're never particularly dangerous, but they've paid well, and Wendy's dorm room is paid up for the next three months thanks to those jobs. That's leaving her with plenty of time to study.

Wendy turns to me. "Why don't you live in the dorms?"

I nearly choke on my drink at her question. So I put it down to avoid a disaster. "Well, that's because I bought my own house when I was fourteen. I saved up a ton of money from my jobs, then went on a big S-Class job all by myself, and I bought a house a little while after I got back. I wanted to have a place to myself, and some space from Natsu. And the best part is that I can renovate it however I like. So I added a third story to it a few months ago."

"Wow…" Wendy looks at me, her eyes shining in awe. "That's so cool."

I open my mouth to respond to her, but I'm cut off by Warren and Max bursting into the guild hall. "Big news!" And when the bells start ringing in Kardia Cathedral, I know very well what that means.

Lucy is confused, and rightfully so. "What's up?"

"Sounds like bells." Wendy and Carla catch on quickly as well.

Natsu looks off the balcony eagerly. "I'll bet I know why they're ringin'."

"Yeah!" Elfman starts cheering.

Gray is just as excited. "That's awesome!"

"Old Gildarts is comin' back home!" Natsu crows eagerly, doing very badly at containing his excitement.

The whole guild bursts into a flurry of cheers and drinking. "Gildarts is back!"

"Gildarts?" Lucy looks at me quizzically. "Who's that? Are they in the guild? I don't think I've ever even heard of them before."

I smile at the door, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to this. "Yeah, you could say that."

Mira nods. "He's the strongest wizard in Fairy Tail."

"Whoa, are you serious?" Lucy starts getting visible goosebumps, which is actually quite a feat considering that the weather is only getting warmer. "I thought that Erza and Ciara were at the top around here!"

"All modesty aside, I don't even hold a candle to him." Erza smiles, looking just as pleased about his impending return.

And I've got to agree. "Yeah…we don't really include him in the rankings much, since he's unfairly strong. Plus, he's older than most of us, and the ones who do most of the rankings are in their twenties of younger." I shrug a little. "I think they mostly just leave it to us teenagers to decide how we all rank."

Lucy sweatdrops. "I'll bet that this guy must be the king of breaking stuff, then."

"Well, you're not wrong." I grin at the thought of his crash magic. "I'll be surprised if he doesn't crush something within five minutes of arriving. Shorter, if Natsu has his way."

Another sweatdrop from our confused blond. "Well, it's good he's back, but I don't understand why everyone's going totally nuts."

"Look how happy they all are." Wendy looks out at the celebration, and the happiness seems to be infecting her as well.

Carla nods. "They're certainly more out of control than usual."

"It's only natural everyone's excited." Mira's smile brightens, if that's possible. "He's been gone quite a while. Three years in fact."

Lucy's eyes widen. "That's so crazy. So what has he been doing?"

Mira goes right into teacher mode. "Well, we have regular jobs and S-Class quests. Above those are SS-Class quests. And above those are jobs called Decade Quests."

"Decade Quests?" Lucy's eyes widen even more, and I imagine that a hundred little scenarios and explanations are running rampant through her head.

Erza nods. "They're jobs that no one has been able to complete in the last ten years. Thus, the name, Decade Quest." And here comes the kicker. "Actually, Gildarts took on an even higher level job than that. A Century Quest."

"You've got to be kidding!" I think Lucy's brain just exploded. "Who in their right mind would take a job that no one has completed in a hundred years!?"

"Him." Erza says it like its nothing.

But I just grin at the door. "A complete nutter, that's who." I glance at Lucy, ready to freak her out. "We may be a crazy guild, but I'd say that apart from Natsu, Gildarts is the craziest one here."

Then comes the announcement throughout the town. "Prepare to commence Magnolia's Gildarts Shift! Citizens, please take your designated positions immediately!"

Carla seems a bit put off by the announcement. "I'm all for festive, but this is just ridiculous."

"They sure are excited." Wendy sweatdrops a little.

I look over at my new young protegee. "Trust me, all of the fanfare is well-needed. And judging by the announcement, you've got about ten minutes until you see why."

Lucy frowns. "What the heck is a 'Magnolia Gildarts Shift' anyway?"

"Step outside and see for yourself." Erza says that like it's not going to completely blow poor Lucy's mind. Or what's left of it, anyway.

The cathedral bells ring as the city starts shifting. The whole place is built on metal plates that rise up and make a path straight from the front gates of the city, all the way to the guild hall.

And Lucy gets to see it firsthand. "Magnolia just split in two!"

"A precautionary measure for Gildarts' Crash magic." Erza explains that with a smile.

Mira pipes in. "Since he destroys everything that he touches, it's much better for everyone if he stays clear of their homes and businesses."

"Like, he just walks right through them!?" Lucy loses yet another of her now dwindling brain cells. "You modified the town just cause he's clumsy!?"

Wendy's eyes start sparkling again. "He sounds amazing!"

"Yes, amazingly, stupid." Carla may be right there. Gildarts may be nice, and a very affectionate old man, but he's definitely not the brightest bulb in the shed.

Natsu comes racing down to the front as our dragon slayer eyes catch sight of the familiar figure. "Here he comes!"

"Aye!" Happy flutters around, too excited to bother landing.

And when the old bag of farts finally comes walking in, he takes a look around and appears to be very confused. But that doesn't deter Natsu. "Come on, ya old geezer! Let's throw down!"

"Here we go…" I shake my head and watch my brother's stupidity.

Gildarts, on the other hand, ignores him and approaches Mira, who smiles in greeting. "Welcome home."

Gildarts looks down at Mira. "Sorry to bother you, Miss. But I'm looking for a guild that used to be around these parts called Fairy Tail."

"This is it! Remember me? Mirajane." She seems to have forgotten that her appearance has changed greatly since Gildarts left three years ago, and that he might not recognize her without the ponytail, leather close, and constant scowl.

"Huh? Mira?" He looks down at her, completely baffled. Then he smiles. "Wow! You sure have grown a lot, little girl!" He looks around in a daze. "And did you change some stuff around the hall, too?"

I stand up and walk over to Natsu. "Feel like showing him a couple of faces he can't possibly forget?"

"Oh yeah!" Natsu grins at me, and the two of us race to the top of the stairs. And Natsu grins eagerly. "Gildarts!"

That sure gets his attention, and the old man grins as he spots us. "Well, now that's a couple of faces I can't possibly forget. Natsu, Ciara, it's been a while." His eyes flick over the two of us quickly. "You two sure have grown. You've gotta be like half a foot taller now."

I smirk a little. "Eight inches, actually."

"And that's not all that's grown." Natsu grins eagerly, chuckling in anticipation. Then, he jumps high into the air. "Good to see ya! Now let's party!"

 _I saw this coming…_ I shake my head and watch as Natsu aims a punch at Gildarts. And as he nearly lands the hit, Gildarts casually spins Natsu around and flips him head over heels, sending him careening across the guild hall and straight into the ceiling..

"Not now, kid." Gildarts, same as always. Then he turns to me. "You gonna come attack me to?"

"Are you kidding? I laugh and shake my head. "I don't think that I would make a very nice wall decoration, so I'll have to pass."

Gray grins. "Same ol' tough guy we've always known." And gray has known him even longer that most of us, seeing as he was brought to the guild by Gildarts. Sort of.

"Genuine, old fashioned man's man." And that's about as high a compliment as you can get from Elfman.

Gildarts takes another good look around. "I see a couple of new faces around here, too. A lot happened while I was gone."

"Gildarts!" Gramps calls the old man over to the bar.

With a smile on his face, Gildarts head for the bar "Oh, Master, you're looking well."

"How'd the job go?" Gramps always did know how to get straight to the point.

"Hmm…" Gildarts pats his head and starts laughing. "No goo. Way too much for me."

That's quite the shock to the crowd. Though I'm a little less shocked, because I noticed a while ago that there's something off with Gildarts. He smells weird, and he's walking funny.

Gray doesn't seem to have noticed anything wrong. "I can't believe he'd just give up like this."

Elfman isn't bothered. "I guess it takes a big man to admit defeat."

"I see. The job was too tough." Gramps says it like commenting on the weather.

"Forgive me for bringing shame to the guild." Gildarts sounds sorry, but honestly, with a job like that, there's nothing to be ashamed of. As long as he did his best, that's all that matters. And he came back to us alive.

Gramps seems to agree with me. "No. You've only brought yourself back in one piece. That's no small feat in itself. As far as I know, you're the only one who's made the journey home alive."

Gildarts smiles. "Thanks, boss. Now I gotta get back home and start to actually feel alive. Rest my weary bones." Then he pauses on his way out. "Oh, Natsu, Ciara." That gets our attention. "Stop by later. I brought something back for you two." Then he gets walking again, heading straight for a wall. "Well, I'm outta here you guys." And as expected, he smashes right through the wall, once again, completely by accident.

Mira just smiles. "I was afraid of that."

Like most of the other's Warren's jaw has dropped. "You can use the front door, ya know!"

Natsu laughs eagerly. "Wonder what the old man's got for us! I'm fired up just thinking about it!" And the idiot goes and punches a huge hole right through the wall.

"One wall breaker around here is enough!" While I agree with Max, sometimes, he needs to take that stick out of his ass.

Sighing, I head for the front door, and Lucy cringes. "Are you gonna break something too!?"

I turn around and roll my eyes. "Oh yeah, totally. I was gonna smash right through half the city on my way to Gildarts' place." She deadpans, and I shake my head. "Jeez…I'm not Natsu…" I walk through the doors and close them behind me, not breaking a single thing. Because really, I'm not the destructive idiot that my big brother is.

I remember exactly where Gildarts' house is, so I walk straight there, not minding that Natsu has probably already beaten me there.

But instead of being beaten there, I run into Natsu on the way over. "Hey, what happened to all your enthusiasm?" I clap him on the back, grinning. "Shouldn't you have beaten me there?"

He chuckles. "Yeah, I guess, but I waited for ya instead."

"Aw…how sweet." I giggle a little.

Happy has to get in on the fun too. "You love her!"

Usually, Natsu would be totally pissed off by Happy's annoying tone, but he just laughs. "Of course I do! She's my little sister!"

I turn around, walking backwards so that I'm face to face with Happy. "And we love you too. Remember that."

That makes the little guy smile, and he barrels straight into my chest, nuzzling against my warm skin. "Yeah…I love you guys too."

Natsu starts getting hypes up now. "I wonder what he brought back for us. Maybe some rare fire from another kingdom! Or maybe he brought you back a spell book!"

A minute later, we walk right through his front door. And Natsu raises his hand high. "Yo!"

"What's up, man!?" Happy waves to Gildarts from my arms.

The old man turns to look at us, smiling gently. "Hey, good to see ya."

Natsu takes a look around, reveling in nostalgia. "Man, it's been a long time since we've been here."

"Seems like it's been forever." I'll agree with Happy on that one. After Gildarts left, I just took job after job, and I spent almost as much time away from home as he did.

Natsu cuts right to the chase. "So, whatcha got for us, Pops!?"

"Never mind that." He brushes us off lightly. "So Ciara, have you and Gray made any progress with those crushes of yours? And Natsu, what about you and little Lisanna? How have you all been getting along since I've been gone?"

If there was ever a way to darken the atmosphere, he's nailed it. He's just brought up two painful events with only a month between them. And that was a pretty dark period for the whole guild. A month of me and Natsu refusing to speak to each other, and then losing Lisanna.

"What?" Natsu's voice is flat and cold, and not something pleasant.

Gildarts just grins. "You don't have to play coy!" Then he goes ahead and laughs.

Natsu's voice remains flat and cold. "Lisanna died, two years ago."

I sigh and nod. "A month after me and Gray broke up. It's the only thing that got me and Natsu talking again after what happened with Gray. I was Mira's shoulder to cry on. And Natsu made her headstone."

Gildarts' laughter and grin disappear in an instant, replaced by shock and horror. "You're serious?" Our expression must tell him so, because he drops his head to his hands. "I see. That explains why Mira…" He can't seem to figure out what he wants to say. "My condolences."

His voice still cold, but angry now, Natsu turns away. "If that's all you wanna talk about, I'm out."

I stay perfectly still. "Natsu, I'm sure that he just wanted to tease us before getting to the serious bit. He had no idea what happened, so don't blame him for it." Secretly, I'm trying very hard to practice what I preach.

Gildarts takes a breath, and his tone becomes very serious. "Listen, while I was gone, I met a dragon."

My eyes widen, and Natsu turns on a dime as I nearly choke. "You actually saw a dragon!?"

He nods. "It's not the one you two are looking for, though. It was black as a moonless night."

"Where was it?" Even so, Natsu will take that as a hint that might get us closer to Igneel. And for the first time in a long time, I start to share his hopes again. If Gildarts saw tangible proof of a dragon flying around, then that means that Igneel might really be out there somewhere.

"Sacred Mt. Zonia." That location is far to the north of here. It would take a while to get there, especially on foot. "He's the real reason why I failed on my quest." As Natsu turns to leave, Gildarts calls out to him. "So what are you gonna do?"

"Well, obviously, I'll ask him if he knows where Igneel is." He says it like we can just go up and ask any random dragon about the whereabouts of our own.

"Think again, kid." Gildarts' tone sounds ominous. "That black one's long gone by now. He's out flying in the wild blue yonder."

Natsu snaps. "I don't care, I can track him down if I put my mind to it! And Ciara is an expert at tracking people through the air!"

Gildarts shuffles his cloak and stands up. "Look at me." What he shows us stops all of our thoughts dead in their tracks. "It was over before I knew what hit me. It ripped off my arm, my leg, and then it gutted me." And sure enough, his arm is now a metal prosthetic, and his leg is a piece of wood stuffed into a boot. And there are bandages all over his midsection. He drops the cloak back over himself. "Igneel may be a different kind of creature, but I'm telling you this black one is no friend to anyone. There's not a man that could beat him."

After recovering from his shock, Natsu starts glaring. "Look, we Dragon Slayers aren't just called that for nothing, ya know! This guy doesn't stand a chance against what we're capable of!" Natsu's eyes find mine, and I nod, letting him know that if he wants me, I'm with him in this fight.

Gildarts sighs. "If that's what you believe, I'm not gonna try to stand in your way."

"Good!" Natsu balls his fists and goes running, leaving me and Happy in the hut.

I take a deep breath and turn to Gildarts. "A dragon, huh?"

He nods. "Remember to have each other's backs, alright? There might not be a man out there that can beat that thing, but maybe a couple of dragons can."

"Of course." I smile and think of Natsu. "We'll always have each other's backs." I turn on heel and head for the door, sprinting outside and following my nose as I race after Natsu's scent.

I find him lying in the river, staring at the sky. "Igneel…"

Hovering over the water, I float over to my silly brother. "You know, if you stay in there too long, you're gonna catch a cold."

He glances at me, then smiles. "Yeah, I guess you're right." He pulls himself out of the water and bursts into flames, drying himself off. "Can't go looking for Igneel if I'm sick, right?"

"Right." I smile encouragingly. "And before we go, I'll make sure to study up on as much dragon lore as I can find. Best to be prepared, right?"

"Yeah!" With my brains, and Natsu's enthusiasm, we just might manage to find Igneel one day.

All we can do now is try.


	71. Sucked Away

**The reviews are definitely letting me feel the love. They get me all fired up!**

 **Seriously, though, this story really makes me feel happy to update. Over a hundred follows, and almost as many reviews? That really pleases me. And the views? Over 26k!**

 **I bet you guys can see why this is by far my favorite story. It's also the one I have the most inspiration for. And there's no shortage of material to draw on, of course. Canon or otherwise.**

 **And I got six more reviews, one in particular that really pumped me up. But for the sake of not spoiling, I won't be able to answer most of the questions asked up here in the reply section. Just know that all of the queries will be answered, hopefully to everyone's satisfaction. Those queries being the use of the dragon slayer lacrima in her heart, her Edolas version, as well as the other Natsu's reaction. I've had these answers planned out for ages! Though I think that Gildarts will find out about what Ciara tried to pull on the way to Tenrou Island, since both of them will be part of the S-Class exam.**

 **But once again, I was not planning on giving her an exceed, since she already shares Happy with Natsu. And she doesn't need any help flying.**

 **And I'm quite pleased that yet another reader could see her as an actual character in the manga and anime. Making convincing characters isn't easy…**

* * *

With a huge rainstorm discouraging anyone from leaving the city, I decide to stay home for the day and get a head start on my research into dragon lore. Wendy has one of my books, so she'll be able to continue studying, even though we can't go outside. Though I'm sure that half of Fairy Tail is holed up at the guild hall. It's the biggest, warmest place in the city with ample amounts of food and alcohol.

But I don't really feel like putting up with all of the noise at the guild hall, since people tend to get bored when they can't work. And honestly, I don't feel like making the effort to fly up into the clouds to change the weather. Somehow, that tends to backfire on me by just moving the storm, or spreading it out. Plus, I really don't want to have to take a Natsu style steam bath to get all the water out of my hair.

So, that leaves me with my library for the rest of the day. Though I wish that books on dragons were more common, because I have a grand total of two stashed away on my bookshelves. And that's not nearly enough for me.

* * *

Sometime into the afternoon, the storm raging outside begins to intensify. Lighting starts flashing through the sky, and I get the distinct feeling that something is off as I look out the window. _That's not a normal storm…_ Knowing how to tell storms apart is my specialty, after all, they're something I can create out of nothing with my own power. _Maybe someone is using magic…but who? I'm the only one with the power to control the weather to this extent. And even then, I don't do rain. That's Juvia's department. And she can't make a storm this big. Nor does she have any reason to, unless Gray went and broke her heart…_

Then, the lightning starts striking the ground, and there are tremors all throughout the city. My magical wards flash as some kind of magic starts to attack my house. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue. But my wards break, and everything starts to warp, then glow a blindingly bright white all around me.

On reflex, I curl myself into a ball and let the wind wrap itself around me, shielding me in a tight wind barrier. _What the hell is going on out there!? Is it a dark guild!? No way, I would have smelled them getting close…it can't be an enemy attack! So what the hell is causing this freak storm!?_

After a minute, all of the tremors die down, s I unwrap myself from the wind and look around. There's nothing left, nothing but clouds of dust. I've never seen anything like this before. It's not like an explosion that obliterates everything it touches. There's no ash, no debris. Everything just looks like it's been erased. Not turned back in time, just erased. It might be an interesting phenomenon to study. But first, I have to go and find out if anyone else made it through.

My first instinct, of course, is to sniff the air. And through it, I can tell that there are only a few people left in the entire city. Or rather, what used to be the city.

Natsu and Happy.

Wendy and Carla.

Lucy, Gajeel, and Mystogan.

And me.

That's a grand total of eight people, all of us members of Fairy Tail, and half of us dragon slayers. _I wonder if that's a coincidence or not…? Knowing our luck…I'm guessing not._

My ears twitch as I pick up Wendy's voice. "Is anybody out there!? Answer me!"

Homing in on her voice and her scent, I race towards the little dragon slayer. _Please, let me get there before something happens to her…_ I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to Wendy within flying distance of me. Despite her amazing progress, she's still rather green. And if she's alone with an enemy attack looming, then something serious could happen to her.

Thankfully, my wish is granted as she falls to her knees. "They're gone. I'm alone. Why am I the only one who gets left behind?" She's crying. "Is there some law of the world that says I can't have a home or family?"

"Of course not…" I crouch behind her and wrap my arms around her, startling her a bit. "I'm here too."

"Ciara!" She spins around, tears in her eyes and on her cheeks. "Oh thank goodness! You're okay!" The poor kid looks like she's been crying her eyes out, probably in despair.

"Of course I am." I smile gently at her, my voice dropping to a calm, soothing tone. "It takes more than a storm to get the better of me." I sniff the air a bit and turn towards a small pile of dirt. "And we're not alone. Looks like Natsu went and got himself buried again." I stare at the dirt and open my mind. _Get up, moron!_

At my command, the dirt shuffles a little, and out of the ground pops Natsu. He looks dazed and confused. "Uh, is this a dream? What's going on? Bubbles!?" He looks around at the small bubbles floating through the air. "Whoa! Where are we!?"

Wendy blinks, confusion settling in her eyes as well. "Natsu, Ciara, do you guys have any idea what happened!?"

Natsu pushes himself to his feet. "Nope, not a clue."

I stand as well, pulling Wendy up with me. "I know that there was a highly unnatural storm overhead, then, everything warped and went white. That's when I wrapped myself in a wind barrier. Next thing I knew, everything looked like this, and your voice was all I could hear."

Wendy looks around, her eyes glazing over. "This is all that's left. A giant hole opened in the sky. The guild hall, the town, and everyone else got sucked into it!" She starts bawling again. "I'm afraid we're the only ones who made it out alive!"

Natsu stares blankly at her, then starts examining her head. "Uh, Wendy, don't panic, but I think you may have a couple of loose marbles in here."

"It's loose screws…" I deadpan a little as Wendy vehemently denies the allegation. Though it seems that they both need to learn the difference between losing your marbles and having a few screws loose. Though if anyone was going to mix the sayings together, it doesn't surprise me that it would be Natsu.

Then she pulls away and her eyes widen. "Hold on, do you think the three of us were left behind because we're dragon slayers?" It seems that she's come to one of the possible conclusions that ran through my mind. Though that doesn't explain Happy and Carla. Lucy has plenty of Celestial Spirits, so one of them might have come to her rescue. I know that they've done that before. And then there's Mystogan…somehow, I get the feeling that he could survive anything.

"That's exactly why." Carla comes floating over, wings out. _Well, at least someone knows something about what's going on here._ Though I'm not entirely certain that I can trust the white cat, judging by the tone she's using.

Wendy lets out a sound of relief. "Carla! You're safe! I thought I'd lost you!"

The rude little cat crosses her arms. "In fact, we're lucky you're a dragon slayer, or you'd have suffered the same fate as the others. Not that I care." And that's borderline treason to the guild…not caring about your comrades. "All that matters to me is that you're alive."

"Carla…" Wendy sounds rather crestfallen. _At least Wendy cares that everyone else is gone._

Natsu, on the other hand, is pissed off. "Alright, I can't take your attitude anymore! You're saying the others disappearing isn't important!?" Then he switches gears entirely, staring at Wendy with incredulous eyes. "Wait, you mean that crazy story you told me was true!?"When she nods, he turns towards what would have been the guild hall. "Hello!? Can anyone hear me!?"

"Don't waste your breath, there's no one left to hear you." Carla says it like she really doesn't care. "They've been taken by the Anima, and therefore, no longer exist. That giant hole in the sky? It's actually the gateway to Edolas. The world on the other side."

Wendy's eyes widen. "Edolas?"

Natsu comes back over, growling. "Would ya quit talkin' nonsense already!? I don't understand a word! Tell me where they went!"

I scrutinize Carla, looking for any hint of a lie. She's definitely hiding things, but as far as I can tell, she's not lying. "This is sounding like some parallel world and dimensional magic crap. Which, by the way, I'm not even close to figuring out yet. There's a severe lack of reading material on that subject."

Wendy presses against Natsu, who is still seething. "Calm down!" She glances back at Carla. "Okay, what's going on? How do you know this stuff? Come to think of it…" Wendy is on the right track now. "Why didn't you get taken by the storm, too?"

And right on time, Happy drops in. "What happened, Natsu!?" Then he spots me. "Ciara! You're okay! But everything went poof! Why did everything go poof!? I'm freaking out!"

Natsu's attention is immediately taken up by our pet. "Happy!" I guess it's lucky for us that Natsu has a very short attention span.

I chuckle slightly and shake my head. "Good to see you Happy…" Then I glance at Carla. "As for what happened…that's what we're trying to find out."

Carla only shrinks a little under my gaze, and moves her eyes elsewhere. "The reason I appear so informed about Edolas is because I am from there." She looks back up sternly. "As is the one you call 'Happy'."

Wendy moves forward slightly, not believing her ears. "Wait, you can't be serious." But considering how Happy is looking, he's torn between believing Carla, and believing his own memories. Because I know that he's never heard a thing about this before. If he had, the chatterbox definitely would have said something. Natsu and I raised him, Natsu even hatched him. Happy was born and raised here, not in the world called Edolas.

Carla sighs. "I'm sorry, child, but it's true. The tomcat and I are to blame for this atrocity."

Natsu blinks, once again showing his confusion. "Hold up, back up a sec. So there's this other world called Edolas?"

Carla nods. "A world that exists independently from the one we know. And unfortunately, a world that's begun losing its magic."

"They're running out of magic there?" Wendy's emotions are given away as her voice is laced with sympathy.

Natsu, however doesn't seem to grasp the idea. "What do you mean by that?"

Neither does Happy. "How is that possible?"

Carla turns away. "Unlike here, in Edolas, magic is a finite resource. Without limits on its use, it will on day disappear forever. In an attempt to restore their rapidly diminishing magic power reserves, the king of Edolas developed a spell that would absorb it from another world, our world. It is a very powerful spell indeed. He called it Anima. That is what opened the hole in the sky."

I look up to the sky, where the storm continues to rage. _I knew it…magic did this. I knew that there was no way that this storm was natural. And if it doubles as a portal…_

"So that's it." Wendy's voice snaps me out of my thoughts. And it sounds to me like she's thinking about something.

Carla continues, undeterred. "Six years ago, they began setting up Anima vortices all along the barrier between our worlds. But the experiment did not go as they planned. It seems someone had made it their goal to close them, one by one. But this Anima was simply too large. No one was strong enough to close it. And thus, the guild and everything surrounding it was absorbed."

In order to get to the bottom of this, I tally up those who are left. And the most likely option for who has been running around closing the barriers would have to be Mystogan. Why else, then, would he be here right now when one of those portals has burst open, only to be one of the few who hasn't been sucked in?

Following my lines of logic, if he is the one closing them, which would explain by he's always out of town, then he would have some way of not getting sucked through. His arrival at Fairy Tail would also have occurred soon after these portals opened, according to Carla. Because I faintly remember him joining the guild within months of Happy's birth. It might all just be a coincidence, but…this is Fairy Tail. Somehow, there's always something coming back to bite us in the ass.

 _Alright…so if we're dealing with a parallel world, and if my hunch about Mystogan is right…_ I bite my lip as I analyze the details. _Then how did he find out about the Anima portals leading to Edolas…and why does he look so much like Jellal?_

Natsu, unlike me, isn't looking for complicated answers. "Why would they go after Fairy Tail like that?"

"I told you." Carla huffs a little impatiently. "To provide more magic power to those in Edolas."

"So they chose Fairy Tail because it has a lot of top class wizards? Because there was more power to take!?" Wendy's observation makes sense. Except, of course, for the fact that Natsu, Gajeel, and I have been left behind. And the three of us have no shortage of magic. Well, most of the time.

"That's correct." With Carla's confirmation, the question of why we were left behind continues to go unanswered.

And predictably, Natsu's pissed. "I can't believe it! That a seriously selfish move!" Then he starts yelling at the sky. "You'd better give us back all of our friends right now!" But the only response he gets is even more lightning.

Happy starts shaking a little. "You mean it, Carla? This happened because of you and me? It's our fault?"

"Indirectly, yes." I have to wonder about what she means by indirectly.

Thankfully, I wonder no longer as our blue furball's agitation spike. "What do you mean 'indirectly'!?"

"The king entrusted us to complete another mission entirely. Something that was totally independent from the one involving Anima and magic absorption." _Well that hardly explains the indirect involvement…_

"But that's doesn't make sense." Wendy balls up her fists in confusion. "How can that be true when you were born in this world!? Hatched out of an egg!"

Natsu nods irritably. "And Happy was, too. It was me that found him."

"Indeed, we were." Carla bows her head slightly. "To be perfectly honest, I myself, have never personally set foot in Edolas. I was born in this world and have spent my entire life here. It's exactly as Wendy said." Now, there has to be a catch. "But we were imprinted with this knowledge. The details of our mission and of Edolas are part of what makes up our very being. He and I were born to carry out this mission for our kingdom. So why…" She turns on Happy angrily. "Why don't you know the first thing about it!?"

Happy's head droops, and he stares at the ground. "I don't know…"

Carla turns away, scoffing quietly. "Anyway, that's what I meant by indirectly. The Anima that did this originated from our homeland, so that's why we're partially to blame."

"But, what is the mission that you're on, Carla?" Wendy isn't the only one who wants to know what kind of mission her little friend is on. And if it puts anyone I love in danger, there will be hell to pay.

"I can't tell you. I'm sorry." Carla is only making things even more suspicious by staying tight-lipped about this supposed mission of hers. Though something still smells wrong. Because according to her, Happy should have the same mission, and yet, he knows nothing about it. Which means that as far as I know, the only thing she's guilty of is lying by omission.

"Please, tell us." Happy finally raises his head. "I wanna know more about where I came from and why I'm here."

"I said I can't tell you and that's final! You know it, but you just don't remember!" Carla puts and end to Happy's questions in an instant, discouraging our little buddy even more.

Natsu and I glance at each other. _You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?_

 _Yep…so what are we waiting for?_

 _Nothin'. It's time to get this show on the road, right sis?_

 _Yeah._ The two of us are in perfect agreement, and it's at times like this that we are either very right, or very wrong. And we will walk into whatever is ahead together.

Natsu punches his palm eagerly. "Okay guys, listen. Now that the cat's been let outta the bag, we should head out. We gotta get to Edolas!"

"Have you lost your mind!?" Carla's eyes go wide in shock and indignation. "Do you have any idea what's going on here!?"

Wendy looks up at Natsu hopefully. "You mean it?"

I nod and pat Wendy on the shoulder. "Yeah, after all, we've got to get rescue everyone, right?"

We're all interrupted by Happy's stomach growling. We all laugh, and he blushes a little. "Uh…I'm scared. And bein' scared always makes me hungry."

Natsu grins happily. "It's good to have a healthy appetite."

"Coming from the dragon slayer who can toss back an entire buffet table before feeling full…" I roll my eyes at Natsu. "You wouldn't know a healthy appetite if it bit you right in the ass."

Natsu's eye twitches as he turns to me. "Hey! You're in the same boat! I've seen you destroy the kitchen to feed your appetite!"

My eye twitches as well and I slam my forehead against Natsu's. "That was one time, and I was seriously starving. And I also cleaned up after myself. So Mr. Pot, quit calling me black, cause I'm not a kettle."

Natsu snorts, then leans away from me, his grin back on his face. "Come on. If all our friends are up in Edolas, then we got no choice but to go and help em out."

Wendy stops staring at us, and looks up into the sky. "Are they really there?"

"I would assume so. But even if we find them, I'm not entirely sure we can save them." Carla's pessimism really isn't helping the situation. "And what's more. If we can, in fact, reach Edolas, I can't guarantee that we will be able to return here."

 _Not come back…?_ That's a daunting prospect. That means that we would never see the friends we've made in other guilds ever again. And it also means that we might never find Igneel. But our friends are in trouble, and there's no way that we can just leave them stuck in Edolas.

Natsu seems to agree with that last thought, and he grins again. "Oh well. If none of our buddies are in this world, what would be the point of coming back here anyway?" He looks up at the sky. "Except for looking for Igneel, maybe."

Wendy takes in a breath and her eyes shine with a determined light. "I feel the same."

Happy's stomach starts grumbling in protest again. "We should at least try to save all of them. They'd do it for us."

I stare into the swirling vortex overhead and nod. "Looks like the only way through is straight up. It'll be a bumpy ride, but we should be able to fly up there and go right through the portal. You know, as long as we don't get hit by any lightning." I glance at Happy. "I can take Natsu up if you would rather carry Wendy. I know that she's a lot lighter than he is. Unless…" My eyes fall on Carla. "You're willing to carry her to Edolas."

Carla looks up into my eyes, meeting my heavy gaze. She's rising to my challenge quite admirably, considering that this stare can force even Natsu into submission. And then, her head drops a little. "I may have only recently stumbled into being a member of Fairy Tail, but I am indeed a part of the guild. And like I said, I'm indirectly responsible for what happened today, so I'm not completely against taking you there. But, if I am to do this, I will need to lay down a few very firm ground rules." That seems reasonable enough, since she's the only one with any idea of what we're about to walk, or fly, into.

I nod slowly. "Name them."

With the go ahead, she proceeds. "By returning to Edolas, I will be abandoning my mission, one handed down by the kingdom itself. A traitor. I cannot risk being spotted by anyone who would know my identity. We will all need to be in disguise." While I understand the need for her to be in disguise, there's no way that whoever is on the other side knows who we are. If they did, we would have been the first targets.

Natsu points to himself eagerly. "Even me?" I roll my eyes. _No…but if that's what it will take to sell it…_

Wendy looks a little more unsure. "You sure you wanna do this, Carla?"

"I am." The little white cats nods without reservation. "I've made up my mind." Then she turns on Happy. "And listen, tomcat, another rule is you are absolutely not to pry into the details of our mission."

Happy nods dejectedly. "Aye."

"Thirdly, aside from the information I was given at birth, I know nothing about the layout of Edolas." Now I think that she's just trying to be unhelpful. "I cannot be the navigator."

"Got it." Natsu grins. "Ciara's pretty good at that, though. All she needs to do is get a good look around, and she can find a way to get anywhere."

I groan silently. "I just hope that there aren't too many unfamiliar smells there. I really don't need them screwing with my nose."

Carla's eyes narrow a bit as she nods. "And most importantly…" She looks up at all of us, delivering a prophecy of doom. "Should I or the tomcat do anything that would constitute a betrayal towards you, kill us without any hesitation."

That rule puts all of us off a little. Then Happy's stomach growls again. "But that's crazy. I would never do anything to…"

"Stop that disgusting bodily noise!" Carla snaps at Happy, angry with his growling tummy. But it's not his fault, he can't help that hunger is his reaction to fear.

Natsu, Wendy, and I exchange nods. We all know that to do now. I grin as Carla's wings appear. "Well, let's get going then. I'll assume that you'll be taking Wendy?"

Carla nods, turning to Happy. "Tomcat, hold onto Natsu."

"We're gonna fly there?" Happy seems to have missed that part of the discussion while he was spacing out.

Carla floats over towards Wendy. "We have wings for that reason, so we could one day return to our homeland in Edolas."

Natsu pumps his fist into the air, grinning at Happy. "All right then, little buddy. You're gonna show me where you came from!"

After a moment, Happy's hesitation disappears. "Aye, sir!"

"Wonderful." Wind swirls around me, lifting me gently into the air. "Then let's get going. If we don't hurry, our friends might just decide to break out themselves!"

Natsu and Happy grin as our little blue furball latches onto Natsu, hoisting him into the air. Carla does the same with Wendy, and the five of us take off into the sky, heading straight for the portal above our heads.

As we race towards the center of the storm, I can faintly hear Carla yelling something to Happy down below me. Unfortunately, the wind is so loud in my ears that I can't clearly hear anything behind me. Though I can distinctly hear the strangled screaming as we all pick up the pace. Obviously they're not quite used to flying in these kinds of conditions. Whereas I have enough experience to hate flying through storms with a passion.

As the lightning starts to crackle around us, my hair starts standing on end. But we're so close now that I can almost taste it. _Natsu! Let's go!_

 _Yeah!_

Our speed picks up as the light around us brightens. And I feel like we slam right into something when we reach the top of the storm. A pulsing, pounding feeling of energy surrounds me. That's when everything goes white and my mind goes blank.


	72. Landing Hard in Edolas

**I'm sorry for not updating…I've been doing a lot of painting lately (the fence outside, it's been needing a lot of work, which means several coats of paint, and lots of hours outside in the sun) and helping Mom with another project. Oh, and sleeping, let's not forget that I've been trying to catch up on sleep. Then I got sidetracked by Bleach. I've started updating a story in that fandom as well. I just work on and update stories as I get the motivation and inspiration for them. It's better than turning out shoddy work just to get things done quickly.**

 **And as for Ciara's motion sickness…I'm going to get to that later, much later, and it's going to be rather funny, I promise. Because she is most definitely not a second gen dragon slayer. She's a first gen…just needed a little help to get started on her training. So apart from her element, she got all her training from Igneel. Again, something I will explain later during the Tartaros and Alvarez arcs.**

 **Though, fun fact, second gen dragon slayers suffer from motion sickness as well, Laxus admits it during the Grand Magic Games. Those games, I will be tweaking, but only a bit. So look forward to that. In the meantime, I'll try to make the Edolas arc interesting. However, this chapter is going to be a lot of wandering around, getting lost, snarky comments, snarky comebacks, teasing, arguing, and suspicious circumstances.**

 **Now, please enjoy.**

* * *

The blinding light dims, and I can hear Natsu's voice to my left as I open my eyes. "Are we there yet?"

My eyes widen as I take in the scenery. "Uh…yeah. I think so." And that would be an understatement. The world we've landed in has multiple moons floating across the sky in the middle of the day, huge islands that float through the sky, and a river that sails through the sky, ignoring gravity. It's a world that I never would have imagined existed.

We soar through the sky, over the floating islands, decorated with plants that I've never seen before. Even the wind here tastes strange. And there are so many new scents that my head I starting to spin.

 _Looks like navigating is going to be a lot harder than I thought._

"We're actually here." Carla looks around in awe. "We made it."

Happy's voice is far more subdued. "My roots. My homeland."

Taking one more look around, it's still hard to believe what I'm seeing. "There is so much that's wrong with this place…" Not bad, just wrong.

But Wendy is far too preoccupied to hear my little thoughts. "Look at all these floating islands!"

"You come from a pretty cool place, Happy. Don't you think?" Seems like my brother is a little too stuck on what he's seeing, instead of what remains to be felt. Because there's something here that just feels so wrong.

"I don't really know what to think…" Happy looks around, obviously a little star-struck.

Carla looks around in awe. "It's so strange and wondrous."

"I've never even seen trees like these!" Wendy points down below. "Have you!?"

I glance down to the forest. "I haven't…all of these plants are new to me. And that's making me very nervous."

"Oh, lighten up!" Natsu grins widely at me. "This place is awesome!" As his eyes drift away, they find the flying river. "Oh wow! Check it out! There's a river in the sky! Happy, can you believe it!?"

Before Happy can comment, Carla interrupts. "Okay, everyone get a grip on yourself. Remember, we're not here on a sightseeing trip, so be sure to keep your wits about you."

Wendy laughs nervously. "I know, you're right."

"Sorry, sorry." Natsu sure doesn't sound like he's sorry.

But the apologies are going to have to wait for later, because Happy and Carla's wings suddenly glow, before disappearing completely. And the four of them go falling right out of the sky.

 _Shit!_ I have no idea why their magic deactivated so suddenly, but it can't be a good thing. So I zoom down towards the trees, heading straight for the four who are falling quite unceremoniously out of the sky.

Grabbing hold of Wendy and Carla first, I increase my speed a little to catch up with Natsu. _What the hell is going on here!? I didn't sense any kind of attack!_ I toss Wendy up onto my back and let her hold onto Carla. "You two hold on tight, this is going to be a rough landing.

"Okay!" Wendy tightens her grip on me, her arms snaking around my neck.

"Natsu!" I reach my hand out as I spiral through the air towards him. "Grab Happy!"

Seeing me just above him, Natsu reaches out for our furry friend and wraps him in one arm, reaching for my wrist with the other. "I can't reach!"

"Oh yes you can!" I stretch a little further, trying not to pick up too much extra speed. And I manage to catch hold of Natsu's fingers. And just in time too, because we've got twenty feet before we go splat.

Gusts of wind rise up around us, cushioning out fall as we slam into what looks like a giant lollipop, but smells and feels more like some kind of plant. The impact wrenches me and Natsu apart, and tosses Wendy and Carla off my back.

Happy groans and rolls over onto his back. "My wings don't work…"

Wendy pulls herself towards Carla. "How come you can't fly anymore?"

Carla crosses her arms and frowns. "I told you, magic is a limited resource in this world."

"Oh yeah, Carla, you're right!" Wendy claps her hands together. "And I guess I do feel a little strange."

Natsu pulls his head out of the plant's soft upper layer and jumps to his feet. "Let's go! We gotta find where they took all our friends!"

I sweatdrop a little. "And…how do you propose we do that?" I get the feeling that Natsu hasn't thought this through at all.

"Uh…" He holds up a finger, as though an idea is coming to him. "We walk around until we find them?" Scratch that, he's got nothing.

I slide down from the twenty foot tall plant and land softly on the ground. Then I look back up. "Alright, come on Wendy!" I hold my hands up. "Jump!"

She looks over the side, then gets to her feet. "Okay!" She takes a step back, then throws herself off the plant. And luckily, I'm faster than gravity, and I take a couple steps back, catching her easily in my arms.

Placing her carefully on the ground, I pat her on the head. "There you go. That was fun, wasn't it?"

"Yeah!" She smiles brightly at me, then looks up at Carla. "Come on!"

Carla rolls her eyes and makes the jump, aiming for Wendy instead of me. Happy, on the other hand, just leaps over the side, straight into my waiting arms. "I'm so glad you're here…we could have died!"

 _We still might…_ I look up at Natsu and quirk an eyebrow. "You coming? Or do you need me to catch you like a pretty little princess?"

Natsu glares at me and grumbles. "I don't need any help getting down."

"Okay…" I roll my eyes and step away from the plant. "Then get your butt down here, we've got to go!"

"Tch." Natsu backs up, the runs right off the top of the plant, flipping once, and landing perfectly on the ground in front of me. _At least he's got enough athletic ability to make up for the startling lack of brains in his head…_

 _I heard that!_

* * *

The five of us wander through the woods, trying to get the lay of the land. But this place is so different to the world we left behind, that it's hard to figure anything out. And with no smells for reference, and none that resemble the familiar smells of our friends, we've got nothing to work with.

Happy starts getting frustrated. "How will we find em if no one knows their way around?"

"Piece of cake." Natsu grins. "Just follow my nose." He goes sniffing around, and I think that this is a whole new level of idiotic.

I sigh. "Natsu…I can't smell anything familiar. This place might as well be a perfume shop." I once wandered into one of those. And I swore that it would never happen again.

Natsu gives up and groans. "Uh…well this is crappy. There are so many crazy new smells here, my nose is confused."

"Told you so…" I sigh again. _And the wind here is really weird. It must be because of the floating islands, but the currents just don't make any sense. And they all taste weird…_

Wendy sticks her finger in her mouth for a second. "Yeah, it's weird. The air in this place is like nothing I've ever tasted."

"I'll second that…" I try sucking in a few passing breezes. "There's way more pollen here, and something just tastes…weird."

"Oooh." Natsu gets excited. "Does that mean the fire will taste different!?" And there he goes thinking about his stomach, like usual.

Carla gets impatient. "How should I know!?"

"All this talk about tasting is making me even hungrier." Happy rubs his tummy a little, which has thankfully quieted down a little.

Wendy is a little more cautious, thankfully. "I don't know what we could eat here."

"We're in a strange world, and all you can think about is food?" Carla shakes her head exasperatedly.

I shrug. "I think it's a dragon slayer thing. Appetite tends to trump most other concerns. You should see what Gajeel does when he sees a tasty pile of iron."

Before Carla can make a, no doubt, derisive comment on Gajeel's eating habits, Wendy pushes forward again. "So, where are we going, anyway?"

"Beats me." Natsu shrugs. "But we gotta walk somewhere, right? So why not this way?"

Happy sweatdrops. "I was afraid you were gonna say something like that."

"Surprising as it is, the fire breather is right." And the fact that Carla is the one standing up for him is surprising in itself.

Even I have to acknowledge the wisdom in what he says. As unwitting as it may be. "The more we walk around, the higher our chances of finding something. Staying in one spot will get us nowhere.=, except maybe ambushed."

Natsu's stomach growls and Carla snaps. "Stop that!"

"Oh, my bad." Natsu grins unashamedly. Honestly, when it comes to his stomach, there's nothing that he considers to be crossing the line.

Wendy keeps looking around, though I'm not sure what for. "There's no one here. We haven't run into a single person."

Now that I think about it, she's right. "There's supposed to be a kingdom, right? Where are all the people?"

"Is it some kinda forest world?" Happy brings up a great point. This kingdom might not be the kind of kingdom that we're used to. With cities and towns all over the place.

"Surely not." Carla affirms that with great confidence. "We'll still need disguises."

Wendy shakes her head. "But from where? There's nothing."

"Hey." Natsu looks into the bushes and grins. "I've got an idea."

"Oh no…" I back away slowly. "You and thinking aren't exactly on the same page, you know…"

He waves me off and heads into the bushes. "It'll be fine!"

* * *

Five minutes later, I'm pretty sure that this is a terrible idea. "Natsu…no matter what you say, there is no way in hell I'm going to put on a disguise like that."

The four of them are dressed in leaves. And it's not just leaves, it's the weirdest leaves that Natsu could find. It's like he's trying to turn them all into walking planters.

He grins at me. "Oh come on, it'll be fun."

"I think I'll pass…" I turn back in the direction we were heading in earlier. "Come on, we're headed this way."

They follow behind me, all dressed up like a bunch of idiots. And I hear Happy sigh. "I don't know what exactly we're being disguised as…"

"What's the big deal?" I swear that Natsu would probably scratch his head, if he could reach it through all the foliage. "You look like a thing that doesn't look like Happy. Relax, no one's gonna recognize you."

"It's so embarrassing…" Wendy shifts a little in her dress of leaves and flower petals.

Carla, on the other hand, doesn't seem bothered on bit. "Fashion sense aside, I do feel quite a bit more at ease now."

"You do?" Happy seems doubtful. "Not me. It's hot and itchy in this getup. I think I'm allergic to it."

Carla's patience with Happy, although somewhat renewed, seems to be wearing thin once again. "Please try to toughen up, tomcat!"

"Aye…"

I shake my head as we continue walking. "Frankly, you all look more suspicious in those disguises than you do without them."

"Yeah, yeah, whatev-" Natsu's eyes go wide and he points ahead eagerly. "It's that flying river!"

Wendy stops in her tracks, eyes glittering. "I've never seen anything like it before."

"This just reminds me how hungry I am." Happy's whine sounds like it's going to turn into tears soon if we don't put some food into his little belly. And just to prove the point, his stomach starts to grumble. "I bet there's tons of yummy fish swimming in that flying river."

And it would seem that there is, if the man fishing out of the river is any indication. And Wendy spots him too. "There's a man over there!"

"He must be an Edolas native…" Carla muses over that thought, since we haven't run into any natives yet.

Wendy smiles eagerly. "Thank goodness. He looks like a normal person."

"What did you expect people here to look like?" Happy shakes his head, before he starts drooling a little. "He's got the right idea, though. We should be fishing right now."

"Hey, where did Natsu go?" Wendy's simple little question sends shivers down my spine. _Oh no…he's not gonna…_

"Yo!" He pops out of the bushes behind the fishing man. "Lemme ask you somethin'." _Yep...he's doing it..._

Predictably, Natsu went about that entirely the wrong way. And because of that idiotic disguise of his, and his popping up out of nowhere routine, he scares the living daylights out of the poor fisherman. The guy screams at the top of his lungs, loud enough to hurt my poor ears from a good distance.

"Of course…" Wendy is slowly becoming disillusioned with someone she's been considering something of a hero.

"What is he doing!?" Carla's demand for answers will sadly go unmet. Natsu is a mystery even to me a fair bit of the time.

Happy sighs. "Scaring the locals…"

But Natsu is undeterred. "I'm lookin' for a bunch of wizards from the Fairy Tail guild. You seen them around anywhere?"

"Please, don't hurt me!" The guy screams again, then takes off running.

"Wait, hold on!" Natsu tries grabbing for the guy, but misses, and loses sight of the fisherman as he runs off into the woods. "What's his problem? I just wanted a little help."

Carla stomps up to Natsu, with the rest of us in tow. "Think before you act! You walked up to someone minding their own business, while wearing that ridiculous outfit and then started talking about Fairy Tails. Of course you scared him!"

Natsu's eyes glow with impatience. "Okay, then how do you suggest that we find everyone?"

Wendy moves to reassure Natsu, but Carla cuts her off. "Listen! If that man reports us to the authorities, we're through!"

"Let's ditch the costumes then, please." Happy whines again, but he makes a good point.

I kneel down and motion to him. "Come here, Happy." He hops over, and I start loosening the rope that Natsu tied the leaves with. "Jeez, I knew that this was a stupid idea."

"Oh yeah!?" Natsu huffs irritably. "Well, I didn't hear you coming up with anything!"

My mouth twitches. "Well, that might be because I'm still trying to come up with a plan."

As Carla sheds the leaves and petals tied onto her, her own impatience shows. "Now we're in even more of a hurry to find them."

As I clean the last of the leaf gunk out of Happy's fur, I nod. "We've got a clock and it's ticking down. So let's get out of these woods and up to higher ground as soon as we can."

Happy jumps around and starts us off with a pace to continue through the forest. "This feels a million times better! But I really wish that guy hadn't run off with his fishing rod."

"Oh, did I mess that up too?" Natsu's pout is starting to show.

A strange sound echoes in my ears, a kind of strangled breathing, or more like…something trying to breathe underwater. And it stops me in my tracks.

Without noticing that I've stopped, Wendy takes a look around. "Hey, did anyone else hear a strange noise just a second ago?"

"Oh, another fisherman? This guy'll know something for sure!" Natsu's eagerness is getting the better of him. And it's hard to believe that he missed that creepy sound.

"I think I heard it…" I look around, trying to hear out whatever made the sound. Sniffing it out is downright impossible in this weird-smelling world.

"Is there a brain in your head!?" Carla's shrill admonishment of Natsu rings in my ears, making it impossible to track down the source of the sound.

Then, Happy is the one to catch the perpetrator. He points down into the water below our fallen tree bridge. "Whoa, big fishy alert!"

"Awesome!" Natsu grins. "Now stand back while I grab us dinner!"

But before he can make a strike, the so-called fish emerges from the water, towering thirty feet above us. And that's without the rest of its body still soaking in the water. My eyes widen and I shake my head. "That thing's enormous!"

But instead of being afraid of the giant fish, Natsu's stupid courage ignites. "We won't go hungry at least! I'm all fired up!"

"Natsu." Wendy tugs on his vest. "We don't have enough time to catch him."

Natsu punches his fist into his palm. "All I need is just a couple of seconds!" He leaps into the air, ready to knock this giant fish through the air. "Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

The first problem I note is that I can't sense any magical energy coming from Natsu at all. And that would certainly explain the distinct lack of flames around his hand as he flies towards the fish. He smacks the thing square in the head, and it does absolutely nothing. He just bounces right off its squishy head. And then he goes and gets himself smacked into the water.

"Natsu!" Wendy, Happy and I all yell for him, but the fool just barely resurfaces.

He sounds a little woozy and water pours off his head. "My fire's put out."

Carla jumps up and down angrily. "How many times do I have to tell you!? You can't use magic in Edolas like you can in our world!"

That sobers Natsu up fast. "Only one thing left to do."

"Run for it!" Wendy screams and bolts for the other side of the bridge.

Natsu swims for the bank, and I jump down to pull him out of the water. But just when I think we're safe, that stupid giant fish starts chasing us. Across land.

We're screwed without magic.

Wendy picks up Carla and keeps sprinting along. "It can run on land!?"

With Happy holding on to him, Natsu books it as well. "This place is really gonna suck if we can't use our magic here!"

"And it took all this to make you realize that, Natsu!?" Happy is not impressed.

"Hey guys!" Wendy raises her voice just loud enough to be heard. "I'm afraid that running around screaming and being chased by this monster is gonna attract a lot of unwanted attention!"

"Well this was the monster's genius idea, so don't blame me!" Natsu seems to have forgotten that it was his idea to try making this monster fish into our dinner in the first place.

As we come to the edge of the forest, I can see a cliff ahead. "Okay guys, I've got an idea!" I reach inside myself, and for some reason, I can still feel my magic there. Why? I don't know. But I don't care, because I'm going to use it to protect everyone.

We race out onto the cliff and Natsu raises his voice again. "Oh, just great! It's a dead end! Way to go, Ciara!" He turns to our little blue buddy. "Please, Happy, you gotta fly us outta here!"

"I can't use magic either!" And that's awfully inconvenient if two of our rides are out of commission. That leaves only me.

I skid to a stop and face the oncoming giant fish. "Everyone get down and leave this to me!"

Natsu freezes. "What do you mean leave it to you!? You can't use magic either!"

"Wanna bet!?" As the fish comes crashing out of the trees, I charge it. "Wind Dragon's Talon!"

Wind magic explodes from my foot, and I drive my kick upwards, bracing my hands against the ground as the fish comes crashing over me. Using its momentum, I shoot it upwards just enough to make it sail straight over all of our heads, and into the flying river that soars just off the cliff-side.

Natsu pales as he looks over the side of the cliff. "Holy crap. Not having magic is super hard!"

"Indeed…" Carla turns to me, looking suspicious. "And in that case, how is it that you're still able to use magic, while the rest of us can't?"

I shrug. "Dunno. But I can, and it saved all our butts. So don't go complaining, alright?"

Wendy sighs. "I'm just glad that everyone's okay."

"I'd be a heck of a lot better with a bunch of fish in my tummy." And Happy is still thinking about his poor, empty stomach. Though it is true that we're going to have to find some way to deal with getting food.

"Well, I've had more than my fill of foolishness today." Carla looks at me again, still suspicious of me. But I have no answers for her. Until I learn the precise mechanics of this world, I won't have a definitive answer.

 _That said…_ I touch my chest, the spot just over my heart. _It feels like all of my magic power is concentrated here, instead of flowing evenly throughout my body. It's a strange feeling…_

Then, Carla turns on Natsu. "This would be much easier if you didn't cause a ruckus everywhere you go!"

What she's asking is impossible, and I shake my head. "You do realize that this is Natsu, right? Making a ruckus is kinda his calling card."

Natsu looks guilty fast. "So it's my fault, really?"

Carla nods. "You certainly play a large part in our troubles. We no longer have disguises. If people from the kingdom discover us roaming around, there's no telling what they'll do! And if we get taken into custody, you can forget about saving the others! We'll have our work cut out for us trying to save our own skins!"

Natsu starts pouting, but I'm not so worried. "It's alright. If someone does find us, then I'll do what I have to to keep everyone safe, alright?" I glance at Carla briefly. "After all, I'm the only one here with any magic still working, right? So defensive maneuvers naturally fall to me."

"I suppose so…" She still doesn't like the situation, but she relents to my logic.

"Anyway…" I look back into the forest. "Maybe we should try going through the less dense parts of the forest. We'll be more likely to be seen, but it should prevent us from getting lost. Plus, with my eyes and ears still working, we should be able to know if there's anyone dangerous on our trail."

"Yeah!" Happy starts marching off through the thinning trees. "Life can get pretty weird sometimes. Don't you think!?"

"What, is that supposed to make me feel better or somethin'?" Natsu's pouting has finally stopped. For now, at least. And then, Happy's stomach starts growling again. "And since we're sneakin' around, tell your stomach to be quiet."

Suddenly, I catch a foreign scent. But too late, I discover it's people. As I heard no signs of metal clinking, or the sound of any weapons, it makes sense that I wouldn't detect an attack. And from the looks of them, they're just a couple of travelers.

As my eyes fix on the two people up ahead, Wendy stops in her tracks. "Uh-oh."

"What's wrong?" Natsu stops as well, his eyes following ours.

"We've been spotted again." Carla points it out nonchalantly, as though she really didn't expect this to happen.

"Well, what should we do now?" Wendy looks to Carla for guidance.

As she stays silent, Happy raises his paw in greeting. "I, uh… Hello, we're not from around these parts and we seem to have gotten a little lost in the forest."

With only one twitch of the eye from the elder of the two, the travelers get on their hands and knees. And I can practically smell the fear coming off them. "We're sorry! It's not our faults, we swear!" That response puts us off just a little.

The younger one presses his head to the tree root upon which they have made to kneel. "Mighty Exceed, please forgive us and let us leave with our lives!"

"Exceed?" Natsu looks at me, confused. It makes sense, since if he doesn't understand a word, I'm usually the one with the answers. I just shrug in return.

"I wonder who they're talking about…" Wendy seems just as confused.

Natsu, as air-headed as ever, approaches them "Yo!"

Happy panics. "Don't scare them, Natsu!"

Natsu turns back to Happy. "Well, it's not like we can avoid them now, huh?" He looks back to the travelers. "I got somethin' important to ask you guys, so listen closely, okay? Some of our friends are here in Edolas, and-"

But the two travelers just scream as Happy takes a few steps towards them, and they run off, still screaming. "Please don't hurt us!"

"How odd…" I muse over what they said, and over what happened. _They said something about a mighty Exceed…and they seemed to be addressing Happy with that… I glance over at Happy. Is that what flying cats are called here? No…wait. Carla said that she and Happy are originally from Edolas. So is that the name of their species? That makes the most sense…and it would explain why none of us know the word._

But it doesn't explain their fear.

We continue on our walk, and Wendy seems to be thinking along the same lines as me. "It's strange. But I think those people seemed to be afraid of Happy and Carla."

"Right?" Natsu seems bolstered by that news. "I knew it wasn't all my fault."

Happy fiddles a bit with Natsu's scarf. "Tell me the truth. Am I really that scary looking?"

Natsu picks this time to tease him. "You looked like you were gonna eat em." And that comment nearly makes Happy cry.

I roll my eyes. "He's kidding, Happy. You're small, cute, and definitely not scary-looking. You are the very definition of adorable."

That puts a smile on his face. "See! I knew that I wasn't scary!"

But all of a sudden, we step onto some very soft ground, and it buckles underneath us. I hold my hands out, ready to balance myself, in case the situation calls for it.

"Whoa!" Natsu takes a step back, a little concerned about what's going on now.

Happy looks down and says exactly what's on my mind. "I don't think this is gonna be good guys…"

And right on cue, the springy looking mushrooms bounce right back, launching us up into the air and onto another mushroom, which bounces and expands, propelling us up again, and over to the next. And then to the next…and the next…and the next…

It's this kind of ride that makes me so glad that I've never experienced Natsu's horrendous motion sickness. _I already hate this place..._


	73. Not Our Home

**Okay…so I'm just going to let you all know that this was not a snap decision (most of what happens in the story isn't, though I have made a few tweaks here and there compared to my original notes). It was and remains part of my original storyline. You know, the one that I've been fiddling around with for a couple of years. And I'm going to put it out there right now.**

 **You are not going to see an Edolas version of Ciara in the Fairy Tail guild. And when Edo-Natsu shows up he's going to have an explanation for why. I also apologize for any confusion in the chapter ahead. But remember, they've been plunged into an entirely different world, and Ciara is trying to make sense out of things that just don't make any damn sense. And that can also cause her to have a rather short temper. Or rather, it causes her short temper to come out. If you remember the time she lost her patience and had a temper tantrum that put Natsu through the front wall of the guild... .**

 **Warning, long chapter ahead. And I've got a little request for you all down at the bottom.**

* * *

Alright, I think that bouncing mushrooms is where I'm drawing the line. I may not be turning green like Natsu does on vehicles, but it's still vertigo inducing. That is…until we crash headfirst into some old warehouse carved like a pumpkin.

Wendy groans and pulls herself out of a box. "I don't wanna fall anymore."

Carla nods in agreement. "That's quite enough for me."

We get up from the floor, and various boxes, and look around. Natsu frowns. "Where are we now?"

"It's like some kind of weird warehouse." If this is going to be one of Happy's ongoing weird jokes, then I want no part in it.

Carla takes a quick look around. "Although I believe we're well beyond the point of taking preventive measures, let's see if there are any clothes in here that we can use to disguise ourselves."

I have no interest in looking around, so I just wait and watch as Natsu rummages around, eventually tipping over a box that spills out a whole pile of clothes. Natsu exclaims eagerly. "Whoa! They've got loads of cool stuff here!"

Wendy picks up a bundle of clothes, then blushes a little as she scoots away from my brother. "Natsu, would you please not look this way for a minute?"

I roll my eyes and find a cloak at the bottom of the pile. I pick it up and hold it out in front of Wendy. "Here, you can use this to change."

"Oh, thank you!" She bows quickly, a strange gesture, and hurries behind the makeshift curtain, before changing into the new clothes.

Carla and Happy, on the other hand, have no qualms about changing out in the open. Though that probably has more to do with the fact that they're animals, and have very little to hide compared to humans.

Once she has her outfit sorted out, Wendy shuffles over to me in her new red, black, and white skirt and blazer. She holds up a couple of hair ornaments, meant to hold the hair in two separate ponytails. "Um…I was wondering if maybe…you could do my hair like yours?"

I blink once, a little confused. "Why? You look perfectly cute with your hair down."

She blushes a little. "I just…thought that your hair was pretty, and I thought that maybe I could try putting it up like that too."

That's a little bit of a shock. _Hm…I know that I shouldn't be encouraging hero-worship…but I guess that if it's just my hairstyle, then it won't hurt her._ "Alright, come here. I'll do your hair up for you."

"Really!?" Her face lights up like Natsu's fists when a brawl breaks out. "Oh, thank you!"

I smile gently and sit her down in front of me. Her hair is nice and soft as I run my fingers through it. I separate her hair in two, pulling up one half to the side of her head. It's not exactly like my style, and it should suit her better than mine. She's got the round, youthful face needed to make the most of having the ponytails stick out to the sides instead of towards the back.

After finishing with the second ponytail, and making sure that there are no fly-aways, I smile at my work. "Alright, all done." I turn her to face me, and my smile widens. "I thought that this would look better."

"Better?" She tilts her head slightly.

"Yeah." I reach for a mirror lying on one of the boxes. "See for yourself."

As she peers into the mirror, her eyes widen, and she turns her head left, then right. "Oh, I see! That looks really good!"

"Yeah!" I pat her lightly on the head. "Now it's something that you can make your own style out of!"

"Alright!" That sure puts a happy smile on her face. Natsu gasps over by the window, which is enough to draw Wendy's attention. "You see something out there?"

His eyes nearly bug out as he stares out the window. "It's Fairy Tail!"

"What!?" I drop the cloak back on the floor and peer out the window. And there it is, the Fairy Tail guild emblem. "No way…" _This can't possibly be right. There's no way that they would be able to set up shop again so quickly, especially without the ability to use magic._

Racing out of the warehouse, the five of us head straight for the tree-like guild hall. And Natsu is ecstatic. "It's in disguise too, but I'd recognize it anywhere! That's where they are!"

"Don't get your hopes up too high…" I mutter it under my breath as we make it to the front steps, and Natsu doesn't seem to hear me. It's just as well, I don't feel like bursting his bubble quite yet. But I pull up the hood of my vest, stuffing my hair into it. It won't provide much protection from detection, but it should buy me some time, in case anyone tries anything.

Natsu pushes open the doors, and the five of us walk inside. The large wooden doors swing shut behind us, and the sight we're greeted with is both familiar and alien at the same time.

But Natsu is just happy to see them all. "They're okay!"

"And it wasn't even that much trouble to find em!" Wendy seems to have caught my brother's hopeless optimism. Because there is so much here that seems wrong to me.

All around the room, I see familiar faces. Macao, with his hair combed, and Wakaba not smoking, Elfman looking meek and helpless under the stern gazes of Jet and Droy, I spot Gray wearing what looks like a million layers of clothing, and I could swear that Cana is wearing a dress instead of her usual bikini top and capri. And there's not a barrel of alcohol within twenty feet of her.

 _This place…is so wrong…_

Happy scratches his head, or rather, his metal helmet. "Is it just me, or does something seem kinda different?"

"No…it's not just you, Happy…" I take another look around, and I barely recognize anything. This is definitely not our Fairy Tail.

But Natsu doesn't seem to think that way "Who cares about that, they're here!"

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Wendy smiles as she looks around at the semi-familiar faces.

"No, he's not." Carla is the one to back me up, surprisingly. "There is something wrong here."

"Something very wrong…" My eyes continue to dart around the room, trying to find something, anything, that makes sense to me. "Come on, let's hide." I tug them over to a table, and hide us all underneath it.

Happy points across the room, whispering quietly. "Hey, look. There's the request board."

Natsu peers through the crowd. "Seems normal enough to me." Then he elbows me. "I don;t understand why we have to try to pretend like we're not really here."

"Look, and you'll see." Carla glances at me, and I nod back to her. Finally, after all the grief she's given me, we're finally on the same page about something.

"Yeah? See what?" Natsu still doesn't get it, so I slap my hand over his mouth to keep him quiet.

And thanks to my good hearing, I can hear Juvia all the way over at the request board. "Well, I'm off. I just took on a pretty major job."

"Take care!" Max seems normal enough, at least in how he sends people off.

Though what nearly makes me throw up in my mouth is what Gray does. He chases Juvia past the board, waddling like a penguin. "Juvia, my beloved. Please, wait!"

Natsu's eyes bug out, so I let my hand fall from his mouth. "Told you…"

Gray's attitude is nothing like what we're used to. "If you're gonna go out, please take me with you. Pretty please?"

"You're such a wet blanket." And there's Juvia turning him down flat. "And take some of those clothes off for a change."

"What!?" Natsu barely manages to keep it down to a whisper.

"See…" I nudge him slightly. "Does that seem like the Gray and Juvia we know?"

"Give me a shout when you have your summer wardrobe." She shut him down like unplugging a freezer.

"I just get really cold…" Our Gray would never complain about the cold. Especially since he has a tendency to go out in the snow in nothing but his underwear.

Warren, thankfully, seems normal enough. "He needs to learn a thing or two about bein' clingy."

"The poor guy's head over heels in love with her and just doesn't know what to do with himself." And Max has officially creeped me out. I know that he's a gossip, and I'm plenty used to that. But this is crossing a whole new line.

Alright, I'll admit that I've been watching them from the sidelines, and giving Juvia pointers on Gray's personality, habits, and favorite foods. But this place has the whole situation flipped on its head. And it's freaking me out.

Natsu goes as pale as a ghost. "What the heck is going on!?"

"Shut up!" I slap my hand over his mouth again. "You're going to get us busted." I motion to Elfman next. "Keep watching."

"I'm tired of your excuses Elfman!" Jet, dressed almost like he's trying out the whole bad boy persona, looks like he's actually bullying Elfman.

And an equally scarred Droy is dressed and acting the same way. "You actually bungled up another job?"

Elfman sniffs, tears leaking from his eyes. "It's so embarrassing." Clearly, he is nothing like our Elfman, who constantly rants about strength and manliness.

"Try being a man for once in your life!" And Jet has unknowingly performed the irony of ironies.

"Jet and Droy may be our strongest members, but they don't always have to scold the weaker ones. Elfman's just not that capable." Max's commentary nearly makes me choke. _Jet and Droy are the strongest members!?_

Warren agrees. "Lay off him, you two."

"Got a job to do!" Nab goes running off through the guild hall, headed straight for the doors. _And there's another thing gone totally wrong. Nab never takes jobs. He just hangs around the request board, waiting for the perfect one to show up._

"Man, does that guy ever take a break?" Warren confirms my haunting suspicion. This Nab is the opposite of our Nab.

"Him? Never." Max grins at the sight of the running Nab who isn't Nab.

 _I think…I'm going to throw up._ Then my eyes land on Macao, and my ears tune in to him as he turns to Cana. "Miss Cana, would you care to join us for an adult beverage?" _Okay, red flag. Macao is never that polite, he doesn't wear glasses, he's never that well-groomed, and he certainly never calls beer an adult beverage._

Wakaba waves his hand, a smile on his face. "Yeah, tip one back and relax."

Cana, sitting there all peaceful and pretty in white, just smiles. "Oh, don't be so silly, you two. I've never had a drop of alcohol in my life. So why start now?" Hearing that being said by the voice of Fairy Tail's heaviest drinker is honestly the scariest thing I've heard so far.

And then, as soon as I see Alzack and Bisca snuggling quite openly at one of the tables, I slam my head into the ground to pound out the images of their lips locked together. _Okay…I know that I wish that they would just make a move on each other already, but that's getting ridiculous! I wouldn't be surprised if those two decided to just get it on right in the middle of the guild hall!_

After all my head banging is complete, Natsu starts shaking. "Yeah. Something is definitely wrong here."

"Everybody is acting crazier than normal." Happy, unlike Wendy and Carla, who haven't been at the guild as long, knows the personalities of our friends very well. And clearly, us three veterans are all seeing the same thing.

This is all sooooo wrong.

And then, it just gets worse. Because a leather-clad Lucy squats down next to the table, peering under it and spotting us. "Hey, what the heck do you think you're doin'?"

"What!?" Natsu panics a little at seeing this other Lucy. Because there is no way that our Lucy would be caught dead wearing something like that, and she certainly would not have this kind of frown on her face.

Wendy's eyes go wide. "I don't believe it!"

Backed by Juvia, Gray, Jet, and Droy, Lucy scrutinizes us. "What's the big idea with you sneakin' around our guild like this?"

And just like Natsu always does, he freaks out. "Lucy!?"

"Seriously!?" Happy joins him in his outburst.

Wendy starts shaking a little. "Carla…Ciara…I'm scared."

Carla stands in front of Wendy. "Don't worry, child, it'll be alright." Carla then frowns. "But what the devil is going on here?"

"I don't know, but I don't like it!" I flip over the table above us, and Drag Natsu away from Lucy and the others. Wendy stays behind me, and Happy just backs away slowly.

"Well!?" Lucy looks at us, expecting answers.

Natsu stammers, looking for an answer. "I-I don't know. Why are you all acting so freaky?"

Wendy hides behind me, just barely peeking around my elbow. "You think this place has warped their minds somehow?"

Lucy scoffs, then gets up close and personal with my brother. "Natsu?" He backs up, swallowng nervously. But instead of attacking him, Lucy hugs him instead. "Why didn't you just say it was you, ya big bone head!"

"Wait, that's Natsu?" Max's eyes widen as he states the obvious.

Warren chuckles. "That's quite a fashion statement, bro."

Now, Lucy calms down a little bit, and I get a good look at the tattoo on her arm while she wraps my brother in a hug, that's definitely not something that our Lucy would do, she doesn't even have extra piercings, let alone the guts to permanently tattoo something on her body. "Natsu, where have you been? I was thinking the worst happened." Her grip on him tightens a bit. "Don't ever make me worry like that again."

"Um, I'm sorry?" Natsu's bewilderment is not something unique to him. I'm utterly baffled as well.

In the blink of an eye, Lucy climb up his body, wraps her legs around his neck, and starts driving her knuckles into his head. "No, but you're gonna be!"

Warren starts cheering. "She broke out the good stuff!"

"No one can escape Lucy's Grind Crush!" The whole Warren and Max cheering squad is really not helping matter right now. "It's one of her forty eight torture techniques!"

"Huh!?" Happy's jaw drops.

"What's going on!?" Even Wendy is having a hard time believing this.

Unexpectedly, the one who comes to the rescue is Cana. "Lucy, don't be so hard on the poor thing. You know how he can be."

My poor little pet's brain seems to be short-circuiting. "Whoa! Why isn't Cana half-naked and fully drunk!? And why is Elfman crying, instead of preaching about the glory of Manhood!? Why is everybody acting so crazy!?" _That's exactly what I want to know Happy._ "My poor little brain feels like it's about to explode!"

What I want to know is how it could be possible that Fairy Tail, or what appears to be Fairy Tail, could be so different to what we remember. _I mean, we're in a different world, so it's not like there could be…_ An impossible idea occurs to me. _No, that's not possible. They've got to be impostors. An illusion, maybe. But if so..then they're a very bad one. There's so many mistakes. But…if they're not actually mistakes…_

I bite my lip, tearing myself back out of my ow thoughts. I know that if I dwell there too long, I could get caught up in all sorts of what if's. And that's not a good place for me to be, because my imagination can cook up scenarios that would make even Levy's head spin.

"By the way, Natsu…" Macao's voice calls my attention as he addresses my brother. "What's with the kid and the cats? You a babysitter now?" Then he points at me. "Or did you get yourself a girlfriend with pets and a little sister?"

"Seriously?" Wakaba laughs a bit. Then, his eyes fall onto Happy and Carla. "Wait a minute…"

The two look at each other and freak out. "What are these cats doing here!?"

"Cats!?" You'd think that it was the apocalypse, judging by how they're all freaking out.

"How'd they get inside!?" Jet and Droy become hostile immediately. And I know very well the look of an opponent that's ready to go on the attack. And they most certainly have that look in their eyes. "Those aren't regular house cats, those are Exceeds."

"No way…" Gray sounds like he's about to burst into terrified song.

And Juvia's demeanor is far more hostile than the normally loving and protective girl who joined our guild a few months ago. "Shouldn't we do something?

I take up a combative stance, placing myself between the guild, and Wendy and the cats. "I know the look of an impending attack…" I look straight out at them, a growl begging to tear itself from my throat. "If you plan to attack them, you will have to go through me first."

Lucy stares at me, no longer torturing my brother. "Natsu, what the heck is goin' on here?"

Natsu groans. "Has anyone else noticed that every person we've met so far freaks whenever they hear Exceed? What does that mean, anyway?"

Happy pulls his helmet off, though I through that it was a silly disguise anyway. "Phew! It's way too hot for this getup."

Staring at Happy, I frown a little. _Okay…so if Exceed really is the name of their species, then why is everyone so afraid of them? Are they considered to be bad luck or something? Because as far as I know, Happy is only dangerous with a giant fish in hand._

Mira approaches, and I keep a wary eye on her as she crouches down to take a look at Happy. "They sure do look a lot like them. Now I understand why everybody's so on edge."

Macao and Wakaba back up a bit. "Careful, don't get too close to it, it may bite you." I roll my eyes. _The only things Happy bites are fish._

Gray's eyes sweep over us. "I don't trust them one bit." And frankly, it stings to hear that in Gray's voice.

"You know, I think big sis is right." Elfman tilts his head, staring down at Happy. "Don't worry, the little guys just look like Exceeds."

 _Again with the Exceeds._ My eyes flick around the room. _They keep saying that, but no one is explaining why it's a bad thing to be one. It is because it's a commonly known fact in this world? But then, how would any of them know that if this is Fairy Tail? And are they assuming that we know about Exceeds? If that's the case…then we need to find a place that has some books or newspapers. Maybe then we can figure out what's going on here._

"Whatever you say."

"I've got a bad feeling."

"That makes two of us. I mean, a spade's a spade."

With her guild mates chattering away, Lucy looks at me, then turns on Natsu, climbing down off his back. "You, sit."

"Yes Ma'am!" Natsu sits his ass down on a stool at one of the tables. And like the good sister I am, I sit right behind him on the table, keeping my eyes on the crowd.

Lucy glares at Natsu. "Spill it, cat wrangler, I wanna know where you were, what you were doing, and you better hope I like your answers. And-" She points at me. "I wanna know who your little girlfriend is!"

"Girlfriend!?" Natsu and I lock eyes, before turning away from each other and nearly hurling.

Natsu nearly chokes behind me. "Did you seriously just accuse me of dating Ciara!? That's so freakin' messed up!"

My head starts spinning, and I have the sudden urge to start smashing head together. "I think that's the single most creepy thing anyone has ever assumed about us."

"Oh yeah!?" Lucy gets up in my face next. "Then who are you!?"

"Who am I!?" I push my forehead against hers, my emotions starting to boil over. "I'm his sister!"

That shuts her up fast, and she steps away from me, her brow creasing as she frowns. "That's not possible. Natsu doesn't have a sister!"

"Wanna bet!?" I pull my hood down, letting my pink hair tumble down my back. "Is this proof enough?" My dark eyes flash across the room as stunned gazes take in my appearance. "Twins."

Lucy's eyes widen, and she turns on Natsu again. "Alright, start talkin'. Why did you always deny having any siblings? And what the hell is going on!?"

"What!?" Natsu's confusion takes another turn for the worse.

Happy interrupts us. "We don't have time to waste, so tell her everything that's happened so far. Explaining Ciara can wait till later."

"Fine. I guess that's simple enough." Natsu sighs and crosses his arms. "Then again, I was asleep for most of it."

"Huh?" Lucy doesn't like that answer. "Geez, could you be any more annoying?" I sigh and roll my eyes. _Obviously, you have no idea._ Then she grabs him and puts him in a weird choke hold. "Spit it out already, would ya!?"

Lucy is torturing Natsu, Gray is pining for a violent Juvia, Macao and Wakaba are being reasonable and responsible, and Cana isn't drinking. And then there's a thin, rude Reedus, which makes even less sense than the rest of them.

Natsu bolts, heading straight for one of the other tables. The panic in his eyes is clear as he hides himself underneath the solid surface. _Ciara! Why is this place so crazy!?_

 _Why are you asking me!? I'm as confused as you are!_

Lucy chuckles evilly. "Aw, that's so cute, he's running. But you can't hide forever."

It's not until there's an outburst on the other side of the room, that I spot a familiar head of blue hair. "Darn it, Nab, would you put a sock in it!?" Levy…looks like Mira used to.

I watch their exchange incredulously. _This is…so freaking wrong… Levy isn't supposed to be a foul-mouthed mechanic! She's supposed to be a cute little bookworm! It's why we all love her!_

If it hadn't gone to hell already, I'm pretty sure that as soon as Lucy and Levy start yelling at each other, that this place is going to turn into a war zone. I close my eyes and clench my fists, trying to block out all of the damn noise. If things don't start making sense around here, I think I'm going to have a panic attack. And I remember one of my most dangerous ones. The one that put my brother straight through the front wall of the guild. And it doesn't help that it feels like my brain is short-circuiting again.

 _One more thing…if one more thing goes wrong, I swear, I'm going to start smacking some heads together and demanding some answers. Because this place makes no damn sense!_

"Hide and seek is over!" Lucy pulls Natsu out from under the table, swinging her fist around.

Luckily for her, Natsu's self-restraint, of which there seems to be an unlimited amount for Lucy, keeps him in check. "Man, you're obsessive!"

"This new move's gonna rock your socks off!"

"Quit it." Natsu, my silly, obsessed with brawling brother is actually being serious and calm for once. "I don't have time for this freaky pain thing whenever you-"

"That so? So ya wanna play tough?" She has no idea when to let it go. "I love that game." She elbows him, kicks him, and once he's on the ground, she sits down on him, trying to crush him into submission before continuing her interrogation. "All right, Mr. Death Wish. You gonna tell me where you've been lately? Spit it out!"

Natsu just shakes a little, too scared of Lucy to move, and too kind-hearted to do anything to her. So, when she starts throttling him again, my temper snaps like a frozen twig.

It happens so fast that my thoughts are nothing more than a blur. But an instant later, Lucy is on the floor, Natsu sits several feet behind me, and my hands are at Lucy's throat. My face is twisted in a bestial snarl. "Leave. My. Brother. Alone."

Her eyes bug out, and surprisingly, she lies perfectly still underneath me. My temper can have that kind of effect on people. I can shock someone pretty good once I've got my claws at their throat.

Then, an eerily familiar voice floats through the air. "Lucy, are you harassing Natsu again? You should know…better…" Her voice trails off as I look in the direction of the impossible. And all thoughts of getting answers fly out the window.

 _No…fucking…way…_

Natsu freezes up just like me, his eyes widening in shock. Because the girl standing there is none other than the silver-haired friend we've known since childhood.

Lisanna.

 _That's impossible…she's dead! Mira and Elfman said so!_ My brain is racing at the speed of light as I try to process the sight in front of me. _Alright…screw logic. This has to be some kind of other dimension, like in one of those romance books that Levy likes. Something about alternate personalities, or completely different people, but they look identical. Or it's some kind of doppelganger shit. Because this is impossible. Alternate universe, or some kind of sick joke. Those are the only two options here._

Lisanna is supposed to be dead. And this possibility is not something that Carla warned us about.

Natsu and Happy have also been stunned into silence. And both of them have tears growing in their eyes. I'm reeling too much to be feeling any emotion other than shock. I mean, I've seen some pretty impossible stuff, that tends to happen when you're a member of the craziest guild in Fiore. But we've just crossed into a whole new realm of weird.

"She's alive…" Happy seriously looks like he's about to start bawling. And it's no wonder, after all, Lisanna helped hatch him.

"Lisanna." Natsu's shock is obvious. It's showing all over his face, and shooting through me as well.

While the two of them keep reeling, Lisanna goes off on Jet and Droy, scolding them for bullying Elfman. And someone pokes at my arm slightly. "Hey, you mind gettin' off me now?"

I look down to see that Lucy isn't all that happy. She stares at me impatiently, so I give it some consideration. "Are you going to attack my brother again?"

She frowns a little, then sighs. "Guess not."

"Good." I remove my hand from her throat and lean back, rising to my feet. I grab hold of her arm and pull her up with me, before taking a step back and shooting her a warning look before turning towards the sight of a not so dead Lisanna.

The two of them are frozen. That is, before they turn on a dime, and both leap at the poor girl. "Lisanna!"

In order to prevent an incident, I grab hold of both of their collars, dragging them away from Lisanna. "Alright, that's enough out of you two! There's no need to scare the poor girl!"

Natsu looks back at me, a few tears still in his eyes. "But she's right there!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that…" I don't really want to voice my concerns out loud, but I might just have to now.

Lucy approaches, looking even more suspicious of us. "Alright, you're going to tell me what's goin' on right now!"

"Yeah, yeah, give us a minute…" I release Natsu, who is quickly taken away by Gray. "Well, I guess that settles it. This can't possibly be our Fairy Tail. No amount of mind warping could cause this. Sure, there are a few things that haven't changed, but the rest of t has been turned on its head, then dragged sideways."

As Lucy wanders off to follow Natsu, Carla nods. "We thought this world was the opposite of our own, but that's not the case. As you said, there are some things that have remained the same. For example, if everything were the opposite, surely Mirajane would be behaving differently."

"I don't know about that…" I sweatdrop a little. "You haven't seen her when she gets angry, or when she was younger. She was a real terror."

"Fair enough, you would know her better than I." Carla pints out into the crowd. "But the real proof is right there." And I swear, that woman looks a whole lot like Wendy. Just…shaped a lot more like me.

Wendy squeaks at the revelation. "Are you saying that's me!?"

Carla huffs quietly. "This is bad. We should leave here as quickly as possible. These people…they're not our missing friends. This isn't the Fairy Tail we've been looking for. They're not opposites. They're different people entirely." That revelation puts a haunted look onto even my brothers cheery face. "They've been Edolas citizens from the beginning. It's not as crazy as it sounds. Think of it as a sort of parallel world. Edolas has its own separate history and culture. So it's possible for a completely separate Fairy Tail to exist."

"Hm…so we are dealing with a parallel world…" That explains a lot, but that doesn't mean that I have to like this. "But even so, is leaving here really the best idea?" Now that my little theory is basically confirmed, and we're in Doppelganger-Land, I can see a few advantages to sticking around this place. Now that I know how to handle things. With much less restraint. "We should probably stay here until we have enough information to continue on our rescue mission. They might have a map here, or better yet, they might have a few leads that we could chase down. _But as soon as we don't need them anymore, I want out of here._

Carla glances at me, as though considering my opinion. "I suppose that you have a logical point. But we cannot be certain that they won't try to harm us. We can't be certain of anything right now."

"No, there's one thing we can be certain of." I clench my fist and lower my voice. "We can be certain that they wouldn't be able to seriously hurt us. If you're right about magic being a limited resource, then they probably don't have much of it here. If push comes to shove, I can use my magic and get us out of here."

"True…" I never thought that it would be possible for the hostile little cat and I to be agreeing so much, but I suppose that miracles do happen. Then I turn my gaze on Lucy, who is holding Natsu by the arm. "Oh, and I'm going to be needing my brother back. Since our friends are still missing, we can't allow ourselves to be held up here for too long."

Carla nods. "We must go to the Royal City. If there are any clues as to the whereabouts of our friends, we're sure to find them there."

"Good idea…" Though I still think that first, we should see about finding out whatever the Fairy Tail here knows. At this point, anything could help.

Then, the front doors of the guild slam open, and Nab comes running back in. "We've got big trouble! The Fairy Hunter is here!"

That sends a very negative vibe through the guild. And from the sounds of it, it seems that there's an enemy approaching. But it's also intriguing. "Fairy Hunter?"

Lucy frowns angrily. "Are you serious? You've never heard of the Fairy Hunter!?"

"No." I cross my arms. "But you have about ten seconds to explain it to me."

"There's no time!" She runs over to where Levy is muttering to her controls, with me following closely behind. "Shut up and cast the teleportation circle already!"

"Do you wanna go out there and buy us some time!?" Levy seems to need time urgently. And my guess is that it's because she's trying to teleport this whole place. And the larger the burden on the teleportation spell, the longer it takes to cast it.

I grit my teeth and head for the doors. "Natsu! You keep them all in here! I'll deal with what's going on outside!"

Lucy grabs my arm, squeezing it tight. "Are you insane!? Do you want to die!?"

I tear my arm from her grip, and wind starts swirling around me. "It takes a lot more than some hunter to take down a Fairy Tail wizard. I turn to Levy. "You want time!? You've got it!"

Without hearing another protest, I sprint out the front doors and back into the sunlight. The fresh air hits me, and the small breezes taste so good. But on them, I can smell the scent of an approaching monster. And it's one that I've never had the misfortune of smelling before.

And then, I set eyes on the thing that's causing the smell that's burning my nostrils. It's a huge horned and winged monster with blue fur. And honestly, it's probably one of the ugliest things I've ever seen, those poisonous newt from when I was fourteen included.

It swoops down out of the sky, heading straight for the guild hall. I said that I would buy time, and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I aim carefully, but fast. And in an instant, magic power glows in my chest, racing up through my mouth and into the sky. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!"

The sharp funnel cloud smashes into the monster with a direct hit, sending it soaring over the trees. _Yes! A perfect bullseye!_ I glance back into the guild hall. _I hope that I've bought them enough time._

It would seem that my hope is in vain. My ears twitch as Levy's voice rings in my ears. "It's no good! We don't have enough power to complete the jump! We're stuck at eighty-five percent!"

 _Not enough power, huh?_ I race back inside, following the sound of Levy's voice. But everyone is so scared and confused, that it's impossible to find my way through the crowd. So, that leaves only one option. I leap over the crowd, flying well above their heads. And aiming as well as I do, I land right on top of Levy's teleportation machine. "So you need a little ore juice, huh?" I gather up a fistful of concentrated magic energy. "Try this!" I slam my palm down onto the machine, pumping it full of magic energy.

The machine beeps and Levy pulls on a lever. "One hundred percent! Activate shock absorbers! Teleportation circle, deploying!" She slams her feet down on a couple of pedals, and the powerful vibrations in the guild skyrocket, lifting everyone off their feet. It's the strangest sensation, then again, I've never used actual teleportation magic before. All of my fast movements are thanks to my wind magic.

And I think I prefer my wind magic. And it would seem that Natsu does too, because from across the room, it looks like he's going to be sick. _Ugh…it's not like this thing is a vehicle, you know…_

All I get in response is a garbled train of thought, mostly motion sickness related. _Scratch that…_

The light intensifies, as does the odd feeling of vertigo, floating ever higher in the air.

And then, nothing.

* * *

 **As some of you have no doubt figured out, I'll be heading back to university in September. Next month is the deadline for an essay submission on social justice. The prize is one of ten 3,000$ scholarships (so it's kind of a big deal). The essay topic is social justice. So, as I tend to be rather good when ranting about topics I care about, I'm looking at doing my essay on the LGBTQ community, and what could be done to improve conditions for them in my city. It is a topic that was quite thoroughly covered in my first semester Sociology and Criminology class last year.**

 **So, for those of you who feel strongly (but not negatively, because that will be of no help in my essay), what do you think about the LGBTQ community and social justice? What can be done? What should be done? I'm hoping for a few general suggestions that I can pounce on for inspiration.**


	74. Thoughts of Home

I groan, shaking my head to try and clear the stars out of my eyes. This kind of teleportation is definitely not something that I want to be doing again any time soon. "Natsu…?"

"Yeah, I'm here." His warm hand grabs my arm, and he pulls me to my feet. "Geez, and here I thought you'd be the only one to land on their feet."

I growl at him. "Yeah, well having good balance only works if the whole world isn't turning upside down. Besides, I could have been hit by a table if I'd stuck around in the air." I rub the back of my head gently. "Still feels like I got hit with one, though."

"Yeah…" Natsu turns around, looking for the closest person. And that happens to be Mirajane. Convenient. "Who was at the reins of that monster earlier?"

"Have you seriously forgotten?" She smiles weakly. "You must've hit your head when we landed. That was one of the captains of the Royal City's Magic Warfare units. Erza Knightwalker. She's also known as the Fairy Hunter."

A hole forms in the pit of my stomach. _Three guesses how she got that name…_

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Natsu's face pales, and his pupils contract in fear. "Our enemy is Erza!?" Seems like he's finally caught on to just how freaking messed up this world is.

I stare at her, then glance at Natsu. "Okay, it's official. I hate this place."

A soft grimace crosses his face. "I know…but we need to find our friends first."

"Alright, you two are explaining what the hell is going on, right now!" Lucy walks over, tapping her foot impatiently. "And no lies."

Natsu locks eyes with me. _Should we tell them?_

 _Might as well, I mean, it's not like things can get any more dangerous, right?_

 _Good point._ He stares Lucy right in the eyes. "We're not from Edolas."

I slam my palm to my forehead. "That was a terrible opening line, Natsu."

Lucy's eyes flick from Natsu to me. "What the hell are you two on about?"

Before Natsu can say anything more, I slap my hand over his mouth. "How about I do the explaining? Natsu has a bad habit of giving everyone the wrong impression." Lucy blinks, as though telling me to continue. "Well, for starters, the five of us came here through some kind of inter-dimensional portal. Our reason for coming here is to find our friends in Fairy Tail. Not this Fairy Tail, but ours, the one from our world. Earthland, I believe it's called."

"Okay…" Lucy frowns. "And why would your friends be here?"

I remove my hand from Natsu's mouth and point upwards. "They were sucked through the same portal in the sky that we were. Our whole city got sucked in. Only a few of us got left behind. Those of us that you see here." I motion to myself, Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Carla. "We're wizards from Earthland's Fairy Tail guild."

Lucy glares at me slightly. "Alright, so what about that thing you did to our teleportation circle? What the hell was that!?"

I frown a little. "I just gave it the rest of the magic power it needed to activate."

"Yeah, I saw that." She pokes me in the chest, her eyes only inches from mine. "I'm asking you how you did it."

The question slowly sinks in, and then it hits me. "First, tell me how you guys use magic in this world. What source do you draw it from?"

She rolls her eyes, as though it should be obvious. "Lacrima, duh."

"Lacrima!?" My eyes find Natsu's, and he looks a little panicked. "That's explains it…"

"Explains what!?" Lucy taps her foot impatiently. "Don't make me put you in a grind crush."

"Like you could." I shake my head tiredly. "Anyway, it explains why I'm the only one who can use magic here." I touch my chest lightly. "I won't get into the details of how or why, but my wind magic is tied to the Dragon Slayer Lacrima that was implanted into my heart when I was a kid."

"What!?" Everyone's eyes start bugging out, and Lucy jumps back. "You mean you've got lacrima crystals inside your body!?"

I nod. "It was the only way for me to learn magic. I guess it's what's keeping me alive now. I'd probably be dead without it." But despite the bad memories attached to this power, I smile. "But because of it, I was able to join Fairy Tail, and I made a lot of friends there. And one of those friends…is Erza."

"What!?" Lucy really doesn't seem to be able to grasp that if we're from different worlds, then obviously, things are going to be different. Then again, I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around all of this.

"Yeah…she and I used to go out on jobs all the time. But that was before we each made S-Class. Then we started taking a lot of solo jobs." I allow myself to snuggle into a few warm memories. "We each made a name for ourselves. Natsu here earned the nickname 'Salamander', I was given the nickname 'Dragon Wing', and Erza…we call her Titania, Queen of the Fairies. She's one of Fairy Tail's strongest wizards."

"Just like you, right?" Wendy beams brightly at me.

Her faith makes me smile. "Yeah…just like me."

"So let me get this straight. You're saying that you guys are from another world called 'Earthland' and you came all the way here to try and save your friends." Jet looks at us skeptically. "You're telling me there's a Fairy Tail guild in your world too?"

"And Erza is actually one of your allies there?" Droy looks more than a little put off.

"You seem surprised." Carla observes them quietly.

Macao laughs nervously. "You would be too. That's a pretty tall tale." His skepticism isn't helping things.

"Yeah, no kidding. It sounds crazy." Well, Max isn't helping either. At this rate, no one is going to believe us. "That said…" His eyes flick to Natsu. "This is definitely not the Natsu we know."

Mira pops up right in Natsu's face. "He does look a lot like him, though."

"You can say that again." Max's comment sets off a whole round of laughter.

As the interrogation breaks up a bit, Bisca pulls me away. "So, little dragon girl, you got yourself a boyfriend?"

The Bisca I know would never be so forward. And she sure as hell wouldn't be poking into someone else's love life. I guess being more than comfortable with her love life here makes it easy for her to interrogate others. I sigh. "Nope, and I'm hoping to keep it that way." Though I can't stop a flash of Gray, as well as one of Hibiki from passing through my head. "There was one bad breakup, and another that could have happened, but…I'd rather not go down that road again for a while."

"Oh?" She nudges me a bit. "So you have had a boyfriend. Is he in Fairy Tail? Do we have a version of him in this room?"

I groan and roll my eyes. "Yes."

"Oh, well then who is it!?" She grins at me, trying to pry out all of my little secrets. "Tell me, and maybe we can make some magic happen." _I swear, this one has got to have been hanging out with Mira too much._

Pointing through the crowd at a semi-familiar head of black hair, I sigh. "Gray."

Bisca's jaw drops. "Gray!? But he's way too pathetic for someone as cool as you!"

"Cool?" That's about the last thing I was expecting to hear out of her mouth. I've gathered that as far as they're concerned, they've never heard of an Edolas version of me. So I'm someone that they're meeting for the first time, with nothing to base any assumptions off of.

Bisca grins. "Of course you're cool. You're the one who held off the Fairy Hunter while we were escapin' right?"

I grimace a little. "Well, all I actually did was shoot that big blue monstrosity out of the sky. It's not like there was a big, heroic battle or anything."

"Still, that takes some serious guts, girl." She claps me on the back with a smile.

Then, a seductive voice with an unmistakable twang floats through the air. "Oh Sugar Pistol, why don't you come back over here and cuddle with me."

I shiver a little as Bisca bounds away, not wanting to imagine what Alzack means by cuddle. _I swear…this place is still getting weirder… And I don't even know how._

Natsu clears his throat. "I hate to interrupt, but could someone tell us how to get to the Royal City?"

There's a lot of gasping, and a whole lot of concerned muttering. They all look scared, so Wendy tries her luck. "Your king is the one who pulled our friends into this world, and now we have to save them. Otherwise, they're gonna be converted into magic power." She nearly starts to cry. "If that happens, they'll be gone forever." It's actually quite incredible how attached she's gotten to our guild, despite not being a member for very long.

The Edolas Wendy steps up, looking just a little sympathetic. "I know this is the last thing you wanna hear, little me, but I think it's best if you forget them." Her gaze quickly darkens. "Anyone who would defy the king of Edolas is as good as dead. He has a mighty army at his beck and call."

Elfman looks a little sad. "There's only so much magic power in our world. There's not much left of it. It won't be too long before we've completely run out."

"It's the king's greatest fear." Instead of blubbering on the floor like he was earlier, Gray is finally being serious. "So, he tried to keep all of the magic power for himself. Doesn't he, Juvia, dear?" And he went from serious to creepy in about as much time as it takes for our Gray to strip.

Juvia does well in ignoring the greatest source of her annoyance. "That's correct. Which is why he ordered that all magical guilds be disbanded." _So then…that makes Fairy Tail a dark guild here…_

Max hangs his head. "At first, everybody tried to ignore the order."

"But the Royal Army's Magic Warfare units started wiping them out one after the other." Warren's own eyes become downcast and sad.

Even Jet is subdued. "Our guild is the only one left."

"And it's not like we escaped unscathed." Max closes his eyes, and it smells like he's trying not to cry.

Warren, on the other hand, breaks down. "We've lost half of our comrades to the Royal Army."

"And our master." Jet's words shock me. "They killed him."

When my eyes fall to Gray, he looks away. "We've got our hand full just trying to stay safe."

Droy crosses his arms defensively. "I'd stay away from the king if I were you guys. Go back to your world while you still can."

"No way." Natsu's gaze hardens in determination. "I ain't afraid of your king. And I ain't leavin' without my friends, I promise you that!"

Despite the grim circumstances, I smirk a little. "Hay big brother…I wonder what kind of face the king would make if a couple of angry dragon slayers showed up to knock on his front door."

He grins at me. "Well, I'm sure that we can arrange that. Too bad, we shoulda brought that Sorcerer Weekly guy's camera."

"Hm…maybe next time, then." This is that part I love most about Natsu. No matter how bad things get, the two of us can still find some humor in a grim situation. Mostly because we can both get quite riled up when our friends and family are in danger. Then again, it's then that our humor takes a morbid turn. "I wonder how much damage it'll take to bring down that guy's castle…"

Natsu's grin gets wider, but almost evil. "Knowin' us, ten punches, maybe less."

"What, you wanna tip his castle over like we did to that temple on Galuna Island?" I wonder if Natsu even remembers going on that job. He'd better, since I was the one who had to bail him out of that mess.

"Yeah!" He jumps off the table and cracks his knuckles. "Alright, then let's go!"

"Agreed." I walk back over to him, then turn to Wendy. "If you want to, you can stay here. It's probably going to get dangerous, and I wouldn't want you to get hurt in the crossfire."

Wendy's eyes widen, and then she clenches her fists tightly. "No way! I'm going with you guys! I wanna help save our friends too!"

Unbeknownst to her, that's exactly what I wanted to hear. "Alright then, let's go." I turn to Levy. "I assume that you know which way is the direction to go to get to the Royal City?"

Levy cringes a little, before pulling a map from who knows where. "Well…we're here, in the middle of this desert." She points to a large brown blob on the map. "And the Royal City is here, across this ocean." She points to a dot on the map. "If you walk east, you should be able to get there in five days, plus a boat ride."

My eyes skim over the map as I ignore Natsu's complaints about a boat ride, and his insistence that we can swim the distance. Honestly, I would prefer to fly there. But seeing as Happy and Carla's wings have copped out, that's not an option. And I'm not confident in my ability to fly that kind of distance with four passengers. "Alright, I think I've got the topography memorized. Thanks." I grab Natsu by the collar and head for the doors. "Time to go, moron!"

"Okay, okay, just stop pulling me!" He wriggles out of my grip and readjusts his scarf as we walk right out the doors. "So, which way are we headed?"

"That way." I point off into the distance. "Seems like the suns here in Edolas don't follow our rules, so we'll have to go by landmarks. And according to Levy's map, that should be east."

"Well, at least someone here knows how to read a map." Carla huffs a little, and strangely, her gaze is focused on Wendy.

The poor girl nearly bursts into tears "I'm sorry, Carla. I'll learn how to read a map, I promise!"

"We'll have time for arguing and learning later, alright?" I gently tug on Wendy's hand. "Just stick with me, and I promise that you won't get lost, okay?"

She looks up at me, eyes shining. "Okay!"

* * *

And so, we walk. Though no matter how determined we are to make it to the Royal City as quickly as possible, that will do nothing to dispel the boredom of walking through nothing but desert for who knows how long.

 _Great…at this rate, we're all going to get so nervous and tense, that we'll be one bad joke away from a full-blown argument._ And an argument is something I really would rather avoid if at all possible. Though knowing the volatility of certain tempers in the group, my own included, that might not be possible.

Natsu's stomach grumbles loudly, sounding almost like Igneel snoring. "Aw man, I'm hungry!"

I sigh and roll my eyes, since he could probably have gotten something to eat before we left. "Then why don't you try finding yourself something to eat?" Of course, that's easy for me to say, since there are breezes that waft across the desert, just waiting for me to eat them. They're not very filling, but they can suppress my hunger for as long as I need them to.

But Natsu doesn't comment on that. Instead, he starts looking around in the sand dunes, trying to find something edible. Again with my brother's strange appetite.

Eventually, he gets distracted by something alive, and he crouches down, trying to grab hold of it. "Okay. Hold still, little guy." It almost looks like a cross between a frog and a cat. Except that the whole thing is colored pink, with red blotches. And it's way too tiny to be anything more than a snack, assuming that food is the reason that Natsu is trying to catch it. With him, you never know. He lunges for it and misses. "Gotcha!" Then he realizes that he missed. "Hey!" Then he crouches down just like a fog, leaping after the tiny creature.

Carla scoffs. "Just what do you think you're doing?" But she should know better than to try talking to my brother when he's trying to catch something.

Happy tugs on my pants. "How much longer is it gonna take us to get to the capital?"

Carla turns around impatiently. "We just left and you're asking that already?"

I laugh a little bit. "Well, according to Levy, it's going to take us five days to walk there. Normally I would suggest flying, but since your wings are out of commission, and there's no way I can carry four passengers, we're just going to have to suck it up and walk."

Happy's head droops. "This stinks. Do you think we'll ever be able to use our magic again?"

"I wish I knew." Carla fixes her gaze on the horizon. "This certainly doesn't bode well for us."

Natsu makes another jump, chasing the tiny frog around, before crashing into the sand. But with a smile on his face, he picks himself up, looking thrilled to have found the small creature. "Hey, you wanna lend me a hand here? I've never seen a frog like this before. We should take it back to Lucy as a souvenir!"

I sweatdrop a little. "That's why you want to catch the weird little frog?" I could understand if it was for food, but to catch it for Lucy makes no sense. She's already got her Celestial Spirits, so it's not like she needs a pet on top of that. And Natsu's not the type to kill tiny animals unless he's going to eat them.

Happy waves his paw around. "Forget it, she's not a fan of creepy crawlies." Though I decide not to point out that the little frog is neither creepy nor crawly.

Somehow, no one else notices the giant frog that comes hopping up to us. They even manage to miss all of the vibrations from the individual jumps. _Sometimes…I swear that I'm surrounded by idiots…_ Which, of course, means that Natsu goes running headfirst into it in his attempts to catch the tiny frog.

As Natsu jumps back with a scream, Happy starts jumping up and down. "Holy moly, it's huge!" And he's right. This thing has got to be at least fifteen feet tall. "Natsu! I think it's about to attack us!"

"No way!" Natsu pulls his arm back, ready to attack. "Fair Dragon-" But nothing happens, because the dolt has obviously forgotten that he still can't use his magic. Then, he realizes his mistake, and pulls on all of us to get us to run across the desert with him. "I totally forgot we can't use magic here!"

Wendy shrieks a little as we sprint across the shifting sand. "I hate to admit it, but I'm completely helpless without my magic!"

I groan and shake my head. "You guys keep forgetting that while you can't use magic, I can! Get it through your head, Natsu!" I turn on heel, stopping in my tracks. "Wind Dragon's Shining Claws!"

The force of my spell knocks the giant frog back, and right into the shining whip, held by a rather familiar face. She streaks down from the sky, slashing the whip downward and right into the giant frog's head.

Happy smiles brightly. "Hey, it's 'Scary Lucy'!"

"Thanks 'Scary Lucy'!" Wendy grins, as though forgetting that I'm the one who hurled that thing into the air.

Lucy stomps towards us. "Quit adding 'Scary' to my name! It's rude!" Then she glances at the injured frog as it hops away. "You'd think something that big would put up more of a fight."

I shrug. "Well, I did hit it with a little wind magic, and then you came raining doom from the sky, so that's probably what scared it off." But now, it's on to more serious matters. "So, why are you here? I thought that you guys wouldn't have wanted anything to do with us after that little declaration of war we made."

She blinks, then her eyes drift over to Natsu, before she quickly looks away. "Uh, I wasn't worried about you, just so we're clear." Right…

Natsu grins. "Yep, there's no mistaking it, you're definitely Lucy, all right." He pats her on the shoulder. "Thanks a lot."

"Hang on, what's that supposed to mean." Either she took that the wrong way, or she took that the right way and took offense.

Despite the yelling, Natsu just keeps on grinning. "There's the attitude we all know and love!"

Happy creeps over to Natsu, trying to whisper. "I wish we could introduce our Lucy to Scary Lucy."

"Yeah, I wonder what kind of reaction the real one would have." Natsu somehow has a subconscious understanding of all the best ways to piss people off.

Lucy quickly catches my eye, and I shrug. Whatever Natsu gets now is what he deserves. And she goes right in with a kick to the jaw, smashing Happy into Natsu's face. "You say that like I'm the fake one!"

"You are!" I shake my head at the stupidity spewing from their mouths. _Wrong thing to say, big brother…wrong thing to say… Comparing women to each other is a big mistake, especially if you're calling one of them real, and the other one fake. It's an even bigger mistake to say it in front of said woman you are calling fake._

* * *

Once Lucy is done giving my brother what's coming to him, she walks over to me, looking rather serious now. "So, what's the deal with you guys? There's a city not far from here, but it almost seems like you're avoiding it on purpose."

I sigh and scratch the back of my head. "Well, I didn't know about the city, but…things for us are complicated. Long story short, we had a run-in earlier that went badly. And by now, word is sure to have gotten around about us. So its probably just better for us to avoid towns, or be discreet around them. We don't need any extra trouble. We already had enough of that after bouncing through the forest and landing in that warehouse. We don't have anything like those weird bouncing mushrooms back in our world. There's a lot that's different here, and makes it hard to navigate."

"Oh, I see. Then I guess I'd better show you the way to the city." She nods a little, biting her lip as she glances down at Happy and Carla. "So, they caught wind of you guys, cause the townspeople mistook you for Exceeds and reported you. That must be because you don't know the shortcuts and back roads."

"Exactly." I crack my neck a little, since the dry air makes my whole body dry out. "And then there's the people. It's all so different here, that it's impossible to predict how they'll react to us."

Happy nods. "That's why everyone was surprised when we told them we're friends with Erza."

Natsu shivers. "Guess she's just as scary here as she is back home."

"Excuse me?" Lucy takes that the wrong way in a flash.

"I didn't mean you, I'm walking about Erza." Natsu is going to have to slow down if he wants Lucy to be able to follow him. Context is just something that she doesn't have.

I laugh wryly. "Let's just say that Natsu has gotten on Erza's bad side on more than one occasion, and it never ends well for him."

Natsu growls irritably at me. "Yeah, and you're never any help!"

"That's because you don't deserve it." I stick my tongue out at him. Childish, I know, but right now, I really don't care.

Lucy, following our conversation, darkens her gaze. "Well, I don't know what she's like in your world, but it's hard for us to believe she'd ever align herself with Fairy Tail."

Wendy nods. "She seems pretty bad here…"

"There isn't a wizard in Edolas who isn't afraid of her. When you see her face, you're as good as dead." Lucy is actually making me start to think that this Erza Knightwalker might end up being a real problem later.

But, that's still not enough to tarnish my own memories of Erza. "Well, regardless of what she's like here, our Erza is one of Fairy Tail's most valiant protectors." I glance back at Natsu with a grin. "And one of our best disciplinarians."

Natsu shivers. "Definitely don't want to run into her. She's scary enough already."

We come up to a cliff, and Lucy looks down over the edge. "Well, here we are. The city's down there."

Natsu nearly pitches over the cliff, so I grab the back of his shirt and yank him back. "Careful, idiot."

He just grins as he looks out at the city. "Check it out, Happy!"

Happy waddles to the edge and carefully looks down at the city. "Thank goodness. It felt like we were never gonna make it here."

"It's all very…" Wendy tilts her head. "Round, isn't it?"

Carla nods approvingly. "Well, let's get going."

With an admiring sparkle in her eye, Wendy looks up to Lucy. "Hey, thanks for coming with us, Lucy."

She blushes just a little and looks away. "Sure. Just follow me. You're gonna need some magic weaponry, otherwise you're not gonna be able to make it very far."

"Thanks a lot, Scary Lucy!" Natsu grins and gives her a thumbs-up.

Happy imitates him. "Thanks, Scary Lucy!"

That ticks her right off. "You guys are cruisin' for a bruisin'."

I sigh exasperatedly, then pull on Lucy's collar as I start walking down the cliff. "Yeah, yeah, come on. Don't worry, you're not actually that scary."

She pouts a bit. "I'm not sure if that's a compliment or an insult, coming from you."

"Neither, it's a fact." I resist the shivers that threaten to tear up and down my spine. "I've seen plenty scarier than you. Frankly, you don't even rank on my scary meter."

"Uh…good, I guess." She tugs a little on my hand. "Would'ya let go of me now?"

"Fine." I release my hold on her immediately and continue towards the town. "Now let's go. We don't have any time to waste." _Not if we want to save our family._

* * *

 **Here comes an update on my life, which may seem a little weird, but I just kind of feel like putting this out there.**

 **Okay, so just in case my profile picture (which ended up becoming the default picture for all of my stories) didn't clue anyone in, I participated in National Novel Writing Month back in November. My typical genres, if they aren't obvious through my fanfiction choices, are fantasy and science fiction.**

 **What I'm getting at is that once I'm finished editing the manuscript for the novel that I wrote back in November (you know, that blissful period before exams start), I'm hoping to get it published. After the inevitable flood of rejection letters, of course. I'm also working on the sequel, as well as the other two of the four books in that series, as well as three other independent projects. That is in addition to all of my fanfiction projects.**

 **So, I'm keeping nice and busy this summer, while waiting for school to start up again. And I'm happy to report that I got into all of the classes I wanted, as well as into the dorms, which means that all I have to do is get my SFA finalized, and hopefully win that 3 grand scholarship. Because 3 grand can easily pay for a semester of tuition and books, or almost my entire year's worth of rent.**

 **Lots going on, and it's helping me to keep motivated to write. And your reviews and encouragement are doing just as many wonders as all the good news I've been getting lately. I've also almost managed to get my chapter average up to 4k words a chapter. And that's not easy to do, even with long author's notes. Because I've got some chapters that really bring that average down. Despite the challenge, I am most certainly rising to it.**

 **Peace out, and I'll update the next chapter soon.**


	75. Double Trouble

**So…Thursday night was something…I did my first ever reading in front of an audience at the Northwords writers' festival. Half the time I was up there, I thought I was gonna die. But, I made my way through it, and obviously I'm not dead.**

 **Because I don't think zombies write fanfiction.**

 **Last night I went to the festival gala, and I got some inspiration there to write. The festival goes on for a couple more days, meaning today and tomorrow. But I've got some time to write, you know, between meeting cool authors and going to meet and greet barbecues.**

 **It was lots of fun, and there are more events going on today that I'll be attending. Mom calls it networking, since it's good to be able to meet and hook up with other writers. And it's helping my inspiration for my more serious projects.**

 **But, in the meantime, I'll be working haphazardly on this story, since I sometimes get inspiration for sections that I'm not even close to posting yet. And with this post, I should hit the 300k word mark, as well as a 4k word count average for each of my chapters.**

* * *

As the six of us venture into the city, Lucy seems a little uptight, to say the least. Though maybe sad is a better way to put it. Or something in the middle.

Either way, she's not very happy as she watches the streets. "It wasn't that long ago that you could buy and sell magic here just like anything else. But then, the Royal Army started hunting down guilds and now buying and selling magic is strictly forbidden. What's even worse is that just possessing it is a crime."

"A crime, huh?" I glance down at my chest, at the spot where I still carry a small scar, proof of what Igneel did. "Well, then I guess it's a good thing that you two can't use your magic. It makes me the only one who's a living piece of illegal merchandise."

Lucy shoots me a sharp look. "I wouldn't broadcast that too loudly if I were you. If the Royal Army catches wind of you again, you'll never escape them."

"You wanna bet?" I clench my left fist, just itching to get into a fight. Which is funny, since Natsu is usually the one who can't keep his excitement in check. "If they try anything, I'll just blow them all away."

"Seriously? You can get in trouble just for having it?" Natsu's confusion makes sense, since making magic illegal is a very foreign concept to us, since our world is full of it.

Wendy glances over to Lucy curiously. "What about people who've always been able to use it?"

"What?" She blinks, as confused as Natsu. "Hold on. I don't know how to explain it to you any more clearly. If you have magic, you just have to get rid of it, or else you'll get busted or worse."

While that stuns the others, I understand what she means. And what she means is that the mechanics of this world are nothing like our own. No one here is born with the ability to absorb ethernano from nature. And those that are can't do it properly, because it's being drained from this world.

That said, I suppose that I should clear something up for her. "In our world, our wizards don't need magic items. Some of them do have them, but for most of us, our magic comes solely from within." I glance at my brother and Wendy, smiling. "The three of us are examples of wizards that don't need any items in order to fight. While all wizards in our world can absorb magic energy from nature, we can also absorb it from our respective elements. The magic is inside our bodies, we're born with the ability to use it." Then I chuckle nervously. "Though some of us need a little extra push to unlock that potential. Regardless, every wizard has innate magical power, and that's what makes our worlds different."

Lucy's eyes widen. "That's not possible. You're saying that the magic is being pulled into your bodies?"

I frown a little. "Not right now, there's something blocking it. Or there's just not enough ethernano here for us to absorb. Either way, the only reason that I'm still standing is because of the lacrima inside my chest. Although, regardless of what world we're in, I suspect that I wouldn't be standing without it at all. In our world, magic is tied to a wizard's life force. If they lose all of their magic in one shot, it can be fatal. At the very least, it would force a wizard into bed for a while."

"That's…different." I must have shocked her pretty good, for her to only be able to come up with that as a response. "Anyway, we're here." She stops by a boarded up set of stairs. "There's a black market for magic just down this stairwell. Trust me, you're gonna need this stuff if you're gonna travel." Her eyes shift to me. "Especially if only one of you can use your own magic here."

"A black market?" Wendy's innocent ears must be bugging out. There's no way she's ever been to a black market before. To be fair, my only trips to a black market involved blowing the whole thing sky high for a political client.

Natsu grins. "Let's see it. Guess we might as well play by this world's rules for using magic."

I nod. "Then take them down there. I'll stick around up here and keep watch. Someone should, so it might as well be the only one here who has no need for any magical weapons."

"Good idea." Lucy motions to Natsu and Wendy. "Come on, let's go."

The four of them follow her down the stairs, and I budge over to a corner, trying to make myself as inconspicuous as possible. This is a good opportunity to mull over a few things, like what exactly happened to our friends. I remember that Magnolia got sucked into that vortex, the Anima. And then there's the fact that apparently, they were all turned into some kind of giant lacrima to provide magic power to this world. That's more than a little hard to swallow. And I don't think that I'll be able to believe that until we see it for ourselves.

But over the course of the next few minutes, no ideas that occur to me seem probable enough to warrant further thought. And that leaves me with squat in the reasonable hypotheses department.

Until a few morbid thoughts stir up some of my memories. _Well…there was that one time that Jellal tried to fuse Erza's body with a tower made of lacrima in order to resurrect Zeref. Maybe the lunatics here are trying the same thing…just in reverse? Separating magic particles, instead of fusing it together. That would explain the lacrima, sort of. Or they could plan to extract the wizards and have them all hooked up to machines that suck the magic out of them. But if they can't use their magic, then how would that work? Sure, that would give them the longest lasting supply of magic, longer, if they give them enough freedom to reproduce._ It makes me shiver to contemplate the idea of my friends and family being turned into breedable magic batteries. _No, I'm thinking too much. There's no way they're going to be able to pull off anything that crazy._

"Hey, Ciara!" Natsu's voice shakes me out of my thoughts as he comes running back up the stairs. "We're done!"

I slap my hand over his mouth and look out towards the street. "Keep it down, idiot. The last thing we need to do is draw a bunch of attention to ourselves right in the middle of a city. Please, keep your voice down to a mild roar." Though frankly, I would prefer not to hear him roar at all right now. That would get us busted for sure.

He rolls his eyes as I take my hand away from his face. "Yeah, yeah, alright."

I glance back at him and drop my voice. "So, are you guys done?"

"Yep!" He grins at me and shows me an orange and red sword handle. "I got myself some fire magic."

"Huh…" It must be a fire sword of some kind. I suppose that it suits him well enough. Though he usually doesn't need a weapon, he prefers to fight with his bare hands most days.

Happy comes bounding over with the others, smiling at Lucy. "Scary Lucy's much more dependable than the Lucy we're stuck with, don't you think?"

That ticks her off. "I told you to drop the 'Scary', furball."

Natsu grins even more as they all stop next to the two of us. "From the way that guy was talkin', it sounds like you're a pretty big deal around here."

"Is there some way we can pay you back?" Wendy's eyes light up in excitement. Of course she would be thinking about being nice to others, even with our rescue mission ahead of us. That girl can always find time to be nice to others.

"Well, there's one thing." This request sounds interesting, so I cock an eyebrow at Lucy, who shifts a little. "If you guys wouldn't mind, I'd like to hear a little more about this other 'Lucy' of yours."

Oh, this is going to be a long afternoon.

* * *

I suppose that it was a good idea to stop in a cafe for this. That way, my focus is on my food as Lucy laughs her head off, listening to Natsu's many stories about the jobs he's gone on with our own Lucy. And of course, I make no move to stop him as he moves on from jobs, and straight into Lucy's personal life.

I glance at Natsu as Lucy laughs. _You'd think that he'd have learned at least a little self-restraint by now…_

But Lucy just can't stop laughing. "Wait, you're kidding, I'm writing a novel!? And I'm some rich girl who does magic with spirits and keys!?"

Natsu grins. "You're certainly just as obnoxious as she is."

"Don't call m obnoxious!" I should have figured that she'd this short-tempered, even in public.

Wendy pulls out a small white and blue canister, fiddling with it. "I can't seem to remember how to use this thing, do you?"

Lucy turns her head and her eyes widen. "Dummy! Don't go pulling that out in public!" She looks around as Wendy hides the small magical tool. "Like I told you, magic is banned in our world. You can get in big trouble just for having that thing."

Wendy looks down at her mug. "Sorry about that."

Carla finally puts down her cup, staring at Lucy. So, magic used to be a part of everyday life here like it is in our world?"

Lucy's gaze drops. "It used to. But now things've changed. The kingdom went and stole a part of our culture from us."

"Why'd they wanna do that?" Poor Happy seems to have missed the lesson on greed. Then again, we did raise him as part of a family, and there's only so greedy that you can be while growing up in Fairy Tail. We basically share everything…

Lucy's gaze hardens. "Because they want to keep the magic power all to themselves."

"Well, if those royal jerk-wads aren't gonna give the people their magic back, then I guess we'll just have to go beat them up for it." While normally, I would probably suggest a different course of action, preferably one that doesn't involve being quite so reckless, I'm in the mood for a little excitement. And besides, I don't like hat their king is doing here, so we'd be killing two birds with one stone.

"What!?" Lucy stands up, slamming her hands on the table. "That's the craziest thing I've ever heard! There's no way we'd stand a chance against the massive Royal Army!"

"If that's true, then why're you taggin' along with us?" Natsu makes a good point. This girl should at least know what she's gotten herself into.

"What're you talking about?" I detect a hint of fear in her eyes and in her voice. "You said you guys needed an escort to the capital. I didn't come our here to fight anybody."

"Okay, if you say so." Natsu accepts that answer easily. But honestly, I think that she's geting in way over her head already. If she doesn't want to fight anyone, then she should have stayed in the desert with her guild.

Movement behind Lucy draws my attention, and I spot matching uniforms. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what that means. "Here comes trouble."

"There they are!"

"Cordon off the area!"

Lucy turns around, spotting them as well. "The Royal Army!"

They approach us slowly. "You're Fairy Tail wizards, aren't you? Stay right where you are."

Carla jumps back. "How'd they find us?"

"Does it matter?" I put one foot on the table, and flip right over Lucy's head. "Just leave it to-"

"Fire!" I should have known that Natsu would screw things up somehow.

A torrent of fire blasts towards the soldiers, catching me in the middle. Thankfully, I'm faster than a little fire. I jump into the air, soaring high above the flames as I turn to Natsu. "Hey! Be careful! I'm not fireproof, remember!?"

"Sorry!" Natsu aims his sword again, despite the fact that the soldiers have shields. "Another blast, comin' at'cha!" But when he tries to activate the sword, it fizzles out. "What!?"

Lucy turns around angrily. "I told you that magic is limited here! There's only a certain number of times that you're able to use it!"

I shake my head as the two of them argue beneath me, and try preparing a sleep spell. But for some reason, I can't summon the magic. _What the…? Why can't I cast sleep magic? I can use my wind magic just fine… Then it hits me. And my wind magic is powered by my lacrima. Duh. Damn it! Does that mean that I can't use any of my other spells!?_

A few more attempts at spell-casting prove my hypothesis. And with the soldiers charging, there's only one option. "Wind Dragon's-"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Wendy screams.

The next instant, a tornado erupts around us, and a fairly powerful one at that. _Damn it, she just had to go with wind magic, didn't she!?_

AS the tornado picks us all up, Natsu starts screaming. "What did you do, Wendy!?"

"I don't have a clue!" Between the two of them, I think my ears are bout to start bleeding.

"Well, you got us out of there!" I twirl in the wind a little, reorienting myself according to gravity. "Now I'm the one who has to save us!"

Stopping a tornado is not nearly as easy as you might think, even for a wind wizard. An opposite current has to be established, one that has equal but not greater force than the wind you are trying to subdue. If it's too weak, it won't work. If it's too strong, the direction of the wind will change, instead of being driven to a stop.

I spin quickly, unleashing blasts of wind in every direction that follow an opposite current to that of the tornado. Unfortunately, that brings the tornado to an abrupt halt, leaving nothing to keep us in the air. _Damn it!_ "I'm bringing us down!"

Wind circles all of us, slowing our descent in jerky, uneven bouts of deceleration. But I've slowed us to a non-lethal speed, which means that I can drop us all on the ground with no problems.

The problem, he Royal Army is surely looking for us. So I eye the nearest house and start pushing Natsu and Wendy. "Hurry up, we need to hide."

A minute later, I slam the door closed and back away from the wooden surface as Lucy bends down to peer through the hole. "Well, we got away from the Royal Army, but now we're stuck in the city."

"Man, the magic here really blows." Natsu sits down, crossing his arms. I sure hope that's just a lame pun.

Wendy joins him on the floor. "No kidding."

Happy turns to Lucy. "What do we do now?"

"Isn't there any other way out of here?" At least Carla seems to have priorities, instead of just whining and complaints.

"Not that I know of." Lucy grumbles a bit, obviously frustrated.

Voices echo from outside. "We found you, Fairy Tail!"

But despite our panic, they're not talking to us. Because it's Lucy's voice that rings out. And not the one stuck inside with us. "Hey! Let go of me!"

"What the…" Natsu's head nearly spins as he turns to look at the door.

"Get over here. You're Lucy, aren't you?

I open up the door a crack, and see a familiar head of blond hair, coupled with a tank top, skirt, and a very familiar pouch of keys. "Yeah, I'm Lucy, now get your grubby hands off me, you jerk!"

"Lucy!?" Natsu's surprise overcomes his initial panic.

And Edolas' Lucy's eyes widen. "The other me!?"

"Cut it out, that hurts!" Lucy tries tugging her way out of the soldiers' grip, only to fail.

Happy hops forward. "Hold on, what's Lucy doing here!?"

"Let go!"

Natsu growls. "We've gotta save her."

I push the door wider and grin. "On it! Stay here, Natsu!" Racing out of the house, I cover the distance between us and Lucy in a flash.

The soldiers don't even see me coming.

The first two, the ones holding Lucy, go down with a single punch each. And on reflex, Lucy raises up her hands to defend herself. And knowing her, I might just be able to take advantage of that.

Still in mid-air, I place my palm on Lucy's and she freaks out, trying to push me away. Which, of course, is exactly what I was expecting her to do.

Thank to her, I get airborne again without using up any extra magic. I gin down at her as she looks up in surprise. "Thanks!"

"Ciara!?"

I spin through the air, whipping up a hug cloud of dust that masks the blasts of wind that blow back all of the soldiers within twenty feet of us. Then, I touch down, right behind Lucy. "Hey there, Lucy!"

She takes a step back, touching her shoulders to mine. "I can't believe I ran into you here!"

"Well, I guess it's a good thing you did, huh?" As the dust starts to settle, we can see more soldiers approaching. "But it looks like we'll have to have this touching reunion later." I just hope that she's got something to fight with, otherwise this is going to get very dangerous, very fast.

"Don't worry, I can fight." Her confidence is astounding, considering the situation. But who am I to argue? Back to back, the two of us exchange a grin, and she whips out one of her keys. "Open, Gate of the Scorpion! Scorpio!"

 _She can use her magic, huh? Maybe it's because she's a holder type. Or maybe…_ There's always that chance that Mystogan did something to her, but I would rather not start speculating until I hear her side of the story.

Scorpio appears in a shower of light, a dark-skinned man with red and white hair, and the metal tail of a scorpion. "Sand Buster!"

Sand Buster, of course, translates to a whole heck of a lot of sand whirling through the air, blowing away the ranks of oncoming soldiers on her side.

Now, for mine. "Wind Dragon's Roar!" Honestly, I love this spell more than any of my other dragon slayer spells. Hitting a nice wide area just makes things go so much faster.

With all of the soldiers downed, Scorpio turns to Lucy and grins. "Sorry to skip out on you, but I gotta hot date with Aquarius tonight. Later." Though considering that he most definitely did his job, I don't see why he's apologizing for leaving.

"Lucy!"

She turns around to see Natsu, Wendy, Happy, and Carla. "You guys! I missed you."

But as she runs over towards Natsu, he starts spacing out. "Now, I'm thoroughly confused."

"Aye…"

"Uh…" Lucy catches sight of her double, her eyes widening. "That's me!"

Edo-Lucy, since I can't just call both of them Lucy, looks at our Lucy with slight suspicion. "Wow. I knew we'd look alike, but seeing her is freaking me out."

"Is she the Edolas version of me?" Lucy seems rather quick on the uptake.

But that is cut short by the appearance of more soldiers. "There they are! Over there!"

Carla cries out frantically. "I'm afraid the introductions will have to wait!"

Happy, on the other hand, hides behind my legs. "If we stay here, we're all gonna get caught!"

Lucy beams with confidence and points towards the new wave of soldiers. "Alright, Natsu, do what you do best!"

"With what, exactly?" Natsu crosses his arms, pouting.

"With your magic, obviously." Lucy seems to have missed the no magic memo. "You're a wizard, right?"

Natsu scowls at her. "We haven't been able to use our magic since we got here. Only Ciara still has hers."

"Wha…" Lucy's face pales.

And her color doesn't get any better when Natsu shoves his face close to hers. "Hold up. How come you can still use yours? I get Ciara because of her lacrima, but what about you!?"

"I have no idea!"

I sigh and shake my head. "I guess I'll have to do it in Natsu's place." Wind swirls around me, kicking up dust everywhere. "All of you, stick close together. I don't want anyone getting blown away by accident."

Lucy grins, then turns to her counterpart. "Looks like we'll be out of here in no time!"

"You sure?" I don't blame her for not having a whole lot of confidence in my abilities. After all, she hasn't really witnessed what applications my wind magic has in all out combat.

Time to go.

I sprint forwards, away from the group, and straight towards the oncoming soldiers. And these soldiers have no clue what a beating they're in for. Wind surges around both my hands, encasing my arms nearly up to my shoulders. _Let's see how you like the Wind Dragon's Wing Attack!_

Five feet from the nearest soldier, I slam my foot into the ground, using it to take off and spin through the air, while still keeping low enough to the ground to do some damage. Two separate spirals of wind twist around me, lashing out in all directions as I slice my way through the crowd of soldiers. They're not dead, but they won't be getting back up again for a while.

"Open, Gate of the Ram! Aries!" Lucy's voice rings out behind me, along with a flash of golden light.

I grin as I shoot thirty feet into the air. _Looks like we're finally getting somewhere._ Aries catches the soldiers up in massive quantities of wool that look like they're sticking to them like glue. I don't want to imagine how much static electricity it takes to pull that off. And even though I'm not a huge fan of stationary targets, Aries' work gives me the perfect opportunity to blow away the rest of the soldiers from my perch in the sky.

The wind whistles in my ears as I soar back down, landing next to Lucy and Natsu. "Alright, time to go!" I snatch up Happy, cradling him in my arms as we sprint out of the city across the last of the desert region, and into the nearby forest.

* * *

Once we're well out of sight of the city, and safely inside the forest, we sit down to take a break and catch our breath. _So, I guess now we know what happened to Lucy after we went through the Anima. She must have followed us somehow._

Carla is the first to compose herself, probably because Wendy carried her the whole way. "While we have this moment, we should figure out our next move."

"Okay, you wanna tell us how you were able to even get to Edolas in the first place?" Natsu jumps straight to the point, no smalltalk or reassurances at all.

"Oh yeah." Wendy shifts in her seat. "We were worried about you cause we heard that everyone in the guild was turned into a giant lacrima."

"Horologium and Mystogan rescued me just in the nick of time." And that would explain what I sensed and smelled after the whole town vanished. Though that doesn't yet account for Gajeel. There's no way he would just sit back and do nothing while this kind of shit goes down.

Simply put, he would get bored.

"You mean the old clock man?" Apparently Happy has met Horologium before. And it occurs to me that I haven't actually met many of Lucy's Celestial Spirits. Loke was something of a fluke.

"Mystogan was there?" Carla latches onto that information in particular.

Lucy nods. "See, when Horologium sensed a disturbance, he popped through his gate and locked me inside him to protect me. I was kinda freaked out for a bit, then Mystogan appeared." Her eyes bug out a little. "And his face looks like Jellal's!"

I sigh a little. "Yes, it does. Now, can you get to the point?" Obsessing over how similar he looks to Erza's old friend can wait till later.

"Wait, he survived the giant space vacuum too? Natsu must not have been using his nose, otherwise he would already know that. Though, considering how dense an idiot he is, I suppose that I shouldn't be surprised.

"Oh yeah." Lucy calms down a little. "So anyway, he gave me the run-down of what's been going on. He said that everyone, the whole town of Magnolia and everyone in the guild, had been sucked through the Anima into Edolas. He tossed this weird red pill into my mouth and made me swallow it. Then he turned me into a beam of light and shot me through that portal in the sky. And that's how I ended up here, dangling off the side of a cliff."

"Ouch…that must have been fun to climb down…" But it makes a little sense now. _We came through all on our own. So whatever that pill was that Mystogan gave her must be what is letting her use her magic here. It must unblock whatever is keeping u from absorbing the ethernanos in the air._

Lucy cringes a little. "Then, I started searching for anyone I might know, and eventually ran into the six of you."

Wendy, who has been listening with rapt attention, finally speaks. "I don't understand. How come Mystogan is the only one who knows about Edolas?"

Natsu frowns. "I'd like to know who that guy really is."

"If we're lucky, we may get to ask him." Lucy seems less than excited about the prospect of running into Mystogan again, but that's probably just because of the circumstances we've been hurled into.

Actually, now that we've seen duplicates of people here, I've got a theory on that, not that I'd be willing to share how deep it goes with anyone else. It also explains how Jellal and Mystogan can look identical, but be two very different people. Mystogan must come from here, from Edolas. And if he's the one sealing up the Anima portals, then that would explain why he joined Fairy Tail. We wizards get a lot of freedom to travel and use our magic, and under those circumstances, I can see why it would be the most appealing prospect.

"Well, I'd like to know why your magic works in Edolas and ours doesn't." Happy looks from Lucy to me. "I mean, I know why hers works. But why would yours, Lucy?"

Well, maybe I'm a legendarily beautiful heroine in this world!" Lucy starts daydreaming with a sparkle in her eye.

"Don't think so." Natsu shuts her down in a second.

After a moment to whine, Lucy gets serious again. "I wish I knew the answer to that question. If Natsu can't use any of his power, I don't know how we're supposed to win."

"Ouch." I cringe a little. "Don't forget that I'm here. And my Dragon Slayer Magic is definitely still intact."

That catches Edo-Lucy's eye. "So, you boneheads still wanna take on the kingdom all by yourselves?"

"Of course we do." Natsu blurts I out like it should be obvious.

"If we don't save our friends, who will?" Happy makes a good point. No one in this world would care. In fact, they'd be overjoyed to get all of their magic power.

Lucy looks at Edo-Lucy incredulously. "Is that really such a hard thing to believe?"

"You'll fight them even though only two of you can use any magic? That's suicide." Obviously, she has no confidence in our skills.

I sigh and shake my head. "Even if none of us had our magic, we would still do it. We would find a way to fight, or die trying." I stare her down, my gaze not wavering in the slightest. "Because that's what Fairy Tail does. We go to every extreme for the sake of our family."

She looks rather stunned, before her expression turns sad. "I see." Getting to her feet, she brushes dust from her clothes. "Anyway, we should probably get going. There's a town on the other side of the forest."

"Good." I get up and gauge what direction we came from, and therefore, where we are going. "Then let's get to it." I let a smile bubble up as I slide my eyes to Natsu. "After all, we wouldn't want to be late and risk everyone breaking out on their own before we've got a chance to be the heroes, right?"

Natsu grins right back at me. "Right!"


	76. Last Minute Rescue

**Wow, this arc is turning out to be a lot longer than I originally planned it. The only ones beating it so far are Nirvana (and that's just by a couple of chapters) and the pre-story arc, of course. Nothing is going to be longer than that one. Well, except maybe the GMG arc.**

 **Now, for the exceptionally long review I just got, let me allay some of your fears. You did not offend me, in fact, much of what you have pointed out is something I've done on purpose (well, okay, everything I've written is something I've done on purpose, but I'm trying not to give away all of the details before getting to the arcs where they're supposed to be revealed). I am sorry if that makes you impatient.**

 **As for your comment on independence and splitting the twins up, in just a little while, Ciara and Natsu will indeed be splitting up to deal with different problems (though to be fair, at this point in the arc, they're still all together, with the exception of Gajeel, they've just converged that way). Although, she knows very well that when they're together, she depends on Natsu too much. It's one of the character flaws that she hates about herself (you know, during that whole mess after Nirvana, this particular flaw was something she focused a little too hard on).**

 **Also, when the Tenrou arc comes along, remember that Ciara is an S-Class wizard, but for the sake of not spoiling too much, I won't tell you what part of the exam she's supposed to oversee. In fact, the reason they've been so close together is because things just keep happening, one crisis after another. Normally, they aren't quite so glued together in their day to day activities. Circumstances suddenly changed, and with that comes the need for them to stick together. But they will soon part again, only to be forced together again when shit hits the fan.**

 **In fact, I was actually planning on making her completely absent for the Key of the Starry Skies arc, since it's kinda semi-canon that it happens. Doesn't happen at first in the manga, but there are manga references to it after the fact. But point is, I was going to make her go AWOL for a couple of weeks while that arc is going down. And I will listen to suggestions as for what she's doing that whole time. I was thinking some kind of longer job (and maybe an accidental run in with another guild *winks*).**

 **So, while I don't plan on making brand new arcs (or adding any more extra characters outside of random jobs across Fiore), I am inserting new sections, kind of like mini arcs, into the main story. They'll start popping up next arc. So far, all I've really been doing with the other arcs is laying groundwork for everything that happens around and after the S-Class exam.**

 **Now, please enjoy the appearance of Edo-Natsu, which will occur later in this chapter. After the funny triple Lucy antics.**

* * *

Bent over a table, brainstorming over a map with Wendy and Natsu, is not how I expected to spend my time in this run down hotel.

But here we are.

Wendy's eyes flick over the map. "Hopefully, we can figure out where we're going if we use this map." Her eyes continue to scan over it, and she bites her lip harder with each second, before nearly bursting into tears. "I'm sorry! I can't read it!"

"It's alright Wendy, I've got this." I pat her on the head gently. "Everything is going to be fine."

Happy hops onto the table and stares down at the map. "That's weird. It looks way more like Earthland than I thought it would."

"Yeah…" My eyes take in the topography depicted on the map. "Alright, so here is where we ran into Edolas' Fairy Tail…and here is where we are now." I move my finger between the two points. "We walked this far from Fairy Tail before getting chased by the giant frog and running into Edolas' Lucy. We then went to Louen, which is where we found our Lucy." I run my finger from the desert, into the city, and through another forest to the city we're currently in. "Now, we're in this port city, Sycca. The Royal City is across the sea, so we're going to have to find a boat to take us there."

Natsu turns green. "I don't wanna take a boat."

I huff and roll my eyes. "I know that you get motion sick on boats, but we're going to have to find some kind of vehicle to transport us there, otherwise we're just not gonna make it." I point over to where the Royal City is marked. "This is where our friends are. We need to hurry and cover as much distance as we can."

Natsu's nausea subsides, and he frowns down at the map. "Our friends are half a world away."

"And that's half a world filled with Royal Army soldiers. We'll be dodging around ever corner. It could take us weeks to get even near the capital!" Wendy brings up a rather sobering thought. This is not going to be safe or easy.

I clench my fists frustratedly. _If only I could use the rest of my magic. I'm sure that I could come up with some kind of invisibility spell if I could just cast everything I'm used to…_

"Wow, this is nuts!" Edo-Lucy's voice pulls me out of my thoughts, and I turn my head to see her clad only in a towel after her bath. And there's a huge grin on her face. "She's just like me! We've even got the exact same freckles on our bums."

"Oh, what are you saying!?" Lucy comes out, also clad in a towel. "I don't have freckles anywhere!"

 _I don't really understand the big deal about freckles. I mean, they make some people cuter, and others not. So if they're in a place that no one sees, then what does it matter?_

"Wait, Scary Lucy!" Wendy gets to her feet, her cheeks tinted pink. "Did you forget that Natsu's in the room!?"

Edo-Lucy's eyes drift to Natsu. "I can see him fine, half-pint. I just don't care."

"You should!" What set our Lucy apart from Edo-Lucy is clearly that ours pays more attention to social graces. Though in a guild like Fairy Tail, social graces aren't very useful. In fact, I'm surprised that she's managed to keep it up this long.

Happy giggles. "Talk about a major act of dup-Lucy-ty." I slap my palm to my face and shake my head. _Okay…that's my fault…_ I guess that wordplay and teasing haven't been the best examples of humor to expose Happy to. And since Natsu usually just laughs at the simple things, the blame for any smart-ass comments that come out of Happy's mouth lies squarely on my shoulders.

"Tomcat, you're not to speak for the rest of this journey." Carla's tone makes me glad that she doesn't know that his bad jokes are my fault.

Natsu stares at the two blonds intently, piquing Edo-Lucy's interest. "You see something you like? I'll show you more." She reaches for the top of her towel, intending to pull it off and show him everything it hides.

But no matter Lucy's exclamation at her Edolas counterpart's intentions, Natsu is definitely not on the same page as them when he laughs. And that draws Lucy's ire. "Hey, what the heck are you laughing at!?" She frowns, before grinning a little. "Oh, I get it. You were gonna poke fun at me by saying 'Other Lucy' has a better figure, is that it? Well, if you wanna die today, be my guest!"

 _Nope…much stupider than that…_

Natsu's cheeks puff up with the strain of holding in his laughter. "I was just thinkin', you could totally wash your own back now."

"He's such a child!" And on that note, I must agree with the two of them.

I hang my head in shame. "I'm sorry, He just refuses to grow up…"

Wendy blinks, looking from one to the other. "The two of you look so much alike, it's kind of hard to tell which is which."

My eyes fall to the tattoo on Edo-Lucy's arm, then to the guild mark on our Lucy's hand. "Well I've got no problem telling them apart."

Edo-Lucy grins, fondling her ass. "I'm pretty sure my caboose is in batter shape."

"Would you knock it off!" Lucy's embarrassment level rises even higher. And it all makes me a bit relieved that we haven't met a doppleganger of me yet. I'd hate to see what kind of trouble she would get into.

Natsu jumps off the couch, exclaiming excitedly. "You guys should totally come up with a mirror impression act together."

"Not happening!" The two of them truly are in perfect sync.

"Actually, this reminds me of when Gemini is around." I turn to Happy in horror, because he's unknowingly added fuel to the fire.

"Yeah…now that you mention it…" Natsu is thinking. That can't possibly be a good thing.

"Germ-a-what?" Edo-Lucy furrows her eyebrows, confused.

Lucy smiles happily at the mention of her spirits. "A couple of Celestial Spirits I'm contracted with. They can turn into perfect look-alikes of other people." Lucy pulls Gemini's key out of nowhere. _I mean really, where the hell did she stash that thing!?_ "Open, Gate of the Twins, Gemini!"

Gemini appears as Lucy, wearing the same outfit as when we went to fight the Oracion Seis.

Those…are not good memories.

"Ta-da! Gemini, at your service!" That spirit is having way too much fun being Lucy."

"Whoa." Edo-Lucy's eyes bug out, now that there are three identical blonds in the room.

Lucy grins. "If you thought two was great, try a triple dose of hotness!"

Natsu finally gets through with his thinking. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I think this would make for one awesome guessing game at a party."

"Oh, no you don't." I bang Natsu on the head before the idiot can start anything. "We are not having some weird round of twenty questions." Then I turn to the Lucy trio. "And why don't you two get dressed. You're going to freeze in those towels."

"Oh yeah." Lucy swipes her key, then heads straight for her clothes.

It's late, so the two of them change into the same blue pajamas. And Natsu looks them up and down, looking a little more serious than earlier. "Even without Gemini around, it's almost impossible to tell which one of you is which."

Edo-Lucy nods, turning to her counterpart. "I don't suppose ya got one of those ghost things that's good with a pair of scissors, do ya?"

"Yeah!" Lucy smiles. "In fact, I have the perfect spirit for that job." She pulls out another of her keys. "Open, Gate of the Golden Crab, Cancer!"

In a flash of golden light, a tall man with tanned skin, and the weirdest hairstyle I've ever seen, appears. "It's been a while since you called me, Baby."

"Are you cool with him calling you 'Baby' like that?"

Lucy laughs nervously. "If you've got a problem with him, then you're gonna freak when you meet Taurus." Although, it just seems to me like all of the zodiac spirits are a little crazy.

"Okay…?" Edo-Lucy turns to Cancer. "You think you can work with my hair? Something shorter?"

"You got it, Baby." Cancer spins his scissors around, setting quickly to work. And honestly, I don't think I've ever seen anyone cut hair so quickly. Not that I would know from experience. No one ever touches my hair.

Edo-Lucy ruffles her now short hair. "There shouldn't be any trouble telling us apart now, don't you think?"

Lucy stand there, rather shocked. "Are you sure you're okay with chopping it off? I mean, mine took forever to grow out."

"Yeah, it's just hair." Edo-Lucy says it like it really means nothing to her. "It's not serving some great purpose by being longer, so why does it matter?"

Cancer takes some offense to that. "Because every lady should have pride in the 'do' they sport, Baby."

Edo-Lucy laughs nervously. "Yeah, I guess so." But in my opinion, I think that she pulls off short hair well. She walks over to the window, looking out at the night sky and city lights. "In a world like this, you tend to forget the little things like 'boy' or 'girl' that separate you from your friends. In the end, we're all just survivors."

Happy looks a little sad as he walks up to her. "If it's that tough, why did everyone in your guild seem so carefree?"

"Well yea, of course they did." Edo-Lucy's tone becomes soft and gentle. "It's important to keep your spirits up, even if you gotta force them every single day. And when we can't bring ourselves to smile, we remember there are people in this world who need us. Even if that means we're labeled a dark guild. Fairy Tail will always be there to lend a helping hand."

Natsu's gaze softens after hearing her words. _Looks like the Fairy Tail here isn't as different from the one back home as we thought._

 _Yeah… I smile at her, pleased to see that the true spirit of Fairy Tail exists here as well._

"But, I guess that still isn't enough in the end." Her words quickly take a turn for the worse as her voice drops to nearly a whisper. Though that doesn't stop me and Natsu from hearing them.

Lucy catches those words as well. "Huh?"

"Nothing, I'm just rambling." But to me, it sounds like her words are coming from a very dark place inside her. She's seen things, bad things. They're the kind of memories that no one should have. But it's that kind of pain that seems to be required in all Fairy Tail wizards, whether in this world, or ours.

* * *

Unfortunately for my habit of sleeping rather lightly when in the middle of a crisis, someone shuffling around the room wakes me up in the early hours of the morning. Of course, since I smell no new scents, there's only a few people that could be. And I have a feeling that I know who.

Opening my eyes and silently sitting up in the bed I'm sharing with Natsu, I look over on the other side of the room to see Edo-Lucy packing her things, changed back into that revealing leather outfit of hers.

"You know, usually, you sneak out after scoring, not before." I keep my eyes trained on her as she spins around.

Muffling a curse, she glares at me. "I thought that you were supposed to be asleep."

"I'm a light sleeper." And it's true. Unless Natsu is latched onto me, I don't sleep nearly as heavily as he does. "So, sneaking out before the sun comes up?"

She looks away from me, then nods. "Yeah. I need to get back to Fairy Tail. I know that it's wrong of me to ditch you guys but-"

"No, it's fine." I cut her off, my lips twitching into a smile. "Your friends need you. We can handle things here."

The guilt melts off her face, and she finishes pulling on her boots. "Good luck."

"You too." I watch as she walks out the door, closing it quietly behind her. _I wonder what Natsu is going to think in the morning…_

* * *

Hours later, sunlight starts pouring into the room. Lucy stirs, pushing herself out of bed and yawning, before getting on her feet and heading straight to the bathroom to change her clothes. She hasn't even realizes that I'm already awake, or that her counterpart is gone.

I lean over and poke Natsu's cheek. "Hey, wake up."

He turns over, mumbling a little. "Cia…"

I roll my eyes. _It's been a while since he last called me that. I wonder what he's dreaming about..._ "Come on, Natsu." I poke him again, a little harder this time.

He shifts a little, but he still refuses to wake up. _You have got to be kidding me…_ I sigh, since I'll have to start resorting to drastic measures. Sliding my hands under his arm, I flip him over and off the bed, right onto the floor.

"AHHHH!" He hits the floor with a smack, and immediately shrieks. "What the hell!?"

"Get up, idiot. We've got to get moving soon." My eyes drift over to where Wendy and the cats are rubbing their eyes, probably woken up by the noise.

"What's going on?" Wendy yawns a little, her tiny hands rubbing the last of the sleep out of her eyes.

I stand up and stretch my muscles out. "It's morning, so we should get ready to leave. The king isn't going to wait for us to rescue our friends. We need to get this done as quickly as possible. For that, we'll need to catch a ride across the ocean." Then I notice that she needs her hair done up again. "Come here, I'll fix your hair for you."

As Natsu pulls himself back onto the bed I pushed him off of, Wendy skips over, her scrunchies in her hands. I take them from her, working my fingers through her hair as I pull it up into those cute twintails that she pulls off so well.

The bathroom door opens up again as Wendy finishes pulling on her clothes. "Hey, has anyone seen the other me?"

I glance over at Lucy and sigh. "She left a note on the table."

"What!?" Lucy looks around, then spots the note on the table. She reads it quickly, before exploding. "You've gotta be kidding me! I can't believe myself!"

Natsu looks up at Lucy, groaning and rubbing his head. "Well, you're certainly energetic first thing in the morning, aren't ya?"

Lucy waves the note in his face. "Little Miss Me packed her bags and took off on us last night!"

Wendy pulls the note from Lucy's hand and starts reading it. "Keep walking for three more days and you'll get to the Royal City. I'm gonna go back to my guild now. Good luck and try not to get busted."

"What was all that about lending a helping hand!? If I get my hands on her, I'll wring her scrawny neck!" Lucy is fuming, and I could swear that her eyes are glowing neon red. _Well, that's weird._

"So you're saying that you have a scrawny neck, too?" _Happy…_

"Shut up!"

Wendy sighs. "There's nothing we can do. Other Lucy said she wasn't gonna fight, and we should respect that."

"Yeah." Natsu sounds like he really doesn't want to discuss this, and frankly, I'm in the same boat. Minus the motion-sickness that is bound to occur.

Lucy turns around, no longer stomping around like a vulcan. "You're saying I should just forgive this!? Someone with my face should never abandon people in need!"

Natsu groans. "Ah, come on, it's no big deal."

"It is too!" Lucy starts screaming again, so I reach for the bed and hurl a pillow at her head. "Please, just shut up for once! We don't have time to be standing around here arguing! Or have you forgotten that we're on a deadline!?"

She glares at me, but reins her emotions in. "Yes, you're right."

"Good, now let's get out of here." I head straight for the door. "We need to find a way out of here and across the sea. Then, it's a straight shot to the Royal City."

* * *

Sighing exasperatedly, I shake my head. "And exactly how is going book shopping going to help us right now?" I may like books, but I see no point in delaying any longer.

Lucy just smiles as we go on walking through the city. So Happy skips over to me, still staring at her. "Well, she's not screaming anymore."

Wendy laughs. "It's good to know you can cheer Lucy up just by giving her a rare book to read."

"So what book did you end up buying, anyway?" Natsu peers over into Lucy's arms, slightly curious.

Lucy's smile only gets wider. "A Complete History of Edolas, silly. Don't you want to learn more about this amazing world while we have the chance?"

"Not really." Natsu has never really been one for reading books. And it's about time Lucy figured that out.

So she turns to me. "What about you? You like books. Do you wanna try reading it?"

"Nope." I shoot her down in an instant. "I like reading books on magic, not history. Sure, I've got a few history books at home, but they all detail some really old spells, and that's what I like about them."

"Oh…" Her smile droops, though only for an instant. "Well, you know the saying 'Knowledge is power?' Well this book has tons of it! For example, there's a ton of history regarding a fearsome tribe called the Exceeds."

"Oh." Wendy looks briefly at the book. "We actually heard about them already. Everyone got really scared when they started talking about them."

Natsu scoffs. "Whatever, I could take em."

"Maybe…" I muse on the thought of Exceeds, just as the wind starts to change. "Wait, what's that!?"

A shadow passes over us, and we all look up to see a large metal airship. Natsu's eyes widen. "An airship!?" I just grin at the huge metal deathtrap. A _nd maybe our way out of here…_

But then, soldiers start running by, and we back away from the street. Lucy's voice lowers to a whisper. "It's the Royal Army again."

"We gotta hide." Wendy pushes Natsu and Lucy behind a pillar, and I hide behind another with Happy and Carla.

I hear a few scattered whispers, talking about the Royal City, the king, and the removal of magic from a giant lacrima. _They must be talking about our friends. Looks like we're on an even tighter deadline than we thought._ I clench my fists and a little wind swirls around my fingers. _If I went alone, I could make it there in time. But I'd really rather have someone watching my back, instead of running headfirst into enemy territory._

 _Don't even think about it._ Natsu catches my eye, his gaze hard and cold. _You're not going alone, there's no way I'd let you do that._

 _Yeah…_ I look up at the airship. _Well, I suppose that if you can get over your motion sickness, there's one other way to make it there in time._

He follows my gaze and momentarily looks like he's going to be sick. "We're gonna have to steal that ship."

"We're going to steal it!? All by ourselves!?" Wendy squeaks like a child's toy, her eyes wide.

Carla pales. "That's a completely unnecessary tactic! It would be easier to simply sneak aboard."

"Man, I can't stand hiding." And that explains why Natsu would rather still the ship, rather than just sneaking on.

Happy looks dumbfounded. "This must be the weird Natsu, cause ours would never wanna ride in a vehicle."

"That's true, but with Wendy's Troia spell, vehicles aren't a problem anymore." And the dolt seems to have forgotten that magic isn't exactly an option right now.

Wendy sweatdrops. "Did you really forget that we can't use magic here?"

Natsu freezes stiff. "You're right, let's find another way."

Lucy shakes her head and gets to her feet. "I say we take it by force. It's our best chance of making it in time to save them."

Wendy trembles a little. "But how will we do that?"

"Duh, me and Ciara will use our magic!" Lucy grins over Natsu's should at me. "We got the upper hand really fast on those soldiers in Louen, so it must mean that Earthland magic is far more advanced than anything in Edolas."

"True…" Then again, it's hard to get anything more advanced than what me, Natsu, Gajeel, and Wendy use. "And if it comes down to it, I can probably fly that thing all the way to the Royal City."

"Looks like we've got a plan." Lucy grins at me, then runs out from behind the pillar. "Come on!"

Rolling my eyes yet again, I emerge from behind the pillar and jump, taking a position high above their heads. And from there, I see Lucy taking out a more familiar key. "Open, Gate of the Lion, Leo!"

But instead of Loke appearing in front of her, it's that pink-haired spirit who dresses like a maid. Virgo, I believe. And the two engage themselves in a lively argument over where Loke happens to be right now. Of course, as soon as I catch the word 'date', I tune right out.

Since I figure that Virgo's dancing is going to be fairly unhelpful, it might be best for me to be the one to take out the soldiers. As they charge, I release blunt blades of wind from my hand, shooting them into the ranks of soldiers. Instead of ripping them in half like a bunch of tree trunks, the blades blast them backwards, sending them careening across the ground.

But as I continue to fight the soldiers, some of them slip around me and start heading for the others. At the same time, the airship starts a flight sequence, ready to take off again. So, I have a choice. Bring the ship back to the ground, or save my friends from certain death.

That's not a choice.

Plunging back into the fray, I swipe at the soldiers, sending every single one I touch flying. They were obviously never trained to fight a wizard specializing in high speed magical melee combat.

"Natsu!" I scream at the top of my lungs, trying to find my brother's scent in the tangle of bodies. I catch sight of Wendy and Lucy, being held tightly by soldiers. _Oh hell, no, not on my watch!_ Slamming my foot into the back of one of the soldiers' heads, I send him flying, using that momentum to carve myself a clear path to Lucy and Wendy.

As I free the two girls from the soldiers' grasp, a screeching sound over near where Natsu's scent is coming from distracts me. And when I turn my head, what looks like a magic-mobile screeches to a halt, knocking over half a dozen soldiers. And it's got a Fairy Tail emblem emblazoned on the doors and the roof.

As Natsu gets up, the doors fly open and a familiar voice comes from inside the vehicle. "Lucy thought you guys might need a lift. Hop in."

Now usually, I would definitely look a gift horse in the mouth. But right now, we're in no position to be arguing. So I grab Wendy, Natsu, and Lucy, and I shove them in the back seat, before tossing Carla to Wendy, and Happy to Lucy. There's no point in giving him to Natsu if he's going to get motion sick three seconds into the ride.

I claim the front seat, slamming the door behind me. "Drive!" I'm a little too panicked right now to do much more than register the driver's red clothes and spiky pink hair.

"Fasten your seatbelts, kids. We're ridin' hard." Without any hesitation, he puts the car into drive, and takes off down the street at a speed that instantly turns Natsu's face green. "Go fire!" At his word, the acceleration actually makes the tires catch fire. And I watch through the window as we leave, hoping that those tires are fireproof.

The city quickly disappears behind us as we streak across the desert plateaus. Happy cheers, completely ecstatic. "We made a clean getaway, and now we get to cruise right across the desert!"

Lucy laughs and leans forward. "Thanks a lot for the ride."

Wendy nods her approval. "Yeah, you just saved our lives."

"No problem, my pleasure. My wheels are way faster than that piece of junk airship." He laughs once. "Then again, there isn't a vehicle I couldn't leave in the dust." He lifts his goggles, showing us the face that goes with the familiar pink hair. "I'm kind of a big deal around here. They call me The Fireball.

My eyes open wide as I take in his features. "Natsu!?"

Oblivious to the exclamations of the others, I stare into his onyx eyes. And as he looks back at me, they widen. "Ciara…?"

This…just got a whole lot weirder.

* * *

 **Next chapter, Edo-Natsu talks about Edo-Ciara.**

 **I apologize in advance...**


	77. Brother No More

**…I apologize once again for what I'm about to make you read. It's just something that has to be done. Another long chapter incoming.**

* * *

Okay, to be fair, I had figured that there was an alternate version of my big brother somewhere in this world. I just…wasn't quite expecting this. Something different to what I'm used to, sure. But not this.

I know that Natsu can be reckless and cocky, but this guy almost seems like he's trying on the whole bad boy persona. And it's freaking me out. Though what freaks me out even more is the way that his cocky expression broke as soon as he locked eyes with me.

He tears his eyes away from me, focusing his gaze back on the road. "We'll be at the Royal City by the end of the day, we're takin' the long way around, but there's no water involved."

"I see…" I look out the window, trying to relieve some of the awkward tension.

Thankfully, Lucy does that for me. "This is crazy. I mean, you're nothing like the Natsu we know."

Edo-Natsu's voice returns to normal, obviously pleased by the change in topic. "And you're nothing like my Lucy. Except for the looks, of course." He glances into the back seat briefly. "So, is Puke-Face back there your 'me'? Talk about pathetic."

My hands twitch a little, and Wendy leans forward, putting her hands on my shoulders. "He's usually not like this, he's just not very good with vehicles."

Edo-Natsu chuckles darkly. "Just don't ruin the upholstery, alright?"

I grit my teeth as I glace back at the one who is my brother, and then, the one who isn't. "Normally, I would use a sleeping spell on him, but…ever since we got here, I've been cut off from most of my magic. As it is…I can't stop his motion-sickness like this."

Edo-Natsu's eyes flick to me, then back to the road. "I can't imagine being sick like that. They wouldn't call me 'Fireball the Courier Wizard' if I tossed my cookies just from sitting in a car."

Silence spreads through the car, an uncomfortable, tense silence. And I'm well aware that I'm half of the problem. So Wendy starts fidgeting a little. "So…Natsu, where is your sister? Does she drive like you do?"

He jerks on the steering wheel, before slamming on the breaks, sending us into a slightly out of control spin. We skid to a stop, facing a very different direction than earlier. "What the hell do you know about Ciara?"

Wendy recoils from the harshness of his tone, which leaves it up to me to explain. Great… Though judging by the fact that no one in the guild knows that he's got, or should have a sister, then something happened, something bad. "In the kingdom that we come from, our reputations, if not our names, are very well known." I glance back at my sick brother. "Natsu Dragneel, known as the Salamander, the Fire Dragon Slayer…" Then I lock eyes with the dark eyes next to me, with fire raging in their depths. "And I am Ciara "Dragon Wing" Dragneel, the Wind Dragon Slayer, and Natsu Dragneel's younger twin sister."

His eyes widen, then narrow again. "So that explains why you look like that."

With the history that I have, compounded with his reaction, I can make a guess as to what's going on. "She's gone…isn't she?"

The angry light in his eyes starts to fade, giving way to nostalgia, and a distinct air of sadness. "Yeah. It's been about eight years now."

Eight years…in our time line, that would have been a year or so before Igneel vanished. At that age, I was prone to getting very sick. And if I'm looking at this right… "Illness or accident?" They're the two most likely causes, if she was anything like me.

"…Illness. She was always a sick kid, but no matter what, we always managed to steal enough food and medicine to survive." It sounds like he doesn't like that he was forced to steal in order to get by. But desperation can push people to do some very bad things. He shifts uncomfortably. "But then, when we were nine. She got so sick that I couldn't take her into the city with me while I grabbed supplies. So, I had to leave her in the forest. The guards caught me, and I got held up for nearly a day…" He trails off a little, his gaze darkening further.

I think that I can fill in some of the blanks here. "She got worse while you were detained, and when you got back, she probably had a high fever, chills, and shook a lot?" Those are common enough symptoms of being sick. And since she couldn't have had Magic Deficiency Disease, it had to have been something else.

He nods slightly. "I tried to keep her warm, but she wouldn't stop shaking. And I tried to stop her fever, but two days later, when I was nodding off a bit, her fever exploded, and she stopped breathing."

"I see…" I remain fairly calm, unlike Lucy and Wendy. And when I eye the back seat, I can see Natsu, somewhat recovered from his motion sickness, staring at the back of the driver's seat, an equally dark look on his face. "And so…you went to Fairy Tail after losing her?"

He shakes his head. "I didn't go there, it was more like they found me. I was wandering around the forest, after digging and marking a grave for her. They offered me food, a place to sleep, and a family."

That sure sounds like something Fairy Tail would do. "And you never told them that you'd just lost your sister?"

"No." He glances at me again, but just for a second. "But sometimes, I sneak away from the guild to go visit…"

Of course he would… "Is that where you were when we ran into your guild?"

Another nod. "I didn't tell Lucy, because I didn't want anyone following me."

He wanted to be able to grieve alone. There's no one who can blame him for something like that. Of course, all of this brings back a lot of bad memories for me. I was a pretty sick kid, myself. If it weren't for Igneel and Natsu, I wouldn't be sitting here right now. _I wonder if Natsu would be this sad if the same thing happened back in Earthland…?_

Edo-Natsu looks stubbornly away from me and out the front windshield of the car. "Let's go. We've still got a lot of distance to cover before we get to the Royal City."

He moves the gear shift and presses down on the pedal under his foot, revving the engine and taking off like a bullet. And predictably, as soon as the car starts moving, my brother's face turns green, and he collapses back over Wendy and Lucy's laps.

* * *

The next few hours of our trip pass in silence, until Happy gets curious and crawls into my lap in the front seat. "How are you able to drive this thing without an S-E plug?"

Wendy picks up on the question, curiosity pushing her forwards. "What are you talking about?"

"The S-E stands for 'Self-Energy'. It converts magic power into fuel, so without one, it shouldn't run at all." Professor Carla is in the house.

Lucy muses for a bit. "Then again, I guess since people in Edolas don't have natural magic power, they don't need S-E plugs in their vehicles."

"Does that mean this thing is running on another power source?" Wendy seems very interested in magical mechanics all of a sudden. Though I suppose that the more she learns, the better off she'll be in the long run.

"Fascinating." Carla examines the situation closely. "Thought they're lacking in magical prowess, Edolas has made great strides when it comes to vehicles."

Suddenly, Edo-Natsu slams on the breaks, and we skid to a stop on the rocky ground. Thanks to my quick reflexes, I stop myself from hitting the dashboard. Though it's enough to put me into something of a sour mood. "Well, I'm definitely awake now…"

Edo-Natsu clicks his tongue. "Wow, you people sure are ignorant. Since magic power is a limited resource, that means things like magic fuel are equally limited. It's nearly impossible to get a hold of. Long story short, I can't really afford to take you any further. So, get out." He looks around at all of us. "If I keep burning through fuel, I won't be able to make it back to the guild. Thanks to the Fairy Hunter, they had to change locations again, recently."

"Yeah, we know, we were there." I remember the sight of that huge blue monster in the sky.

The doors open, and Natsu must have been the first one out, because his voice rises in celebration. "Hello, solid ground! I've come back to life!"

Edo-Natsu chuckles. "I'll hand this to your 'me', he knows when it's time to pick up and move on."

I sweatdrop a little. "Nah…he just can't handle any form of transportation. He acts like this whenever we get off trains, boats, magic-mobiles, really anything that moves.

"Now then, get out!" Edo-Natsu forcibly expels Lucy, Wendy, and the cats from the back seat. Then he turns to me, his voice becoming softer. "That means you too. If you wanna take on the kingdom, then I won't stop ya. Just don't go dragging my Fairy Tail into it."

I smile sadly at him. "Yeah, I know. Thanks for getting us this far, but like you said, I wouldn't want to drag all of you into our mess." I laugh quietly. "The Royal City isn't going to look the same after we're done with out mission. At least, if my brother's history of causing property damage is anything to go by."

A faint smile passes over his face. "Good luck."

Nodding, I open my door and step out of the vehicle. _Luck…I have a feeling that we're going to be needing a whole lot of that. The question is whether we're going to be getting it or not._

Wendy picks herself up off the ground. "Why did you help us back there?"

Edo-Natsu's gaze hardens. "I only helped ya because of Lucy. My Lucy. I could never turn her down when she asks for something, so thank her for your rescue. I don't want anything else to do with ya." His eyes flick to me, a little pain apparent in them. "For me, driving is all that matters."

Natsu walks over and leans his arm on top of the car. "Hey."

"Hmm?" Edo-Natsu turns to him, a little surprised.

And of course, Natsu crosses the line, and drags Edo-Natsu out of his car. "I wanna talk to ya for a second."

"No!" Edo-Natsu panics. "Get your hands off me right now!"

Natsu completely ignores the plea. "Sorry, but I gotta have a nice little heart to heart with myself."

"Will you cut it out!?" Edo-Natsu starts flailing around like a child. "Let go of me! No! I can't get out of the car!"

Natsu plops him down on the ground, standing over him menacingly. "Now tell me…" His demeanor flips in an instant. "Why is it you don't get car sick?"

Lucy's eyes pop out. "That was your big beef!?"

Edo-Natsu whimpers, putting his hands up between him and my brother. "I-I-I don't know why. I'm sorry." Now there are tears in his eyes. "Please don't hurt me."

He's…got a split personality. And here, I thought my brother's personality was extreme. This guy goes from cocky bastard to sniveling coward in the time it takes my brother's motion sickness to kick in.

"What the…" Natsu cocks his head, trying to figure out just what the hell is going on as he approaches his counterpart again. "Are you the same other me from just a minute ago?"

"Yes! Of course I'm the exact same guy!" He's starting to become downright hysterical. "But people say I'm like a different person behind the wheel!"

Happy's eyes goes wide and he starts sweating. "This world's Natsu is a total scaredy-cat!"

He covers his head again. "Please, you gys are freaking me out! Don't scream." A deapnan and sweatdropping expression is a good combination on Natsu, because he's been stunned absolutely speechless.

Lucy grins smugly. "It's just like looking into a mirror, isn't it, Natsu?"

"I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry!" Edo-Natsu just keeps apologizing, and at this point, I'm not even exactly sure what for. "But this is as far as I can take you!" _Oh._

Natsu finally recovers from most of his shock. "How come?"

The poor guy is still trembling "The only reason I came in the first place is because my Lucy told me I had to!" _Yeah right…she probably scared him shitless first._

"Aw… Well, you don't have to so anything that scares you." Wendy tries soothing him with a gentle voice and kind words. And it works, because he smiles, his cheeks a little pink.

Carla sighs impatiently. "We definitely don't have room for a blubbering coward on our team."

Wendy gasps. "Don't be rude!"

Rather than being bothered by the comment, Edo-Natsu just smiles to himself. "Hey, what's your name? I bet it's Wendy, right?"

"Right!" Wendy looks over at him with an adorable little smile.

That definitely puts him at ease. "Oh, wow. You're such a cute little girl." He turns to Natsu. "And you're Earthland's version of me?"

Natsu twitches. "Are you just now figuring that one out!?"

Happy grins. "Well my name is Happy. And this beauty is Carla." He points to Carla, obviously hoping that his way of introducing her will win him some points.

"And I'm Lucy." She holds up her hand in greeting. "But you already know my name, don'tcha?

He immediately starts cowering again, this tie putting the vehicle between them. "I'm sorry! I'll do whatever I can to make it up to you!"

Natsu glares at Lucy frustratedly. "Geez, Lucy, give 'Scared Me' a break, would'ja?"

Edo-Natsu peeks around the car. "The Lucy that I know from here told me I needed to bring you this far, so I did." He points off the wide of the cliff, right towards a huge city.

"Is that the place?" Lucy peers out over the city, looking for any distinguishing marks.

"I think it's the Royal City!" Happy's eyes go almost as wide as tea saucers. Which reminds me that I once used to try to make him drink milk out of one.

It did not go well.

Natsu laughs and throws an arm around his counterpart. "You should've told us we were here sooner!"

He starts cowering again. "Yeah, you're right. I'm so sorry!"

Natsu deadpans and releases the poor boy, opting to head for the edge of the cliff. "This is awesome. We'll be bustin' out friends our in no time."

"They're all down there, trapped inside of some giant lacrima." Lucy's eyes search for any sign of what we seek, but I can't see a thing either.

In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that the lacrima is probably too big to effectively hide inside the city. They probably have it locked down at a secondary location. That's the safe and smart thing to do.

"We mustn't waste time." Carla bolts down the hill as fast as her little legs can carry her, followed closely by Wendy.

Natsu turns to Edo-Natsu, waving goodbye. "Thanks a million, buddy!" Then he turns to follow everyone else down the hill.

"Hey, wait!" Edo-Natsu reaches out to my brother. "You're really doing it? Fighting the kingdom?"

"I dunno." Natsu shrugs. "We're just gonna try to get our friends back. But if the kingdom decides it wants to get in our way, I guess we're gonna hafta fight em."

Edo-Natsu doesn't look too sure. "Well, I hate to be sayin' this, but you can't beat them."

Natsu glances at me, then just smiles before running off. I grin and shake my head. _No matter what the odds are, we're going to face them head on, huh?_ I know that grin very well, and that's exactly what it says.

Before following the others, I walk back over to Edo-Natsu, smiling. "Right, there's something I forgot."

He looks at me quizzically. "What?"

I raise my hand to ruffle his hair, then I plant a kiss on his cheek. "That." I lean my forehead against his and continue to smile. "Now, you need to get going and head home. I'm sure that your friends are as worried about you as we are about our friends."

His eyes widen, and he returns the smile, a bright blush all over his cheeks. "Okay." Then he wraps his arms around me and squeezes me tight. "If my sister had survived…I hope that she would have grown up to be like you."

I stifle a gasp, because that was more than a little surprising. It must have taken him a lot of courage to say something like that. So I return the hug. "Well, I know that she would have wanted you to be happy, no matter what."

* * *

Upon entering the city, what we see here is very different to any other place we've seen. Everything is decorated lavishly. And there are lacrima glowing everywhere. Everyone looks so happy. But if there's really a magic shortage going on, then all of this luxury is nothing more than a waste of that limited resource.

Lucy looks around in awe. "They're so happy."

"It's not what I expected." Wendy does the same, evaluating her surroundings. "I thought this place would be dark and scary."

"Not exactly my picture of a dictatorship, that's for sure." Lucy has a point there. There's something very wrong with this place.

Natsu seems suspicious of things too. "And we got into the city without having o fight a single guard."

Lucy nods. "Compared to all the other towns we've been to, it's like a fair."

Carla huffs with distaste. "I'm sure it's because they steal magic from everywhere and hoard it all here. Then, they try to gloss over their crimes to make it more palatable to the general public."

"They're trying to use fun to justify mass murder…" I grit my teeth and clench my fits, trying desperately to keep my temper in check. "It's disgusting."

As we continue down the street, Wendy spots something. "Hey guys, it looks like there's something going on over here!"

Lucy turns her head. "Like a parade or something?"

"Ohh!" Natsu gets excited and starts running. "Like their version of Fantasia!?" I run after Natsu as he gets even more excited. "What's the deal!? Why's everyone cheering!?"

We push our way through the large crowd of people, and a flash of bright blue catches my eye. And it's a shade of blue that I've seen once before. At the Tower of Heaven. I turn my head, to be greeted with the sight of a lacrima crystal the size of our guild hall.

Wendy stares up at the giant crystal, her eyes wide. "That's a lacrima…"

"A giant one. Which means…" Lucy trails off, horror apparent on her face.

Happy's mouth opens wide. "All of our friends are inside of there."

"And if you look closely, you can see that there's a missing piece." Carla makes a good observation.

But to me, that's a bad observation. My eyes drift over to where there is evidence of the lacrima being broken off. _Is this really the magic power of the entire guild? Maybe of Wakaba, Macao, and most of the other regular members…but I would think that our entire guild's magic put together would be a whole lot bigger. Not to mention the rest of the people in the city._

"What!? You mean there's more of that thing somewhere!?" Lucy exclaims so loudly that I'm half expecting to get caught because of her loud mouth.

I grit my teeth. "Well, no matter who's in there, we have to do something to save them."

But before I can make any kind of plan, a figure emerges onto the balcony overlooking the plaza. And the crowd cheers loudly for the man in the brown robes. "Children of Edolas, it brings great joy to my heart to tell you that our Anima program has produced enough power to last another decade!" This man…must be the king we've been hearing so much about.

 _Produce? That's what you're calling it!? This is abduction, and now, you're planning murder! YOU DAMN COWARD!_ My emotions are boiling, and that's not a good thing.

"Let us rejoice together! Let us sing and dance!" He riles up his people. "Let laughter roar through our sacred kingdom! The power within this lacrima belongs to all loyal subjects of our fair homeland! Today, we hold our future in our hands to ensure it's prosperity into tomorrow and beyond! Therefore, we must swear to protect this gift from heaven with our very lives!"

Everything about this king screams insanity. He surely knows exactly where that magic power came form. There's no way he could be ignorant to that. And it means that he is more than prepared to murder innocent people to sate his greed.

"My dear children, today I shall make a most solemn pledge to you as your benevolent ruler." He slams his staff against the lacrima, cracking it in one place. "I will bring you more power! So much more than you could possibly imagine!" Obviously, he plans to murder everyone in Earthland. He wants to exterminate an entire dimension.

Small pieces of the lacrima fall off, and tinkle as they hit the ground. And in that moment, Natsu's own temper explodes. As for me, all I can see is red. And all I can hear is the king's maniacal laughter in my ears.

I've always tried hard to control my emotions, because I know full well that as dragon slayers, mine and Natsu's magic grows in power in proportion to our emotional state. And with all of the anger coursing through me, it's only a matter of time, and not much of it, before I unleash all of my magic in one devastating blast.

But, a small hand grabs mine, squeezing hard and tugging me away from the lacrima. "Ciara! Ciara, please, we have to go!"

But I don't want to leave. I don't want to abandon my family.

* * *

It took a whole ten minutes for Lucy and Wendy to tear Natsu and me away from the lacrima. And it took them another half hour to find a hotel, as well as fifteen minutes to convince us to bunk down for the night.

But that hasn't stemmed our anger, not even a little. Natsu stares out the window, looking at the setting sun. Happy lies dejectedly against the wall, while Lucy holds her head in her hands. Wendy sits still, her eyes looking somewhere far away. And while Carla goes about scribbling something, I lie on one of the beds, staring at the ceiling, and trying not to watch everyone else. Because I have a feeling that if I notice them all fall asleep, I'll be sorely tempted to charge out on my own and level the castle, along with everyone inside.

 _We shouldn't be sitting around like this._ Even in my mind, Natsu's voice is clipped and cold.

 _I know…_

 _Then what are we waiting for!? Let's go knock the place down!_

 _If that happens, then it'll be after the others go to sleep. I don't want them to witness what I'm going to do to those bastards._

Natsu growls angrily. "I can't just sit around like this forever!" He gets to his feet and strides towards me. "I'm stormin' the castle. Ciara, are you comin' with me?"

With an angry sigh, I sit up. "If you're going, count me in. I can't wait to put them in the ground for what they've done."

"That won't do any good." Carla's voice calls out from the table.

"Oh yea? Why not?" There's a challenge in Natsu's voice. It means that Carla had better have a good reason for her assertion, otherwise, the two of us will be gone in less than a minute.

She sits up and looks over at us. "Without a solid strategy in place, you don't have a prayer of saving anyone."

I sit up and stare at her. "Then you had better have something in mind. Because I don't think I can sit around doing nothing much longer.

Wendy bows her head. "But still, they were turned into that crystal. And we don't even know how to change them back."

"Hmm…" Carla goes back to bending over whatever shes writing. "The king will just have to tell us that himself."

"And how exactly do you plan to have that happen?" I raise an eyebrow, interested in hearing her response.

Natsu raises his fist. "We can just beat it out of him!"

"Hey, yeah!" Lucy lifts her own head, life returning to her eyes as she stands up. "Do you think that the king actually does know how to reverse the spell?"

"Probably." Wendy stares up at Lucy, not understanding what she's getting at. Though to be fair, I'm not either.

But Lucy seems to have a plan. "Then we still have a chance! If we get close to the king, we can pull this off."

Natsu's jaw drops. "For real?"

"But how do we save them?" Wendy is still being left in the dark, along with the rest of us.

Lucy turns to us, a smile on her face. "With Gemini! Remember, not only do they have the power to turn into the people they touch, they can also read the minds of whoever they turn into. Which means if they're able to transform into the king, then they'll also be able to tell us everything he knows."

"That…might actually work." Hope trickles through me at the thought of a plan that might actually bear fruit quickly.

Lucy takes some heart from my comment. "Timing is gonna be a major issue with using them because they can only transform into someone for no more than five minutes, and they can only remember a couple of people at a time. Literally, just two, so there's that."

"Well, to be fair, the only other person you've had Gemini copy is you, so copying the king should be no problem." I'm really starting to like this plan. "And we don't need them to transform into him for long, just long enough to give us the main points on what we need to do to reverse the spell. Once we know that, we should be able to get to work immediately."

Lucy nods, before becoming pensive. "But the real question is, how are we gonna get close enough to him? That's tough."

"Yeah, no joke." Wendy looks worried. "He's always has a lot of guards surrounding him.

I give it a little thought of my own. "Sneak into the castle, have Gemini transform into a guard or servant, have them approach the king, and voila?" It's a simple plan, but I'm just trying to throw something feasible out as quickly as I can.

"Yes…" Carla holds up her piece of paper. "I've come up with a plan for getting within range." She then points to the diagram and starts to explain. "As with any home of a paranoid ruler, when the castle was originally constructed, there was a tunnel built as an escape route, which links up with a mine shaft just outside of the city walls."

"There is?" Wendy claps her hands together. "But how do you know about it?"

Carla places her paw on her face. "It's just in my head, coming to me in little bits and pieces. From the moment we first set foot in Edolas, it's as though I have a mental map that's slowly being filled in."

Happy looks down at the floor, as unhappy as he was earlier. "Well, my head is still empty."

Lucy nods, satisfied with the plan. "If we can find that tunnel, then we may have a real shot at getting close enough to the king."

"All right!" Natsu is all fired up now. "Let's get inside that geezer's head!"

"Let's go!" Wendy is catching th enthusiasm from Natsu.

"Aye-aye, sir!" As is Happy…apparently.

"Not yet!" Carla puts a stop to their antics before any of them can race out the door.

And Natsu doesn't like that much. "Why you always stoppin' me!?"

She sighs. "We'll go under the cover of night. Until then, we should try to get some rest."

"A stealth mission, huh?" That certainly piques my interest. "Smart plan."

Natsu grins at me. "Sounds like this one is right up your alley, sis."

"You're right about that…" Keeping quiet is certainly something that I tend to be much better at doing than Natsu. Not that he makes it hard to win that competition.

First, sleep.


	78. Power of the Dragon Slayers

**Looks like I'm on a roll. I might be able to get this arc finished in just a couple more days (though it's turning out to be a lot longer than I'd originally planned). Well, assuming that there are no major distractions. Like swatting mosquitoes. Those are tricky little buggers...**

 **This chapter took watching like four episodes to write. All of the material is seriously split up.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Maybe it's nerves. But it could be excitement. Though it's probably anger instead. The others managed to sleep, but I've been awake for hours, waiting for the sun to go down and darkness to fall.

Around two in the morning, I raise my voice to fill the room. "It's time to go."

Wendy sits up first, along with Carla. "It's night already?" She rubs her eyes and yawns. "That didn't take long."

Lucy, a little groggy, pushes herself out of bed. "Time to go, huh? Just give me a minute and I'll be awake.

"Yeah…" I walk over to where Natsu is sleeping on the couch. "Come on, Natsu, it's time to go."

Without even a hint of sleepiness, Natsu opens his eyes. "Yeah."

I click my tongue disapprovingly. "Did you sleep at all?"

"Did you?" Well, he's got a point there. "Never mind, let's just go."

It's time to commence our rescue mission. And it starts with the six of us running through the darkened streets in the dead of night, long after the citizens have gone to bed.

Carla guides us through the city streets and outside the city walls, taking us over the rocky terrain that dominates the landscape. She checks her map once again for reference. "We should be arriving at the entrance to the tunnel any moment now!"

And her prediction is spot on, as we find a large tunnel entrance cut into a cliff wall. Wendy goes ahead and inspects the entrance. "This is it?"

"Yes, I'm positive." Carla nods assuredly.

That's more than enough for Natsu. "In we go."

"Wait!" It seems like it's not enough for Carla, as she calls Natsu back.

"Again with the stoppin'!?"

She heaves yet another impatient sigh. "I understand that time is of the essence, trust me. But we will need a source of light in the tunnel."

Natsu grins. "I got this! One torch, comin' up!"

I groan and shake my head. "Idiot…"

"You seem to have forgotten again." Carla must take great satisfaction in ragging on my brother. "Your magic power simply doesn't work here in Edolas."

"Aw, man!" Natsu kicks a rock frustratedly down the tunnel.

And Happy isn't too psyched either. "I can't exactly say that Lucy being the only one who can access all their magic is a comforting thought. And I don't think that Ciara can use fire magic…"

"You're right, I can't." Fire has always been my brother's thing, so I've felt no need, or desire, to learn the element. One pyromaniac in our guild is more than enough.

Lucy walks up behind us, irritated. "Give it a rest, Happy. You're just jealous."

Happy sweatdrops and spins around. "I'm sorry, did I say that out loud?"

As we turn to look at Lucy, Wendy's eyes travel downward. "What are you holding there, Lucy?"

Lucy laughs. "I got us torches!" She lifts them up for us to see. "I took some wood from over there…" She points over to a shack with a pile of firewood. "…wrapped em with cloth and dipped em in oil. All we have to do is light these babes up and we'll have no problems seeing."

Carla pokes a hole in the plan immediately. "And how will we do that?" We've got nothing to light the torches with.

She pales. "Good question."

I heave a sigh. "Gimme a minute…I'll find a couple of rocks for making sparks."

Turning away from the group, I crouch low to the ground, shuffling around and collecting up all the stray rocks I can find, and several different kinds. If I can strike different combinations together, I just might be able to find the right set needed to make sparks.

Returning to the group, I take out the first two rocks. "Alright, Lucy, hold out a torch for me."

"Okay…?" She holds it out, far away from her body. "Is this okay?"

"Perfect." I focus on the torch, and strike the first two rocks together. But I get nothing. "Okay, next set. I trade out one of the rocks, and try again. Again, nothing. "Okay… let's try these two." I take a particularly dark rock, and one that looks rather sharp, and strike them together. Sparks leap from the space between my hands, and one of them lands on the oil-soaked torch. "Success!"

After lighting up the other one and handing them off to Wendy and Natsu, it's time for us to find out exactly what lies at the end of this tunnel. Hopefully, it'll lead us straight into the king's bedchamber. That would definitely save us a lot of time.

As we walk, Carla continues to consult her map, leaving Lucy to look around all on her own. "Looks like nobody's been here in a while."

"Well, I'm guessing that it's not every day that someone decides that it would be a good idea to attack the castle." I chuckle derisively. "They probably haven't had a reason to use it in a very long time."

Carla finally takes her nose out of the map to address Wendy. "Put the light right out in front of us." Wendy does as she's told, and walks forward until the light reveals a dead end in front of us. Carla nods appreciatively. "That's our link."

Lucy walks up to it and gives it a good knock. "It seems pretty thick. And I think it's been fortified by some sort of magic."

"Does that mean this is a dead end?" Natsu walks up with the other torch, scrutinizing the wall.

Carla shakes her head. "We'll have to find a way to get through it. I'm sure the passage leading to the castle is on the other side.

I crack my knuckles and smile. "Everyone, back away from the wall."

Natsu cackles loudly. "Oh man, that wall doesn't stand a chance!"

Thankfully, Lucy backs away, and Wendy pulls Happy and Carla back as well. That leaves me with plenty of room to kick this wall down. "Wind Dragon's Talon!"

As soon as my foot makes contact with the wall, a crater forms right in the middle of the wall, with cracks spreading out in all directions. I give the thing another pat, smile, and push on it, knocking all of it down with one hand.

Lucy gasps. "Hey, look!"

Wendy exclaims happily. "There's a passageway!"

Happy bounds over with a smile. "Like I always say, Carla's got the one-two punch of brains and beauty." Now, he's just trying to flirt with her. I really don't need to see my pet flirting.

Carla approaches the newly opened passage, remaining somewhat skeptical. "Whether or not this passage leads to the castle remains to be seen."

Wendy glances down at her own partner reassuringly. "You've been right about everything else so far. I'm sure this is where we wanna go."

Happy, on the other hand, looks rather downcast. And Natsu takes notice. "What's wrong, buddy?"

After a few seconds, Happy looks up. "Hey, why do you think that I'm not getting any kinda map inside of my head?" That's not what any of us were expecting him to ask. "I mean, I'm from Edolas just like she is. And supposedly, we both got sent away on the same mission. So how come I don't know anything?"

"We agreed not to talk about that, remember?" Carla s strangely insistent on the fact that Happy should remain in the dark. "I can't give you an explanation, that's just how it seems to be working out."

"For now, we gotta keep moving forward." Lucy walks ahead, turning back for a moment. She's right, we've got to keep moving. Our friends are counting on us, whether they know it or not.

As we continue to walk, Natsu looks around nervously. "I hope this thing doesn't cave in on us."

"Me too…" I don't do well with tight spaces. I like the wide open sky, where there's nothing that can confine me.

"Yeah, that's why I'm hopin'." I turn back to look at Natsu, and he smiles. "After all, you don't like being caved in, do ya?"

I smile back at him, but Lucy starts to shiver. "Shut up, you two. You're gonna jinx us!"

"This mineshaft is pretty old and rundown, isn't it?" Wendy is pretty observant of our surroundings, but obviously not of the mood, since she went and said that out loud.

Happy trembles a little. "I really hope it's not haunted."

I groan. "If we run into a skeleton, I'm blaming Happy for that jinx."

Natsu suddenly stops, his face a picture of horror, though not real horror, and Lucy freaks out. "Whats the matter!? Please don't let there be something scary down there!"

Natsu holds back his torch, his voice shaking. "Just hold this thing for me, okay?"

"Why!? Just tell me what's going on! Do you have to fight something!?" Lucy freaks out again as she takes the torch.

 _What is this idiot up to this time…?_

"Be quiet and don't move a muscle." Natsu has a serious look on his face, which makes my spine tingle. Then, the idiot starts laughing, casting a shadow puppet on the wall. "We've found the lair of the shadow monster!"

I groan and slap my palm to my face. "What an idiot…" I punch him in the head and drag him by his collar. "Come on, we can play shadow puppet later."

"You promise." Sometimes, he can be exceptionally childish.

"Yes…" I know that this is the only way to get him off my back for now.

Carla pushes us forward, guiding us through the maze of tunnels. "Let's see. Now in about fifty paces, we'll take a left." And fifty paces down, she looks around. "We should turn here."

Though what she means by here is a huge cavern filled with glowing crystals. Lucy's mouth opens in awe. "This is more like a cavern than a tunnel."

"Yes, and I believe this cavern is located directly underneath the castle." For never having been here before, Carla has a suspiciously good sense of direction. Now, all we need is for it to backfire on us. This has all gone way too smoothly, if our past battles are anything to judge by.

Lucy smiles at Carla. "I don't understand how you're doing all this, but I'm so glad that you're on our team."

"I'm perplexed as well, but like I said, the map just keeps getting more and more filled in." It seems awfully convenient that it fills itself in just when we need it to, instead of giving us a clear picture ahead of time.

But Happy sees nothing wrong, not that he could ever see anything wrong with his little sweetheart. "You're amazing, Carla." _He looooooves her._

Carla has no idea how to take a compliment. "Well, being able to find our way through here is sure to be the easy part. But what will be truly amazing will be sneaking in and out of the king's royal chambers undetected. As defenseless as we are now, this mission'll be over the moment we're spotted."

I look around, and finally notice the skeletons lying about. "Happy…why did you have to say that this place could be haunted…?"

"I'm sorry…" He whines a bit and tugs on my leg. "Why did there have to be dead people?"

"Because obviously people died down here…" This mission is suddenly seeming much more ominous. Nd I don't really feel like joining the many skeletons that litter this chamber.

But as we press forward, a slimy, sticky white rope shoots out of nowhere, wrapping around Lucy. Natsu spins around in a second. "Lucy!"

"What is that!?" Wendy points at the good attached to Lucy.

Lucy struggles as another one wraps around her. "Oh, no, I'm stuck."

More of these stick ropes come shooting out of the darkness, attaching to Wendy, then Natsu. One of them shoots straight for me, but they've obviously underestimated by speed. Dodging the first couple of shots, I jump backwards, pushing off one of the boulders to dodge a third and fourth attempt to capture me. _Looks like they're not very good at this._

Finally, from my perch on the ceiling, I can get a good look at the soldiers, some of whom are arriving with lanterns. There's a couple dozen of them, with two holding each of my friends. _If I take out the armed soldiers first, then I'll be able to save them without anyone putting up a fight while my back is turned._

The clamor of the troops drowns out the panicked voices of my friends. And that means that it's time to act. Shooting down from the ceiling, I spin and cause a miniature storm within the confines of the cavern, forcing the soldiers to brace themselves or be knocked around by the powerful winds. "Wind Dragon's Wing Attack!" My hands work to make the whirlwind grow, tossing weapons high into the air.

 _I can do this._ I leap from wall to wall, pushing off boulders and stalactites, stalagmites, anywhere that I can get some traction. No matter how many times they shoot those ropes at me, they can't catch me. And now it's time for me to bounce right off the floor and into their ranks to take out more than the dozen I've already dropped.

"She's too fast!"

"What do we do!?"

"We've got to capture her!"

"But she evades everything we shoot at her!"

"Then shoot all at once!"

 _Oh shit._

As more soldiers emerge from the shadows, they shoot many sticky ropes at me, I spin quickly, shooting out blades of wind to drive them away from me. _As long as they don't touch me, I'll be fine._ My idea backfires, spinning the many ropes closer so that they nearly engulf my body. So I shoot upwards, the only open spot left that I can slip through.

At the last second, the tornado of ropes closes, trapping my foot in the sticky white mess. One of the soldiers tugs on that particular rope, pulling me from the mess of sticky white gunk and slamming me to the ground. I groan as two other soldiers wrap my torso with two white ropes, effectively immobilizing me. What's worse, the ropes are blocking out all of my magic. And they're too strong and tight for me to break through with brute force. _Great…so they're stopping the wind with glue. Ill have to make a note of that for future reference. Never fight an opponent with glue magic._

 _Damn it._

A new voice, but one that I know all too well approaches. "So these are the magic users from Earthland?"

I glare at her from the floor, but it's Lucy who beats me to the punch. "Erza!"

 _This…is so not good._

She looks us over carefully. "It's amazing how much you resemble the outlaws Natsu Dragion and Lucy Ashley." Then, ignoring us and addressing the soldiers, she makes her command. "Take them away."

The soldiers yank on us, pulling us away from Happy and Carla. Lucy struggles against her bonds, turning to this new Erza. "Erza! Please listen to us! Wait!"

But Erza ignores us, cutting off Carla and Happy from chasing after us. And while the soldiers drag us out of sight, my sensitive hearing picks up on Era's words. "Great Exceeds. I'm honored to welcome you home."

Lucy's pupils contract in fear. "I don't understand. What's going on?"

Wendy shivers, nearly crying. "Who are you, Happy and Carla? I thought that you were our friends."

"Were most grateful for your help in capturing the intruders." _WHAT!? There's no way that Happy would do what Erza is saying. He loves me and Natsu, he would never betray us like this. It has to be some sort of setup._

 _It has to be._

* * *

The soldiers drag us into the castle, confining me, Natsu, and Wendy together in a cell. But Lucy isn't with us. She's nowhere to be found. I can't hear her, and I can barely smell her. She must be being held somewhere far away from us.

Our purple-haired jailer just smirks at us as the bars drop down. And Natsu wants answers, jumping forwards and grabbing hold of the bars. "Hey! Where are the others!?"

"Others?" The jailers raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, where're our friends Lucy, Carla, and Happy?" Wendy isn't too pleased at being trapped in a cell away from them either.

The jailer frowns slightly. "Who's Lucy?" Then he smiles. "Oh, you mean the blond bimbo? Pretty little thing. Unfortunately, we've got no use for her. So she's gonna be executed." The grin on his face lets me peg him immediately as a psycho. That is, if the arrows for eyebrows didn't tip me off already.

Natsu grips the bars hard and slams his forehead against them. "If you jerks so much as lay a finger on Lucy, I swear you're gonna pay. I'll burn you down to a pile of ashes!"

The jailer laughs. "Whoa. Well, aren't you a scary one? So tell me somethin', are all Eathland wizards just as ferocious as you are?"

"Mostly just the dragon slayers." I glare at him from my spot on the floor. "Though honestly, considering the circumstances, you're seeing us in a pretty good mood."

He whistles a bit. "Good thing we left some of that goop on you. I get the feeling that we would have to renovate the castle if we didn't."

I growl at him, and try to tug my hands out of the white crap. "I wouldn't count on this stuff to hold me forever."

Wendy's issue is not with the comment on our ferocity, but with their plans. "You're going to execute Lucy? What'll happen to Carla and Happy?"

The jailer smiles again. "No need to worry about the Exceeds."

"His name is Happy, get it straight!" Natsu growls through the bars, his temper flaring.

The jailer plows on, undeterred. "The Exceeds accomplished their mission, so we took em back to their homeland." He turns away and prepares to leave. "In fact, I bet the little guys have claimed their reward and are having a feast as we speak."

"What!?" Natsu grips the bars hard, trying to pull them apart.

"What do you mean!?" Wendy cries out to the man with the purple hair. "What mission!?" She gasps a little. "No way, that's not possible! I don't know what kind of mission you guys sent her on, but I know Carla abandoned it!"

Our jailer starts laughing. "Oh yeah? She actually completed it like a pro."

Wendy's heart sinks. "That can't be. What are you making them do for you?"

"You mean, you still haven't figured it out yet?" He just laughs some more. "Their mission was to bring find you. And then, bring you here. Their mission was to bring us the dragon slayer so that we could suck out all of your magic power, to replace the power that our world is losing."

Natsu grits his teeth, not believing his ears. "That can't be right."

"No way…" Wendy sinks back to the ground, her heart broken in half.

He grins, eyeing us greedily. "This is so cool. We finally got our hands on ya. The three of you have so much of that awesome Dragon Slayer Magic inside you. All we gotta do now is suck it out."

* * *

Hours after the jailer leaves us be, the three of us sit huddled away from each other, the room having been silent for quite some time. At least, it's been silent ever since Natsu stopped raging and trying to breathe fire.

Now, he sits dejectedly against the wall. "I don't believe it. Happy would never turn his back on us. That's just impossible." Natsu gets right back on his feet, his rage retuning in full force. "What did you jerks do to my buddy!? Tell me!" He goes right back to punching at the bars. "Too scared to face me!?"

"Natsu…" Wendy looks sadly at my brother.

"Then I'll just have to come to you!" Natsu puffs up his cheeks. "Fire Dragon ROAR!" But as expected, nothing comes out of his mouth other than hot air.

Wendy sighs. "I could have told you that wasn't gonna work."

That sets Natsu off on a slightly less violent rampage. "Stupid Edolas and your stupid no magic crap!"

"Hey, quiet down in there!" A couple of guards approach our cell, readying their weapons before opening the bars. "You're coming with us!"

"Oh yeah!?" Natsu goes to punch one of them, only to run straight into a fistful of that sticky white gunk. "Damn it!"

The other guard grabs Wendy, binder her arms to her torso while the other one binds Natsu the same way. A third guard appears as they take Natsu and Wendy from the cell. "Now…for the troublemaker."

I glare at him for a moment, before getting to my feet, ignoring the fact that my hands are bound behind my back, as well as how much I hate restraints. "Fool." I sweep his legs out from under him, knocking him to the floor. Even without my magic, I'm still way faster than the average fighter.

I head straight for Natsu, planning to free him next. That is, until two more guards attack me, wrapping restraints around my feet, as well as around my stomach, pinning my wrists down. "Damn it!" Last, they slap some of the gunk on my face, covering up my mouth and shutting me up. _…Shit…_

One of the soldiers tosses me over his shoulder, carrying me along like a sack of potatoes, while two others drag Natsu and Wendy down the hall. Their path leads straight into the bowels of the castle, and into a large chamber. There are three large stone tablets with metal restraints on them.

 _Great…looks like we've got some torture in our future…_

The soldier drops me on the ground roughly, holding a sword in hand. "Time for you to go to sleep." He lowers the blade and bashes me on the head. And everything around me starts going black.

 _That's going to leave a mark in the morning…_

* * *

A nasally voice is the first thing I hear from out of the darkness. "Now…this may hurt a bit. But your sacrifice will mean a great deal to our kingdom."

I hear a click, and then Wendy starts screaming. It's a terrible, piercing sound that shakes me to my core. And worse yet, it rouses all of my instincts, urging me to protect her at all costs. "Stop."

A moment later, her screams do stop, and the whirring noise that accompanies it stops as well. "Oh, so you're awake now?"

I open my eyes to see a wrinkly old man who stand no higher than three feet tall, with a strange device by his side. _So…that must be what he's using for the magic extraction._ I look him up and down before smirking. "So, you've got a thing for kids, huh? Isn't that, like, against the law here?"

Thankfully, that comment earns me his full attention. "Well, now. You have quite the mouth on you. How dare you insinuate something like that, you brat."

I chuckle. "Well, if the shoe fits."

He leaves behind the extractor, approaching me instead. "Tell me, how is it that you're able to use magic here? The other two haven't shown such abilities."

"Well, wouldn't you like to know…" I stick my tongue out at him and wave it through the air. "Bite me! Or better yet, let me bite you. I promise it'll hurt."

"Hm…I don't think so." He returns to his machine, pointing it at me. "Let us see exactly how much magic is stored in that body of yours."

Purple energy pulses around me, before the pain begins. I bite my lip, and try not to scream. It feels like all of my organs are being torn out of my body, right through the skin, muscles, and bone. And worse, it feels like he's trying to tear out my very soul, along with all of my magic.

"Ciara! Ciara! No!" I can hear Natsu's voice far to my right, one Wendy's other side. "Leave her alone! You're going to kill her!"

"Hm…we wouldn't want that now, would we?" A moment later, some of the pain stops, but my body is still throbbing.

I open my eyes once more, glaring angrily down at the tiny man. "Bastard…I can't believe that you turned that on a little kid. You're a monster."

"I am no monster. I am simply doing the best thing for my kingdom." He turns the device gain, this time on Natsu. "Now, give me your power, Dragon Slayer."

The machine glows, and now, I get a good view of exactly what it's doing.

I growl loudly, angrily. "Leave him alone you little goblin. I'm the one with the most magic power right now. So leave the idiot alone!"

He shuts the machine off, turning back to me. "Now, why is that? I'm much enjoying sucking the power out of this one. Tell me, why should I stop?"

I grit my teeth. "Lacrima…I have one in my body."

"Oh?" That piques his interest quickly. "Tell me, how powerful is this lacrima of yours?"

"Powerful? That's putting it mildly." I glare at him, eyes full of rage. "Not that it matters, you can't take it."

"And why not?" He fingers the device again, shifting it back towards Natsu, someone that I never want to hear screaming again.

My glare turns icy cold. "Because if you do, I'll die, and even if you do manage to extract it without breaking it, you'll only have one shot to figure out how to use it. And there's no way you'll figure out how to extract and use a Dragon Slayer lacrima without killing someone and destroying the crystal." I have no idea if what I'm speaking is the truth or not, but if it keep me from having to hear those screams again, then I'll play this dangerous game.

The old man chuckles darkly. "Well, well, young lady. You certainly have a way with words."

"I have a way with evil old bastards as well…"

"Is that so?"

My smart mouth earns me a turn with that machine quickly. And the pain returns, even more intense than before. Stars pop in my eyes, creating a darkly glittering canvas across my tightly closed eyelids.

 _Natsu…_

 _Ciara! Stop it! You're making it worse!_

 _I know…but if it keeps you and Wendy safe, then I don't mind._

 _Then why the hell did you tell him about your lacrima!?_

 _To keep you safe for a little while…why else? I had to draw his attention somehow._ The pain may be terrible, but our telepathic connection remains intact. _I'm gonna protect you for a change, big brother._

As though to contradict my will, the old man shuts off the device, relieving me of only a little pain. My head is spinning, and I feel like I'm going to be sick, worse than Natsu's motion sickness kind of sick. _That…hurt._

When he turns the device onto Natsu once more, eliciting more of those agonizing screams, the old man cackles like a madman. "What impressive specimens you three are. The magic power you possess is tremendous." He turns on me. "Now, if only there were a way to remove that crystal inside of you without killing you…it's true that it wouldn't do to waste such a promising prospect for a short term gain, assuming that we could be successful in harnessing its power on the first try."

I spit in his face, baring my sharpened canines. "You disgusting, greedy little troll. When I break free from these restraints, your wrinkled neck is the first one I'll be throttling."

Wendy barely manages to life her head. "Natsu, Ciara, are you both okay?"

"Think so..." I breathe hard, trying to stop the world from spinning.

Natsu groans. "Yeah, I'm fine. No matter what they do to us, you can't let them get the best of you, ya got that? I know we're gonna make it through this. Don't you dare give up hope!"

Wendy smiles and nods her head. "Yeah. I'm sure our friends will come to help us any minute now."

The old man chuckles. "So, none of you are willing to face reality and know when you've been beaten. Is this bull-headedness another part of what makes a Dragon Slayer?" He turns the machine on Natsu again, filling the air with his screams.

"Natsu, no!" Wendy is about to cry, I can see it in her eyes, even smell the tears forming.

But Natsu is stronger than that, fighting against the pain. "Listen to me! You have to stay strong! You can't let them break either of your spirits!"

Wendy's tears start to cloud over her eyes. "I promise I won't!"

Sounds like a challenge to me." He turns the device off Natsu, and back onto Wendy.

Natsu struggles harder. "No! Take everything from me! Just leave her alone!"

But the old man just cackles some more. And Wendy screams.

"Bastard! You leave her alone!" I strain against my bonds, trying to break them. And I can hear the sounds of clinks, cracking metal. "You leave her the hell alone!"

Oh, you want me to leave the child alone?" He turns to me, a terrible smile one his face. "Very well then, you will have to do for now."

This time, when he turns the device on me, it's impossible for me to bite back my screams. It's disgraceful and weak, but there's so much pain, and it's even more unbearable than before. Each round of pain compounds onto the next, increasing the pain exponentially each time.

"No! Don't hurt her!" Natsu's voice rings out over my screams. "Leave my sister alone!"

But there is nothing to be done. The old man will toy with us as he sees fit, and for as long as he so desires. The only things to be heard in this deep dark dungeon are the screams of dragon slayers. Screams of pain, rage, and despair.

And then, when the torture finally stops after what seems like an eternity, there's just nothing left. Nothing but pain and emptiness.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

The telepathic connection shatters as that old man's last extraction knocked Ciara unconscious. He must have sucked so much magic out of her that she started getting sick. And here I am, tied up and not able to help her.

It's time to start raging. "You asked for it! You guys are in big trouble now! I'm gonna beat the crap outta every last one of ya!" Ciara hangs limply from her restraints, her face pale and still. And I hate the sight of her like that, it makes anger burn inside me like Igneel's dragon fire. "Let me outta these and I'll show ya that I mean business!"

The creepy old guy just laughs that mega-creepy laugh of his. "It seems that the extraction was too much for her." He points the pain stick at me again. "Let's see how much longer you last."

...Unfortunately, it's not much longer for me either.


	79. Extalia

**This chapter took longer that I thought, because I ended up sleeping a lot of yesterday, trying to catch up sleep, and ward off a splitting headache.**

 **Not fun...**

 **Only a few chapters left to go for this arc. It's taken a lot longer than I thought it would to flesh out this arc. Probably because of the details that I've taken some liberties with.**

 **Now, it's time for Ciara to fight alongside someone different for a change.**

* * *

Gray's P.O.V.

We heard Natsu screaming down the hall earlier, but the screams have quieted since then. That's can't be a good thing. And what's worse, is that I haven't heard Wendy or Ciara screaming either.

I sprint down the hall with Lucy and Carla, looking for wherever they've stashed our dragon slayers. Lucy spots it first. "Hey, look! There's a door up ahead!"

"That must be where they're holding em!" I lock my eyes onto the door, increasing my speed, before stopping and using all of that forward momentum to kick the door in.

Once inside, Lucy starts towards an unconscious form. "Natsu!"

"Wendy!" Carla is right on her heels, bounding towards Wendy's own unconscious body.

On the far right is Ciara, looking paler and weaker than I've seen in a long time. But she's tough, she can go a couple of minutes while I check out Wendy. I slide to the ground next to the girl and hold her up. "Are you alright?" I shake her a bit. "Come on, say something!"

"Wendy…" Carla's eyes fill with tears.

And Lucy isn't doing so good with Natsu. "Hey, can you hear me?"

But it's no good, neither of them are responding. "She's out cold. I can't wake her up." One the bright side, at least Wendy is breathing.

Lucy nods. "Yeah, so is he."

With Wendy unconscious and not waking up, I turn around and gather Ciara into my arms. "Come on…you're the light sleeper, right? You've gotta wake up."

But it's no good here either. Ciara just isn't going to wake up. And her skin is barely warm. Usually, her skin feels hot to me, being an ice wizard and all. So for her temperature to have dropped this much, means that we're gonna need Natsu.

So, I switch targets again, shuffling over to Natsu and shaking him. "Hey, this is no time to be sleeping on the job! Wake up already, you lazy pyromaniac! Everyone's counting on you to help em out!" He still refuses to wake up, so I break out the big guns. "Your sister needs you!"

But the fool stubbornly stays asleep. _Okay…I can barely sense any magic power coming from the three of em. That means that they were probably having their magic sucked out or something. Ciara's condition comes from not having enough magic flowing through her. So restoring their magic should wake them up._

With that idea in mind, I reach into my pocket. "We might as well feed em some X-Balls while they're out." I shake Natsu a little more. "Open your mouth, you loser."

Lucy watches me curiously. "What are those?"

I hold up the bottle for her. "They're magic pills that Gajeel told us to take. Didn't Mystogan give you one whenever you ran into him?"

Recognition flashes in her eyes. "That's what it was? I was wondering what he popped in my mouth."

"It's a good thing you took one, cause you can't use your magic in this world without it." I pop open the bottle and pop one into Natsu's mouth. Luckily, even unconscious, he manages to swallow it, no problem.

Lucy stares at the sight. "I had no idea…"

A second later, Natsu tumbles out of my grip, coughing violently. Lucy panics. "Natsu!"

But now, it's on to the next one. "Okay, now let's give one to Wendy." I slide her up, setting her against my knee. "Open wide." I tip the bottle again, popping a pill into her mouth as well.

Last up is Ciara, who is getting even paler. _Damn it…what did you do to end up like this?_ But I've already got a feeling that I know what she pulled. So I gather her up and tip an X-Ball into her mouth as well.

She barely manages to choke the pill down, and her eyes slowly flutter open as a little color returns to her pale cheeks. "Gray…? What…?"

I pat her cheek, then feel her forehead. "Looks like you'll be fine. But you're probably gonna be wobbly for a little bit. Okay?"

She nods slightly, resting her head on my arm. "I feel like I got run over by a bunch of trains…"

While I don't envy the pain she must be in, it's good to see that she can still make a joke out of it no matter how morbid. "Yeah, just sit tight for a-"

An angry roar breaks the relative silence of the room. And I've come to know that roar a little better than I'd like. I turn my head to see Natsu breathing fire into the air, warming the room considerably, before bolting out the door.

I lay Ciara back down on the floor and get to my feet. "Hey, come back here!" But it's no use, the moron is already gone.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I seriously feel like I got run over by an entire train station's worth of trains. And I can faintly hear voices beside me. Gray, Lucy, and Carla, as well as Wendy. But she sounds like she's in pain. Not that it's too different from me. That old man took some seriously sadistic pleasure in torturing us.

Wendy starts crying, and her voice starts getting clearer. "It's horrible. The Royal Army, they're gonna destroy Extalia by crashing the giant lacrima directly into it. All of our friends in Fairy Tail are in danger because the king of Edolas is gonna use them as a bomb!"

That revelation is more than enough to get me on my feet, no matter how much it hurts. "Then we've gotta do something, and soon." Extalia sounds enough like Exceed that it doesn't take me long to make the connection.

"Ciara, you're up!" Gray rushes over, supporting me gently. "We need to get you out of here, you're in no shape to fight."

I shake my head. "I still need to do something." I glance at him, registering that he's not a lacrima anymore. "How do I turn the lacrima back into people? How did you get turned back?"

He smiles slightly. "Me and Erza were in the lacrima in the plaza. Gajeel used his Dragon Slayer Magic to bust us out."

"I see…" I pry myself from Gray's grip, the wobbling diminishing until I can stand properly on my own two feet. "Then I'm going to go help him."

Gray inhales sharply, then nods. "Alright. Gajeel is outside. Happy should be taking him to the giant lacrima."

"Okay." I sniff the air, catching the scent of my little friend. "Then I'll follow my nose. I'll find them, and I'll make sure to help them turn our family back to normal. Stopping the problem before it becomes one should solve this, right? If there's no lacrima to use as a bomb, then we won't have to worry about Extalia."

"Alright, then we'll handle things here." Gray gives me a push and a smile. "Go get em."

I return the smile, and turn my back on them. "Just get out of here alive, alright?"

"Yeah."

Without looking back, I sprint towards the hole in the wall, no doubt caused by Natsu, if I'm judging by the slight scorch marks left behind. _This day just keeps getting better and better. At least we won't have to deal with writing apology letters for anything we break here. I don't think the Magic Council's jurisdiction extends this far._

I zoom through the hallways, until I come to section with a hole going straight up through several floors. _Well, that's definitely a good way out._ Shooting straight up is the best plan ever, because it takes me straight into the main tower complex, and I soar right through an open window.

I probably should have stayed longer to get some answers, but time is of the essence, and I need to find Gajeel. Once I do, I can ask him precisely what needs to be done to free our friends from what sounds like a far more gigantic lacrima.

Inhaling carefully, I catch two familiar scents on the breeze. It's Happy and Gajeel. And judging by the fact that the two of them are nowhere in sight, they probably already know where the lacrima is, and are headed there now. That leaves me with a very good trail to follow.

I soar through the open sky, following the distinct and powerful scents of my little blue cuddle buddy, and that big lug of an iron dragon. The city below me spreads out in all directions. But despite its beauty, I can't bring myself to appreciate it. Not this place that would murder innocents just to pamper themselves. Even if they're doing it in ignorance, that's hardly an excuse. At least, that's how the Magic Council would see it.

However, high above the lavish city, I can see the telltale flashes of a fight already underway, along with the ringing sound of clashing swords. _What, did Gajeel forget to invite me? I always get invited to the best parties!_

But, what's even more stunning, or maybe I should say alarming, is the monumental lacrima floating across the sky. _Ah…that explains where the rest of the guild is. I knew that other piece was way too small._

As I fly closer to the lacrima, I start to make out the figures in the sky. One of them, of course, is Gajeel. But the other one is an armored cat the size of a large man. He might even be as big as Laxus. And that guy is neither short nor thin, to say the least.

On my approach, I notice that Gajeel is sinking towards the island. And judging by that cute pair of pure white wings, I have a feeling that I know how he managed to get in the air in the first place. _Happy…_

I come to a stop in the air, looking down at Gajeel. "Hey, what's taking you so long!?"

He and Happy look up at me, and Gajeel smirks. "Took you long enough. I thought they'd never bust you out in time."

"Yeah…" I turn to look at the giant Exceed, who looks like's he's waiting for that enormous sword of his to power back up. "Looks like you've got company."

"Ya got that right." Gajeel lands on the ground, relieving Happy of the burden of carrying him. "I got this one, you focus on the lacrima. Hit it with all the Dragon Slayer Magic that you can pump out."

"Sounds simple enough." I float backwards, heading towards the lacrima, while still keeping my eye on the Exceed. It wouldn't do for me to turn my back to a potentially dangerous enemy.

The Exceed fixes his eyes on me. "You're one of the dragon slayers that were taken to the castle."

"I am." My fingers twitch, ready to cast a spell, any spell, at the drop of a hat. "And now I'm free. Which means that it's time for me to free my friends!"

He continues to stare at me, his eyes only flicking once to his sword. "Magic power transmission complete. Bustermarm, redeploy!" His sword handle glows, and that enormous sword emerges from it.

Gajeel grins as I float another ways back. "Gotta give the guy props for carrying that giant thing everywhere."

Happy flutters up and down excitedly. "No kidding. If one Pantherlily equals one panther in length, then the sword is equal to four panthers long." Something is seriously wrong with his logic, and his math.

I slap my palm to my face and sigh. "Happy, come up here and let Gajeel handle this. I've got work to do, and I'd rather have someone around to watch my back."

Happy flies over to me, grabbing me by the back of the shirt. "Aye, sir!"

The giant Exceed, the one that Happy called Pantherlily, swings his sword down, narrowly missing me and Happy. But luckily for the two of us, Happy tugs me out of the way and up towards the top of the lacrima. I smirk down at Gajeel. "Kick his ass!"

"You got it!" Gajeel grins, dodging Pantherlily's blade as it cleaves off a small piece of the island.

"Whoa…" Happy looks down at the falling piece of earth. "He did that with one clean strike!"

"Then we should probably get out of range, before he decides to try playing pinata." Maybe it's just me, but I like being in the sky. I don't like the idea of getting knocked out of it.

"Aye, sir!" Without waiting for me to accelerate upwards, Happy drags me higher into the sky. "I'll do the flying, you smash up that giant lacrima, okay!?"

For him to suggest that after flying Gajeel around means that he's not only determined to save everyone, but pushing well past the magical limits that he used to have. And it makes me feel good to know that Happy is getting stronger, just like the rest of us.

Happy flies me up above the lacrima, allowing me to conserve some extra magic power. I glare down at the lacrima, the giant crystal that holds our family prisoner. "Time to blast thing into a different dimension."

"Aye!"

I inhale deeply, a smile tugging at my lips. _I hope I don''t hack a few pieces off by accident._ "Wind Dragon's ROAR!"

The whirlwind of blunt blades smashes into the giant lacrima, spreading out in all directions and bouncing off the largest spikes and into the smaller ones. _Well, I always was good at widespread attacks._

Happy looks down in awe. "Whoa…that was really strong."

"Yeah…" I watch as the last remnants of the attack dissipate. "But I'm going to have to hit it a lot harder if I'm going to turn them all back." _But I don't know if I can do this all on my own…this could take me days…and I don't think I've got that much time._ Glancing down at Gajeel, how is now going hand to hand with Pantherlily, I open my mouth wide. "Oi, Gajeel! Try hurrying that up, will ya!? I'm gonna need some help up here!"

"Yeah, yeah, just let me finish this first!" He gives Pantherlily a punch that hurls him straight into the rocky ground. "I'm makin' this kitty all mine!"

Ignoring the very strange word choice, I think I get where he's coming from. Natsu partners with Happy most of the time, though that doesn't leave me without our little blue cuddle buddy if I really need him. And then, Wendy has Carla partnered with her. _Gajeel must be feeling lonely without a fuzzy friend of his own._

That's something I never thought I'd think.

"Iron Dragon's ROAR!" I cover my ears as Gajeel's attack slams into the island, putting it a little more off balance. _Jeez…talk about a complete and utter lack of self-control!_

With another fistfight brewing down there, Happy sweatdrops. "I think he's getting a little distracted down there."

"No kidding…" I turn my gaze back on the lacrima. "But that doesn't matter right now. We've got to pump as much of my magic into that lacrima as possible. Once Natsu and Wendy are done with whatever they're doing, they'll want to be here to help. Gajeel should be done with his fight soon enough, and he'll be able to help as well."

Happy groans quietly. "I dunno how long we can wait…"

I turn my eyes on him. "Alright, put your wings away. You can hang on to me and rest. It's safer for you to be up here with me than down there with Gajeel and Pantherlily raging around."

"No, I can do this." Happy's grip shifts, showing his determination to help me.

I smile at his efforts. "It's fine, Happy. I can probably do more damage if I'm closer to the lacrima anyway. And You need to recover as much as you can before Natsu gets here. Unlike me, he can't really fly." _Well, barring his stupid stunts when he thinks that fiery rocket boosters will do the job for him._

"Okay…" His wings poof out of existence, and the two of us start to fall towards the highest lacrima crystal.

Reaching behind myself, I grab hold of Happy and hold him in my arms. "Time to go!" Wind speeds around my feet as we plummet towards the spike, gaining speed every second. "Wind Dragon's Talon!" I discharge everything on impact, sending a vast magical shudder through the entire floating island.

 _More…I need to hit it with more magic._

"Hold on, Happy!" I jump off the spire, speeding up as I twirl around the giant lacrima, gathering a different spell in my mouth. "Wind Dragon's Piercing Air Bullets!" I zoom around the island, shooting off high powered projectiles. This spell doesn't cover the same kind of area that my roar does, but it lets me keep firing them off as long as I keep my breathing and shooting rotation steady.

As I make my rounds of the lacrima, shooting at it like a festival game, the city below us begins to glow, and it starts moving around like a freaking Gildarts Shift. _That can't be good…_

Happy looks over the side. "Whoa…what's happening?"

"I don't know." I squeeze him tighter in my arms. "But whatever it is, it's not good."

A giant structure emerges from the middle of the city, and I recognize the magic power coming from it. _That's our magic…the power of dragon slayers…_ What looks like jaws open wide, and from it, a bone-like chain comes flying out, aimed directly at the bottom of the floating island. It smashes into the island, burrowing deep inside and turning the lacrima every color of the rainbow.

 _We're too late._

As the chain stars dragging the lacrima island across the sky, I fly down to Gajeel, who is looking more than a little confused. "What's going on? Is this thing movin'?"

"It is." The three of us turn to Pantherlily, who is somehow still on his feet. "According to our military's plan. We'll smash it into Extalia, eliminate that kingdom, and harvest unlimited magic power!" He starts laughing, like he really doesn't care that this is nothing short of mass murder.

"You gotta be kidding me, that's completely insane." And as our resident expert on insanity, Gajeel's diagnosis does not make me feel better.

"But why?" Happy starts to tear up in my arms. "Why would your people ever wanna do something so horrible?"

"Does it matter?" I clench my fists and shoot nothing short of pure rage at the feline. "Right now, our objectives rest at opposite poles. So no matter what he believes, it doesn't matter. All that really matter is stopping this island before everyone we love disappears forever."

Happy flutters out of my arms anxiously. "Ciara, Gajeel! Use your Dragon Slayer Magic to smash the lacrima and turn everyone back!"

Gajeel grits his teeth. "Can't. No time for that now. This puppy's speeding up!"

"Then I'll do something." I turn, sprinting towards the edge of the island, before pressing against the edge, and shooting off it, straight for the floating island that must house the kingdom of Extalia. It's a simple enough plan. I'm just going to put myself between the two islands and push as hard as I can.

I slam into Extalia, hard, which gives me the force I need to push back off that island, and rocket towards the lacrima, smashing against the side of the island. I'm trying to use the built up momentum to at least slow the improvised meteor down.

Then, I hear his voice. _Sis! We're coming!_

 _Natsu!?_ I can barely believe it, but he's there, in my head. _What are you-_ I turn my head and spot a giant blue monster, identical to the one I shot out of the sky when the Fairy Hunter attacked the Edolas Fairy Tail guild. _Oh shit! Please tell me you're the one riding that thing!_

 _Well, duh! I've got Lucy, Erza, and Gray here too!_

I struggle against the lacrima island, which is stubbornly gaining speed, despite my efforts. _Well, hurry! Because I can't hold this island back by myself!_

Like magic, and my brother's miraculously perfect timing, the big blue monster smashes its head against the island, nearly crushing me as well as its rider shouts commands. "Give it everything you've got!"

Gray's voice echoes out of the din. "It's no use, it's got too much mass and momentum!"

"If we fall, we'll do so with the rest of Magnolia!" Trust Erza to be valiant to the very end.

But this isn't the end, it can't be. Because we're members of Fairy Tail. And Fairy Tail wizards don't know how to give up. Even Lucy knows it. "Don't worry! We'll save you guys!"

"Out of my way!" Natsu slams himself against the island, pumping out his own magic to try and reduce its speed and drive it back.

"Natsu!" Happy dives over the edge of the cliff, his magic recovered enough to fly down for Natsu. Then, he stops. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Huh?" Natsu looks up, grinning. "Give me a hand, buddy, would ya?"

Despite his earlier guilty expression, Happy perks up, flying straight for Natsu. "Aye, sir!"

Then Gajeel, stubborn, bull-heade Gajeel, abandons that fight that he was so into, all to help us push back against the island.

As time starts running out, there's no way that I can let my efforts be outdone by anyone else. Wind whips around me, coalescing into a ball that expands between the two islands. _Come on…push! You can do this! Everyone is counting on us, and there's no way that we're going to just give in now! I am a Dragon Slayer!_

The distance between the islands decreases with every second, and we're all frantically pushing against the impossibility. Natsu's power explodes, so I figure that there's not much damage I can do that's not already being done. I pump out as much power as I can, considering that a lot of my magic is still sealed up.

 _Damn it, I should have taken off my ribbons earlier. There's no way I can do it now!_ My foresight must really be lacking if I got myself into this kind of situation, where I can't risk dropping my burden to reach up and pull my seals off.

The effort required to push against the island makes all of the muscles in my body scream for mercy. It almost feels like the aftermath of the time that I downed Etherion, as well as after being buried by the rubble of Nirvana. I'd been hoping to not have to go through something like that again.

Then, my feet make contact with the island holding Extalia, and my knees nearly buckle. But Natsu appears out of the smoke, right there by my side. He forces a faint grin, nearly masked by utter determination. "Don't give up! We can still push thing thing back!"

"Aye, sir!" Happy has foregone carrying Natsu, in favor of pushing all on his own.

Gajeel shifts over next to Erza, pushing with all his might. And Erza is more than a little shocked. "Gajeel, why are you down here!? You should be using your magic to turn the others back to normal! Get back up there!"

"If you wanna deal with the black cat, be my guest!" It took a total of half a second for Gajeel to lose his temper. He might actually be catching up to Natsu's record.

"We don't have time to worry about the lacrima or the cat, so just push!" Gray…has priorities.

Despite her injuries, Lucy is determined to hold this thing back as well. "We have to stop it, or everyone from Magnolia will be lost forever!"

"Coco!" Pantherlily looks over the side, staring at the little girl that I don't recognize. She must be Coco. "What are you doing!?"

She looks up. "Lily! Oh, you're still in one piece!" She smiles brightly, despite the dire situation. "I'm glad. Who needs eternal magic power, when you can have eternal smiles?"

Despite the purity of the sentiment, that does not make him happy. "What kind of nonsense is that!? You have to get our of here, Coco! These people can't stop Extalia's destruction!"

"Don't be so sure!" Natsu screams to the sky. "If there's one thing Fairy Tail wizards always prove-"

I raise my voice right alongside his. "It's that nothing's impossible!"

The land behind us starts cracking, the fractures spreading quickly from the point of impact. We're so close to losing everything. But there's no way we can give up now.

Lucy groans. "It's getting pretty tight in here!"

"Just keep pushing, guys!" Gray smashes his fists against the island, pushing with all of his strength.

As is our armor-clad queen. "Use every ounce of power you've got left!" That's easier said than done. We may be determined, but we need help.

A burst of light zooms down towards us, slamming against the island. And when the light fades, Carla's form is revealed. And Happy's eyes go wide. "Carla, it's you!"

"I'm not giving up!" She presses her tiny body against the speeding island. "I'm going to save Fairy Tail and Extalia! I can't just watch my homes be destroyed!" The next screaming ball of light to push itself against the island is a slightly larger black and white Exceed, startling Carla. "Why are you here?"

"Because I want to protect my home as well! Your courage inspired me!" And someone, Fairy Tail members just seem to have that effect on people.

Hundreds of lights rise into the skies above our heads, Exceeds rising from Extalia. And one by one, the many Exceeds slam against the lacrima island like a meteor shower. And one of those Exceeds rings Wendy with them, the last member of our team here in Edolas. We're all reunited at last.

I turn to Happy, gritting my teeth. "Happy! I need you to come over here and pull out my ribbons!"

"What!?" His eyes widen and he looks scared. "Are you serious!?"

"Yes! Now do it!" I push hard against the lacrima island, waiting for him to do as I say.

A small weight sits on my shoulders, and a second later, my hair comes undone, and the power sealed inside me explodes outward. _I…am not just a dragon slayer._ Wind lashes out around me, and the cliff behind us all starts to crack faster. _I am a dragon!_

I barely notice the scales forming on my arms. Summoned by my desperation, and my desire to save my friends. I've only got enough magic to hold this form for another half minute, maybe less, because I found out the hard way that it burns magic like nothing else. I just have to hope that it'll be enough.

With my strength increased, my hope soars. It might be futile, in vain, or downright stupid, but right now, I feel like there's nothing that can go wrong. We are going to win. And the magic pulsing through my body is going straight towards making that happen.

Many magics swirl through the air and fuse together, pushing back against the king's terrible plot. We're fighting for our lives, for our friends, for our homes. Humans and Exceeds, side by side.

That combined magic halts the island in its tracks, and pushes it back a few dozen meters from the impact point. Then, the lacrima lights up and the air itself begins to shake with the force of its vibrations.

Light shoots into the air, and when the light dies down, the lacrima crystals are nowhere to be seen. And those of us who were blows into the air are now floating high above the ground, in the safe hands of the Exceeds. And a pair of Exceeds are holding onto me, one a white male, the other a blue female. And the two of them smell suspiciously familiar.

"The lacrima…" Erza stares at the hole left behind by the now absent lacrima, before the island and chain dissolve into a beautiful white light.

Gray swallows nervously. "It disappeared…does that mean…?"

"What happened to all of our friends?" Lucy is on the verge of becoming hysterical. "Do you think they're-"

"Don't worry, they're all safe and sound." Now that's a voice that I'm definitely happy to hear. I turn to see a cloaked figure that I know very well, standing on Coco's blue flying monster. "Sorry for the delay, but finding an adequate Anima vestige to restore everything took a bit longer than I thought. Without your effort, I never would have made it in time. You have my gratitude." _Ah…that explains it. He's the one who sent the lacrima back._

Natsu laughs, and Happy's wings flutter happily. "Everybody's back to normal!?"

"Yes." Mystogan nods. "By passing through the Anima again, the lacrima will be returned to its original form in Earthland. It's finally over."

As the celebrating starts, I slump a little in the grip of the two kind Exceeds, sweat and dirt covering my skin. "It's over…"

The female smiles gently at me. "Rest now, child. I believe that you have fought enough for today."

"Yeah…I think I'd like to curl up in the sun for a nap…" I yawn slightly, my skin long since cleared of scales, but my sharpened teeth still scraping against my tongue. "I don't know if I can go through another battle today." _Though, knowing our luck, I might not have a choice._

Mystogan raises his voice, reaching for his clothes. "Lily, long ago you saved my life." Mystogan removes his mask, revealing his face to all. "I'm glad that I could return the favor today."

Pantherlily's eyes fill with tears at the sight of Mystogan. "Yes, and I couldn't begin to thank you, my prince."

 _Hold up, what now? I…begged a prince to teach me sleep magic. What the hell!?_ My brain…has short-circuited. This is a little much for me to process.

Then, there's a scream of pain, and a general panic, as Pantherlily is shot out of the sky by a bright beam of energy. And as he falls, an army of those blue flying monsters is revealed.

 _Now…we're screwed._

* * *

 **Oh, and just a head's up, her Dragon Force won't be showing up again for a long time yet. If that disappoints you, I'm sorry. If you feel like she's been using it too much, don't worry, you won't be seeing it until well after the next major crisis.**


	80. The Dragon Knight

**Well, I'm glad to see that it looks like I'm making people hate the Edolas arc a little less. I never really understood all of the hate it got anyway. Sure, it's far from the best arc, but it's not like it was that bad. Although, I will say that I consider everything from Tenrou onward, barring the Key of the Starry Sky arc, to be a million times better than anything that came before.**

 **By the way, I cooked a turkey yesterday, first time doing it, and I didn't manage to burn it. It actually came out perfect. For me, mastering a recipe usually involves failing hard on the first try (burning eggs to the pan, clumping up flour in a batch of curry, burning the outside of bread to charcoal, and other similar mishaps).**

 **I also did some more painting yesterday. We're about 80-85% finished painting the stuff outside. And we murdered many a roller head to get that done.**

 **Today was the Miners' Picnic, so I was there for a while this afternoon. I got some sun, which is good.**

 **By the way, this chapter is super long, mostly because it's one long battle.**

* * *

Not even recovered from the battle against nature that we just fought, I depend on the two Exceeds to keep me airborne.

 _Just our luck…we win one battle, only to be plunged straight into another one. Exactly what did we do to make the universe hate us so much? Did our founders do something that pissed off whatever gods they believed in? It's like they cursed us to play heroes at every turn, without giving us a sufficient break._

As the figure on the lead flying monster approaches, Natsu growls. "It's the Edolas Erza."

"The one called Knightwalker." Happy's little paws are shaking, I can see it all the way from where I float limply a mile in the air.

Gajeel growls as well. "Heartless broad, you're gonna pay." This lady has just picked a fight with pissed off dragon slayers. That's not going to end well.

But despite who she picked a fight with first, her eyes are on Erza. "Scarlet!" She's chosen who her opponent will be. And she may not live to regret it.

"It's Knightwalker." Erza stares down at her double, obviously displeased with this turn of events.

Mystogan shakes his head. "Let me handle this." He turns to face Knightwalker, great displeasure written all over his face. "I've had enough of your insolence, Captain Knightwalker. How dare you point your sword at me, the royal prince of Edolas?"

Erza seems as startled by the news as I was. Obviously, I was the only one who clued in when Pantherlily called him that. But coming straight form the horse's mouth isn't easy to take either. This means that we've had a prince in our guild for years, and no one knew.

Then, frightening laughter echoes through the sky. "You, the royal prince of Edolas? Don't make me laugh. You don't deserve the title because I never thought of you as my son."

Coco shivers. "That's the king's voice!"

"Yeah, where the heck is he?" Lucy looks around, trying to locate the sour of the voice.

Alright, I've seen the king firsthand, and I have to admit, it's a difficult pill to swallow. That old king is hardly a looker. Mystogan, on the other hand, forget handsome, he's downright gorgeous. From an objective perspective, of course.

The king's voice rings out again. "You have some nerve. You can't run off for seven years and then suddenly waltz back in as though nothing happened. Do you think you can fool me? I know you've been in Earthland sealing all of the Animas. You're a traitor. And as such, you must be punished for your actions!"

Wendy twists around in confusion. "Where's that voice coming from?"

"I have no idea, but he certainly sounds angry, doesn't he?" Carla is definitely putting it mildly. He sounds like he's gone completely mad.

"Come on!" Natsu yells his challenge to the skies. "Show yourself, bucko!"

"Come out and face us!" Happy is just as willing to take up the challenge. That little blue ball of fur never ceases to impress.

"Great…we're being thrown right back into battle." I sigh and glance at the ground. _I took a beating, thanks to that old man with the magic suction device, then I went Dragon Force trying to stop the island. I don't know how much longer I can keep going before I collapse. Add to that, my magic is almost depleted. If I don't replenish it soon, I'll be laid up in bed for a month._

Mystogan is undeterred, addressing his invisible father. "Your Anima plan has failed. Please surrender peacefully. You've no reason to fight anymore!"

"Ridiculous." The ground below starts glowing, and I realize that that's where the voice is coming from. "Who says I need a reason to fight?"

"Do you guys hear that!?" Gray catches on quickly. "It sounds like it's coming from underground!"

"Feel the magic power building up in the air?" Lucy's right, there a ton of it building up.

 _And he says that they're running out? What a hypocrite._

"This is not a simple fight. No, this is retribution." A giant form emerges from the dirt, and the king's voice becomes clearer. "The extermination of all who would dare to oppose their king."

"What is that thing?" Lucy looks down in awe.

Gray is just as stunned. "Some kind of magic weapon?"

"Since you and your meddlesome friends insist on standing in my way, I've no choice but to obliterate each and every one of you. Regardless of who you are!" This old king is definitely off his rocker.

Mystogan looks resigned, but also a little sad. "Father, please."

"I'm not your father. I am the king of Edolas!" The giant contraption that he's holed himself up in starts to glow and move. "If I dispose of you here and now, I'll no longer have to worry about you sealing my Animas in Earthland. I'll be free to create another giant lacrima and fuse it with the Exceeds. Limitless magic power will be mine!" And I don't fail to notice that he said that it would be his magic power. He made no mention of it belonging to his entire kingdom. His greedy intentions have finally been brought to light.

As he laughs, I nearly sweatdrop at the monstrosity he unveils. I'm not sure if he's using it to be arrogant, or just to piss us off, but either way, it's working. On one hand, it look much like one of Erza's suits of armor. On the other hand, it resembles a dragon in form. He's trying to use a dragon to fight a force that has four dragon slayers in its ranks. I'm not entirely certain if this guy is stupid, or just crazy. Especially since it's not even a real dragon. Now that would scare me a little more.

The king continues to laugh as the mechanical dragon unveils its true glory, if it can ever be called glorious. "Try as you might, there is no stopping me! I am the king! My power is absolute!" The air itself shakes as the mechanical dragon roars.

"All of that magic, can you feel it?"

"I can, and I recognize that form."

"No, this can't be happening."

"Is that what I think it is?"

After the various chattering of the Exceeds, the white colored female with the single wing is the one who puts a name to it. "Dorma Anim."

Mystogan twitches a little. "The Dorma Anim, from our old language, it means Dragon Knight. It's enhanced dragon armor."

"A dragon?" Natsu is having a hard time believing it. And I don't lame him. The thing looks nothing like Igneel.

Happy gulps. "Certainly looks like one. Don't you guys think so?"

Wendy is trying to wrap her head around it too. "Is it magic armor?" I think she's trying to equate it with Erza's own magic armor. And that's probably not the right idea.

Carla doesn't seem to think so. "It's unlike any I've ever seen before."

Coco's blue flying monster flies slowly over. "It's an enhanced armor made from an anti-magic lacrima called 'Wizard Canceller'." And that's awfully convenient. "It's bad news for us, because our attacks won't have any effect on it. The king must be inside of it. He's controlling the Dorma Anim's every move."

The fake dragon moves, opening its giant metal maw. "As your king, I order you to capture the Exceeds at once!"

With that order, the battalion moves into formation, coming at us with a bunch of small mechanical devices that look almost like the magic suction device that the old mad scientist hit us with. And these are something I would rather not get hit with.

Mystogan panics. "Hurry, everyone, fly for your lives!" It sounds silly, but considering that this entire battle is airborne, it's not actually so silly. In fact, the king in his dragon armor is the only one not part of this battle yet.

I turn to the two Exceeds holding me. "Okay, this is important, so I need some quick, straight answers." The two of them nod, so I continue. "You guys are Exceeds, and therefore you can fly, and probably like doing it. What I need to know is where the most powers, most dangerous updrafts are."

Light flashes through the air, and several of the Exceeds start turning into lacrimas. The blue female Exceed shakes a little. "Then we must hurry. Lucky and I will take you there."

"Lucky?" I glance at the white exceed. "Your name is Lucky?"

"You bet your damn pink hair it is!" He turns to the female. "And this is Marl, she's ma wife!"

"I see…" I smile slightly. "Well then, Lucky and Marl, it would help us a lot if you could get me to the updrafts. I should be able to replenish my magic power there."

"Aye, sir!" Lucky yells loudly as he and Marl change direction, flying me over towards another side of the island holding Extalia.

 _Hey, sis where are you going!?_

I smile at the sound of Natsu's voice in my head. _To suck up some wind! Don't wait up for me, I'll come and crash the fights when I'm good and ready!_

 _Alright, if there's anything left for you to do!_

That moron loves to tease me. But it puts a smile on my face as we continue to fly, fleeing the blasts of magic that rain lacrimas from the sky. Now, I can get to doing what I need to. And that's turning wind into magic.

Lucky and Marl speed up, flying me out of range of the Dorma Anim, and a battalion of soldiers. Marl paws at me gently. "We're almost there. But it's rather dangerous. Are you sure that you want to go through with this?"

I nod. "I'll be fine. This is all part of my magic, after all." I can feel the updraft, though we're just on the very edge of it. "Perfect…now drop me."

"What!?" Lucky gawks at my command. "Are ya stupid or somethin'!? Ya'll are gonna die if we do that!"

"No, I won't." I shift in their grip, trying to loosen their hold on me. "After all, I am the wind…" My vest comes loose, and I slip out of it, falling towards the ground.

The wind is warm as it swirls around me. It's exactly what I needed. Normally, doing what I do would be a recipe for the biggest burp in history. But as the wind passes through my mouth and into my stomach, all of the air disappears and blasts magic through my veins.

Wind swirls around me in violent gusts, halting my descent, and propelling me back through the air. _Now, it's time to fight. I grin, reaching out to my brother's mind. Hey, you ready to take down that giant hunk of junk!?_

 _You know it!_ He sounds quite pleased to be hearing from me. _You want the first hit?_

That little bit of courtesy makes me smile. Nah, _I think that I'll bring up the rear today. You guys are closer than I am, and I'm planning on taking out a few of these flying monsters before joining you._

 _Alright, then I'll see ya when you get here!_

I chuckle as I rise into the air next to a rather stunned looking Lucky and Marl. "You two should get somewhere safe, the entire sky is about to turn into a danger zone."

Marl raises her paw to her mouth, eyes wide. "Oh my, you never told us that you could fly."

"Well, now you know." I grin as I face the horde of monsters in the sky. "Time to go to work."

I leave the two bewildered Exceeds behind as I shoot through the sky, my eyes fixed on my many blue targets. It's moments like this when I enjoy specializing in widespread attacks. Wind circles both my hands, and I start a high speed corkscrew spin, right through the middle of the cluster of fliers.

 _And down you go._ The wind whips out at high speed, attacking every flying mount within three hundred feet of me. And no doubt, I took them completely by surprise.

When the giant draconic monstrosity comes into view, I spot a giant ball of fire coming down on its back. Ever the grand entrance, huh? My brother never has been one to enter a battle quietly. And it's gotten him in trouble on more than one occasion.

The king's angered voice rings out across the sky. "Who's attacking!? I don't understand, the Dorma Anim shouldn't be affected by their magic attacks!"

Seconds later, a tiny figure and a faint voice accompany a whirlwind. "Sky Dragon's Roar!"

"You little brat!"

I grin at the sight. _Battle's started. So I guess it's my turn next._ I rocket towards the site of the battle, glowing silver under the light of the stars. "Wind Dragon's Talon!" I slam my foot down on the metal dragon knight's head, driving it down several meters, before jumping off it and skidding across the ground, ultimately landing between Natsu and Wendy.

Natsu grins at Wendy. "Pretty impressive job, kiddo." Then he glances at me. "And nice shot, that was like a sucker punch straight to the head."

I smirk at him, while Wendy looks on with determination. "Thank you. But I'm sure the three of you can cause a lot more damage than I can."

She's right on that mark, since she's more of a support type, but that doesn't mean that she won't be able to do some damage of her own. I laugh and pat her on the shoulder. "Alright, I guess this would be a good time for a crash course in everything Dragon Slayer. Be sure to study closely."

"Right!"

Gajeel growls, his voice low. "Geezer, you're gonna regret hurting my cat." I sweatdrop at his threat. _Already getting possessive, huh? That big Exceed isn't even officially your partner._

Yet.

The king appears far from pleased. "It was you. I should've known.

Happy shouts down from the sky. "Natsu! Cia!"

"Please be careful!" Carla's warning comes out in a more frantic tone.

"You can do it!" Lucy's voice rings out across the sky, making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Natsu's eyes never leave the fake dragon. "We're good. Just keep the cats safe."

Gajeel glances at my brother. "Let's do this, Salamander."

He pouts immediately. "Great, I have to team up with you again."

"Quit your whining, will ya?" Gajeel sure is grumpy today. "We can settle our score after we're done knockin' this old guy's teeth in.

"I'm all fire up now!" Natsu elbows me. "Feel like going flying?"

I smirk at the implication. "Always. And if this is where the real battle starts, then should I presume that we're going with our usual opener?"

Natsu steps back a bit. "Sure. Go nuts."

The king seems unamused by our exchange. "I would love to see you try."

"I'll lend a hand!"Wendy spreads her arms out, letting her magic flow. "Swift wings that speed through the heavens!"

"Whoa, what the!?" Natsu flails around a little, trying to figure out why there are magic circles under the three of us.

"That is crazy…" Gajeel looks more than a little surprised. "My body feels so much lighter."

"Vernier!" Wendy completes the spell, and I feel completely weightless now.

"Time to go!" With the speed increase, I quite literally disappear in front of their eyes, reappearing well above the Dorma Anim's head as the king fires a blast of magic at Natsu and Gajeel. "Nice try, bozo!"

The king panics. "How did they dodge my attack?"

"Because we're faster than you thought!" I slam my body straight down into the Dorma Anim's head. Ana although the armor doesn't crack, a shudder runs through the monster's whole body.

Then, I get a little company up here in the sky. Natsu and Gajeel smash into the dragon knight, prompting me to get moving again. The three of us become a flurry of attacks, raining Dragon Slayer Magic down from all sides.

The king curses. "I don't understand what's happening here. Their attacks shouldn't affect me. Why is the Dorma Anim taking damage?"

As the three of us zoom around, Gajeel begins to get impatient. "Come on. It should've fallen by now."

Natsu chuckles darkly. "This is gonna be tough."

Sending their agitation, I know the best way to rile them up. "Well, if you two are tired of the fight, then you should just sit back and let me handle it. After all, I wouldn't want you to strain your delicate manly muscles."

"What was that!?" Natsu glares at me slightly. "Not cool!"

"Tch." Gajeel turns his nose up at me. "Another word out of you, Pinky, and I might just leave the two of you to fight this thing alone."

I start cackling just as another set of magic circles appear under out feet. Natsu looks down, bewildered. "Oh!"

"What's she doing now?" Gajeel peers back at Wendy, trying to figure out what's going on.

As the power starts flowing, I feel the concentration of magic in my arms increasing. "Looks like a support spell meant for offensive strikes."

Natsu clenches his fist. "That's awesome. I feel way stronger."

Gajeel grins, his fighting spirit renewed. "You ready to crush this old guy?"

Natsu and I share a look. "Yeah, you know it!"

"Nonsense. Why is their magic power increasing all of a sudden?" I sweatdrop at the king's question. Obviously he's forgotten that he left the speaker on inside that thing, otherwise he could just use it to ask us directly.

But now is hardly the time for questions. With both speed and power behind us, the three of us go back on the attack, smashing into the Dorma Anim in flashes of orange, silver, and dark grey-green light.

And once again, I'm right above the thing's head. "Just fall apart already!" Wind blades erupt from my palms, bombarding the Dorma Anim mercilessly.

But instead of focusing on the three of us, the king's attention shifts. "It's her! You're done for, brat!" His attention is all on Wendy. "Launch Dragon Rider Missiles!"

"Oh no!" Natsu finally turns to Wendy in a panic. "Look out, Wendy!"

"Don't worry! I can handle this!" Her eyes flick to me for a moment, which makes me smile.

 _I got'cha…_ Taking in a sharp breath, I exhale it quickly, blowing it in a stream towards Wendy, faster than the human eye can see. As I give her an escape route, she casters Vernier once more, doubling her speed as she dodges the onslaught of magic missiles.

But it doesn't stop there. Instead of all crashing into the ground, as expected, some of them survive, and go about following her. _But she's going pretty fast, she can definitely dodge them all._

Then she trips. _Or…not._

I flash down to Natsu, grabbing him by the back of his shirt. "Come on!" I lift him up into the air and speed towards Wendy. _Let us make it in time…_

I drop Natsu right between Wendy and the missiles, then drop down to the ground and wrap my arms around Wendy, putting up a shield of wind around the both of us.

The missiles explode around Natsu, but after a few seconds, he drops out of the smoke relatively unharmed. Wendy looks up at me, then at Natu. "You saved me!"

"We won't let him hurt ya." Natsu raises his head, a slight grin on his face. "Right?"

"Yeah." I smile back at him, before the smile disappears as I glare at the king in his suit of dragon armor. "We're not gonna let him hurt anyone else."

The king laughs at us. "Try and stop me!"

Gajeel laughs, and finishes climbing up the Dorma Anim, then starts pounding on it with iron hammers for hands. "You ain't shootin' no one! You head me, old man?"

With another aggravated growl, the Dorma anim moves. "You're grating on my nerves!" It smashes its tail into Gajeel, and I wince. _That looks like it hurt._

Then, I spot two very alarming sights. "Uh, incoming!"

Natsu spots them next. "There are still two left!?"

"How can that be!?" Wendy shivers a little. But when Natsu bolts towards the two missiles, she tries to pry herself out of my arms. "No, wait! Natsu! Those are different than the others!" Just like that, the two missiles go dead in the air, exploding in a ball of fire around Natsu. Natsu screams, and then Wendy does as well, trying to fight her way out of my arms. "No, Ciara, you have to let me go! Natsu is-"

"Natsu is fine." I smile at the blaze around us. "After all, there's no fire hot enough to take down a Fire Dragon Slayer."

The king doesn't seem to think so, and he starts laughing. "It's about time you lowly wizards learned your place! You couldn't slay a dragon is it laid down before you!"

I chuckle and shake my head "You wanna bet?" Right before my eyes, the fire starts to disappear. And I know that pattern all too well. It's the kind of flame pattern that only happens when my brother is scarfing down a huge meal.

"Huh!? Imposssible! He's eating the flames from the Dragon Rider Missiles!?" Obviously this king hasn't done all his homework on dragon slayers. Otherwise he would have known that as long as we have something to eat, we can keep fighting.

A familiar crunching sound greets my ears, and I grin wider. "Looks like Gajeel has found himself a meal as well." I release Wendy from my grip and pull her to her feet. "This is about to get fun."

The king quickly realizes the same thing. "Is he insane? Why is he eating the Dorma Anim's tail!?"

The last of the fire disappears and Natsu wipes his mouth. "Man, that was some seriously nasty tasting fire. Don't think I've ever tasted a flame that gross before."

Over on the Dorma Anima's tail, Gajeel looks a little green. "The iron, too. Bad stuff. But even so…" He smirks as he walks back over to the three of us.

"I'm startin' to feel like I got a real fire in my belly." Hearing the both of them say that is more than a little creepy, but that's something I can talk to them about later.

Natsu grins. "Are you tryin' to copy me, Metalhead?"

"It was just a coincidence, Numnuts." _I can already see where this is going…_

"Unbelievable. Are all Earthland wizards this powerful?" The king has no idea. Sure, there are plenty of powerful wizards in Earthland, but I would put us dragon slayers in a different category. Because I'm not entirely sure that we've even human.

Natsu stretches out his arms and shoulders. "Man, this thing's hardcore. No wonder they call it a dragon."

"That ain't a dragon." Gajeel's pride starts to show. "It's just a dumb old man hiding inside a big hunk of junk."

Wendy nods. "He's out here alone without any guards to protect him. So all we have to do is take that thing down."

"That also means…" I crack my knuckles. "That we can go all out without worrying about anyone getting caught in the crossfire."

Natsu chuckles. "I'm fired up now."

"So these are the dragon slayers…such power." In an instant, dark energy starts flowing around the Dorma Anim. "I will not rest until I have it for myself!"

Gajeel looks around, perplexed. "What's happening?"

"This is bad, you guys." Wendy can feel it as much as I can. "It's gaining power, pulling it from the air."

"Not just the air…" I can feel the vibrations of the air, but also of the earth. "It's pulling it from the ground as well."

Natsu is fixated on where all that energy is going. "And it's flowing into the armor."

As the armor turns black, the Dorma Anim approaches. "I shall rob you of the will to fight. You'll be begging me for mercy! Witness the power of Dorma Anim! Black Heaven!" Energy pulses from the dragon knight, and it draws back to attack. "I've got you now!"

The king strikes at the ground, scattering us as we dodge the attack. And after we scatter, Natsu and I are the first to attack back, trying to squeeze it from both sides with a combination of wind and fire.

"You'll have to do better than that!" The king tosses us off, sending Natsu flying into one of the walls of this ruined arena. Thankfully, I just go flying through the air, somewhere that I can slow myself down quickly. The king starts laughing again. "Can you feel it, the absolute magic power!? It's spectacular! Don't bother falling to your knees, begging for your lives. Stay right where you are, so I can watch you tremble in fear!" The Dorma Anim;a arm rises into the sky, glowing with an eerie light. "You can't stop me! I'm the one dragon you cannot slay!"

He releases the blast of magic, shooting is all through the battleground. And my mind races through a million thoughts in just a second. _Contain it…I've got to try to save the others!_

I'm probably going to get chewed out by Natsu for this later, but I don't care. It only takes me a moment to put myself between the king, and Gajeel and Wendy. I hold up my hands, the initial blast hitting my hands just before the shield goes up. But it's a rudimentary shield at best, there's no way to hold back the entire blast.

Everything goes white, and all I can hear are the screams of my family. Then, the darkness takes hold.

* * *

First, there's the smell of blood. Mine, Natsu's, Gajeel's, and Wendy's. Then, I can hear laughing, which means that I must not have been out for very long. "You're pathetic. You don't stand a chance of winning!"

"Everyone in this world's suffering cause there's no magic power." There is anger in Natsu's voice, and I open my eyes to see him getting back on his feet. "I'd like to know why their crazy king seems to have more than his fair share of it."

There a little more laughter coming from the deranged monarch. "You'd be hard pressed to find a king who hasn't imposed a tax on his people. That's how monarchy works, my boy! The Dorma Anim requires a constant influx of magic power! So it's gathered from all over the world! That's why it was sealed away. It's a forbidden weapon. Now that Ive activated it, the fate of this world is dependent upon my victory!"

"Why should we believe you!?" Wendy pushes herself to her knees, and I can hear her hard breaths.

Gajeel growls angrily. "You don't give a crap what happens to this world. That's why you're stealin' all its magic power."

Natsu grabs my arm and pulls me to my feet. "One of the reasons I joined Fairy Tail was so I could help others. Another, was to protect my little sister." He squeezes my arm tightly, before his hands drop away and start burning. "To be honest, I couldn't care less what happens to your stupid world. But I do care about everyone who lives here. So I'm about to kick your butt for them!"

"Can't you see that you're just wasting your energy? There's no defeating me and my Dorma Anim!" He points one of its arms at us again. "I have complete control over the magic power of this world! Therefore, I have the right to use it however I please!"

A barrage of magic bullets com down on us, and we scatter once again, dodging the blasts and each taking a different route up towards the Dorma Anim.

Off to my left, Gajeel circles around the Dorma Anim. "You should share it with your people, instead of hogging it all for yourself, you greedy geezer!"

"If you think you're indestructible, then I've got news for ya! You and that phony dragon of yours are about to go down!" Natsu sprints off to the right.

That leaves me to go up the center and into the sky. And Wendy takes that opportunity to launch an attack of her own. "Sky Dragon's Roar!" Unfortunately, she's still trying to pick up the lessons I gave her about how speed and sharpness are what is going to make her attacks damaging.

 _Hey, sis! Feel like doing a combo attack!?_

I grin at myself when I hear Natsu's suggestion. _So, I take it that we're having barbecue tonight?_

 _Barbecued dragon!_

The king has no idea what's coming for him now. "How many times must I tell you not to waste magic power? I'd hate to think how much your attacks might be affecting my supply."

"What do you mean 'your supply'?" Gajeel races across the ground like a madman. "My magic power belongs to me. It ain't nobody else's, got it!?" Then he leaps into the air, smashing a metal arm down on the Dorma Anim.

Instead of doing damage, Gajeel's attack only serves to light up the Dorma Anim like one of the signs at the Akane resort. "It's only a matter of time now. It will be mine, your lives and power are my spoils of war!"

"Not if we stop you!" Natsu starts burning there on the ground, which means that he's ready now. "Fire Dragon's-

"Wind Dragon's-" I spin in the air, ready to bathe this fake dragon in an inferno.

"Wing Attack!" The two attacks grow and collide, spinning faster and faster around the Dorma Anim.

"Ha! You think a little fire is going to stop me!?" Bursts of dark light flash from the Dorma Anim. One hits Natsu, blasting him back towards Gajeel and Wendy's still forms.

I, on the other hand, end up on the wrong end of this thing's tail, and it shoots me off towards one of the ruined arena walls. I smash against the stonework, and fall fifty feet to the ground, crumpling on impact. I'm in enough pain to know that I'm still alive. But this is definitely something that I'm gonna be feeling for the next week. It's all I can do just to stay conscious, for whatever that's worth.

"Earthland wizards are fortunate indeed, because they are born with an eternal spring of magic. Then there are the dragon slayers. Your power surpasses even the most absurd concept of limitation. That power will belong to me. With it, I can replenish this world's supply." The king laughs again, his madness becoming more apparent by the second. "It appears you couldn't live up to your namesake. As long as I possess the Dorma Anim, I am God! My army will pave an inexorable path of conquest in both worlds! I will reign supreme!"

"No…you won't…" I know well enough that we're not the only dragon slayers out there. There are at least a handful of others. A couple of them fake, maybe, but still endowed with this power. If he tries to conquer our world, this king is going to be in for a long and painful battle.

I glance back over at Natsu, Gajeel and Wendy. And the king is watching them move too. "I see. There's some fight left in you! Your power is truly remarkable. And I shall savor every ounce of it. Prepare yourselves, dragon slayers!" Seemingly forgetting me, the king attacks the other three, blasting them back another fifty feet. "I call to thee, oh heaven and earth. I ask that you relinquish all your magic power to the Dorma Anim." Even more magic is draining itself from nature, all homing in on the dragon knight. "I feel it, the last remnant of Edolas' power are vanishing. That means your time is up. I must harvest your power immediately."

"Salamander, you got to roar!" I can hear Gajeel from this far away. "You too, Dragon Wing."

I lift my head, astonished by the fact that he used my actually nickname for once, instead of calling me Pinky. "Is Wendy joining us?"

"What? Me too?" She sounds a little scared by the notion."

"There's no sense holdin' back." Gajeel has a point. It's now or never. "We gotta take down this walking scrap heap. Are you ready!?"

"You bet I am!' Wendy is on her feet in a second, which is pretty admirable, considering how scared she must be.

I smile, stumbling to my feet as my back aches. "Yeah, let's do this."

"Yeah!" Natsu inhales, and the res of us do the same. "Fire Dragon's-"

"Iron Dragon's-"

"Sky Dragon's-"

"Wind Dragon's-"

"What? How can their magic still be increasing?" This king is about to find out exactly that.

"ROAR!"

Four dragon slayer breath attacks converge on the Dorma Anim, whirling together to blow the whole damn area sky high.

But just when it looks like we've won, laughter echoes from impossibly high in the sky. "You fools!" The Dorma Anim comes crashing back down towards the earth. "Dragon Knight Diffusion Cannon!"

As projectiles rain down on us all, I try to get my feet to move. But they won't. It feels like I've been frozen to the ground. I can barely feel my legs. That leaves me a sitting duck in the face of the projectiles.

And once again, all I can hear is screaming and laughter. "For the world, for my beloved Edolas! You worms couldn't possibly understand our plight. You have an abundance of the one thing we desire most. The citizens of Edolas have no use for guilds. They would serve no purpose here. What they need is everlasting magic power! And I'm determined to give it to my people! I want them to experience the bliss you Earthlanders have kept for yourselves!"

 _Bliss? Yeah right. From what I've seen, your world doesn't have a lot of the problems ours does. We have monsters and demons and dark wizards. There are wars between different magic factions. And then there are dangerous magics that could destroy the world, given the chance. In a world without an abundance of magic, those dangers are nowhere to be seen._

All that said, I still can't move. And from the sounds of it, the others can't either. "Finally reached your limit, have you?" The king's arrogant voice grates on my nerves. "You may be powerful wizards, but I imagine it takes time for you to recover the magic power you've exhausted. If you wish to surrender, this is your chance. Agree to supply my world with magic power and I will compensate you accordingly."

He means to make us into slaves who will never see the light of day. To imprison us in a place where every waking moment is spent in agony. Our magic tortured out of us. What he wants goes against everything we were ever taught about valuing life.

"Don't you dare give up!" Natsu's voice rings out in the din. "No, this fight ain't over!" He's on his feet once more. "What're you waitin' for? Hit me with your best shot! Do it! I'm standin' right here!"

"With pleasure!" The Dorma Anim's foot rises up. "I've let you pests scurry around long enough!" He stomps down on Natsu, trying to crush him into dust.

Wendy watches as Natsu catches the foot. "Natsu…"

"What are you doing?" Gajeel is struggling to even move right now. "You can't stop him. You're all out of power."

"No, I'm not!" Natsu is forced to his knees, but he's still holding off the foot. "If I run out of power today, then I'll just borrow some from tomorrow!" He tosses the foot off his head, toppling the Dorma Anim. "Don't ever underestimate the Dragon Slayers! Got it!?"

The Dorma Anim rolls over and rises to its feet. "You need to learn your place, you piece of filth." The king launches an attack, blowing up the ground under Natsu. "I am the king of Edolas! Bow down before me!"

I'm across the battle field in an instant, snatching Natsu out of the air. "You okay, big brother?"

He nods, then grabs hold of me as we get close to the ground. "Hold on tight!"

We hit the ground hard, because my legs still feel like jelly. Luckily, Natsu protects my head as we roll across the ground. But I still groan softly. "That hurt…" Then a buzzer goes off. "What the…?"

"What's that!?" The Dorma Anim turns, only to reveal Gajeel in the air.

He comes down like a meteorite. "You're the one who's gonna learn your place, old man. Because, in the end, it'll be you on your knees." He drives his metal arm through the Dorma Anim's foot, punching a hole right through it and hooking it into the ground.

"What happened!?" The king must be flailing around in that giant tin can.

Gajeel's grin is visible even from here. "I locked your foot. Pull that jumping crap again and you just might lose it."

"Curse you!" The king tries to pry the Dorma Anim's foot out of Gajeel's grip, but its stuck fast.

Gajeel grunts with the effort it takes to keep that giant metal monster locked down. "Come on, Salamander! You're our only hope left! It's all up to you now!"

Natsu glances at me, a slight grin on his face. "A little help?"

"You got it." I take a deep breath as Natsu jumps into the air in front of me. "Breath of the Wind Dragon!" A cloud of hot air bubbles and expands underneath Natsu, shooting him high into the air without hurting him. Because this next boost is going to hurt.

As Natsu falls from the sky, he yells down at us. "Ciara! Wendy! Roar at me with everything you've got!"

I take Wendy's hand and squeeze it. "On three. One…"

She smiles. "Two."

"Three!" two cyclones rip through the air, mixing and twirling together, aimed straight at Natsu. He spins straight into the heart of the funnel, riding the currents home.

"No! It can't be! It can't end this way!" The king screams, but it's too late, Natsu is headed straight for him, and there's nothing that can stop him now.

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Natsu smashes headfirst into the Dorma Anim's chest, ripping through the cockpit and dragging the king out of his hiding place. That leaves the dragon knight to collapse to the ground, combusting violently from force of Natsu's attack, as well as all of the accumulated damage we've inflicted on it.

Pulling Wendy by the hand, I stumble towards Natsu, having regained a little of the feeling in my legs. Gajeel comes waddling over, covered in scratches and bruises, and bleeding from several places. I can see a few patches of blood on my own clothes, no doubt from being thrown against the wall, and falling fifty feet. Luckily, Wendy is the least injured. If she were too badly hurt, I'm sure that Natsu and Gajeel would never let it go.

As the four of us finally get within ten feet of each other, the king looks at us. And I could swear that he looks terrified. Almost like he's gone and seen the wrath of a real dragon. Which I suppose isn't too far off. He's so shocked that he just falls over, passing out.

It's official. We won. And Natsu raises his hands to the sky, laughing his head off. "We totally took down the king! Hey, this is the part where I get to yell 'Checkmate' right!?"

I shake my head, so Wendy answers for me. "Actually, I think you're supposed to say that before you take down the king."

"Heh, even I know that." Gajeel shakes his head as well, but he can't hide his amusement at my brother's antics.

That's when the rumbling starts.


	81. Demon Lord Dragneel

**I've got another chapter done already. Honestly, it was the fighting with the dragon knight that took as long as it did, since it stretched out over several episodes. But thankfully, the Edolas arc is almost over, which means that there's just one little event to get to before we go ahead with preparing for the S-Class exams.**

 **Although, I may add in a couple of chapters before that, maybe a mission or two, just because Ciara hates working during Hell Week, and would rather get it over with sooner...**

 **Now, I believe that we left off last chapter with earthquakes.**

* * *

Rumbles are not good, at least, in my experience. They're a prelude to doom and destruction. And our guild causes enough of that already.

Natsu seems a little off balance. "Huh!? Hey, what's goin' on?"

"Great, enemy reinforcements? I hope not… I used up everything I had in that last fight." Gajeel sure has a pessimistic attitude, not that it's surprising. But seriously, if we have to fight yet another battle, we're not going to win this time.

I look to the sky, and my blood runs cold. "Shit."

Wendy looks up, her eyes widening in horror. "No,up there! Look!"

The boys look to the sky, and Natsu's face falls into confusion. "The floating islands are falling. What the heck?"

More rumbles shake the earth as the once lightly floating islands start crashing to the ground. One after another, they fall out of the sky, like meteorites on a dark night. It's about the last thing I expected. Then, streams of golden energy start rising into the sky, streams of pure magical energy. The remaining magic is being pulled out of Edolas, though it doesn't feel quite natural to me.

Wendy stares almost blankly at the glowing streams. "It's pure magic power."

Natsu's eyes widen. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah…" I pass my hand through one of the streams experimentally, and my hand continues to glow after I pull it out. _Huh…I think it restored some of my magic…I don't feel sick now._

"That's not good." Gajeel groans a bit. "What'll happen if it all disappears?"

"I think…" I look to the falling islands. "That we're already seeing what'll happen if it all disappears. The floating islands are falling from the sky. Assuming that they were being held up by magic…it stands to reason that if the magic disappears, they'll fall back to the ground."

That stuns the three of them for a moment, until Wendy shakes her head. "I think we should head back to the Royal City."

Natsu snaps out of his daze, focusing on Wendy. "Any particular reason?"

She nods. "If the citizens start panicking, a lot of people could get hurt. We need to go out there and see if there's some way that we could help!"

"Yeah, and if we can find this world's me, he might know what to do." I wasn't expecting Gajeel to offer up that kind of solution, but I suppose that it couldn't hurt to check it out.

"All right." Natsu turns towards the Royal City, taking off at a stumbling run. "Let's go."

The three of us follow him, all the while watching the remaining islands falling from the sky. It' a scary enough sight to us, and we're not even locals. To the people who live here, who are used to things staying the same, this must be absolutely terrifying.

We pass by the unconscious king on the way away from the arena, so Gajeel picks him up and tosses the old man over his shoulder. He could end up being useful later, so I can see why there's a point in bringing him with us. Otherwise, I would tell Gajeel to drop the old fart on his head and leave him out here for the crows.

* * *

About halfway to the city, a moderate sized black Exceed comes flying towards us, his wings flapping rapidly. "Please wait!"

His voice freezes the fours of us, and I turn first to face him. "You're one of the Exceeds who helped us stop the lacrima from smashing into Extalia…why are you here?"

He gulps and waves his hand nervously. "I am called Nadi, and I am here to beg your help."

Natsu is now rather interested. "Oh yeah? With what?"

Nadi shakes his hand faster. "His Highness, the prince, he plans to use himself as a sacrifice to quell the chaos. He will take credit for reversing the Anima and driving all the magic from this world. And he plans to have Pantherlily execute him and lead the people into a new era."

"Mystogan is…?" That's a very disturbing thought. And there's no way that I can just let something like that pass. After all, he's a member of Fairy Tail, of our family. There's no way we can just leave him to die.

Gajeel hums darkly. "Mystogan, huh? He's the prince, huh? He's better than the old man, so shouldn't he be takin' charge? Besides, that's my cat, I'm not handin' him over to that quiet punk."

"Yeah…" I bite my right index finger, thinking hard. "If we could make that happen, it would be a lot better for Edolas. He may be the quiet type, but he's got a good heart, he's mature, and he can handle responsibility and difficulty well. He'd make a good king."

"Then let's do it!" I snap my head towards Natsu, who is grinning like a fool. "You said that he'd make a good king, right? So then why don't we flip everything upside down?"

To be fair, Natsu is definitely one for hare-brained schemes. But right now, I can't follow his train of thought. "Uh…how?"

As soon as he grins, I know we're in for some serious trouble. "He's gonna get himself in trouble by taking credit, right? So, let's take the credit instead! If he beats us, then we go down as the villains, and he can be king!"

I sweatdrop a little. "Great…but won't that get us arrested before we can find a way home?"

"Eh-hem." Nadi coughs. "I believe, that as the Anima has been reversed, that in time, those of us who retain magical power will be expelled from this world, along with all of the magical energy."

I blink in surprise, then a grin creeps onto my face. "Okay, scratch that, let's do it. At the rate that the magic is being sucked out of this world, we probably don't have a lot of time, maybe half an hour at most, before we get sucked back to Earthland."

"Then what are we waiting for!?" Natsu grabs my hand and starts running off towards the city. "Let's go!"

We take off down the hill, heading straight for the city gates. And as expected, everyone is in a panic, thanks to all of the magic power being sucked out of their lacrima. They've lost their toys, and now they think it's the end of the world.

We race down the main street, but I pull on Natsu's hand urgently. "Wait, you're forgetting something!"

He freezes, looking back at me. "What is it?"

I huff impatiently. "Have you forgotten that there are versions of you, Gajeel, and Wendy here? If you go in without a disguise, then you'll probably get them arrested instead!"

"Oh…" Clearly, he didn't think wuite that far ahead. "Good point." He glances around, searching for something. "There!" He points towards a door. And over the door, there is a sign that say "Costumes'.

It's a costume shop.

The four of us sneak inside the abandoned shop, to come face to face with hundreds of interesting costumes. None of which I would ever be caught dead wearing. But, I was the one who pointed out the need for disguises, so I've got no room to be arguing about this. Well… "I'm not changing my clothes. There is no way you're putting me in anything goofy."

Natsu's face falls. "Aw…but I wanted to see how you'd look in a dress!" That earns him a punch to the head, which he rubs gingerly as he rummages around. A minute later, Natsu tosses me a cloak, with a mask to cover the lower half of my face. "Here, since you don't want to change your clothes."

I catch the cloak and slide it over my shoulders, then pull the mask up. "I suppose this will do."

"Oh, and we can't forget this!" He pulls my hood down for a second, slips something onto my head, then pulls my hood back up. "Check it out!" He holds up a mirror, showing me the dark blue horns that he's placed on my head.

I sweatdrop a little. "You…have the weirdest ideas…"

Gajeel and Wendy have pulled on their cloaks for disguise, and look like they're ready to move out and get this plan underway. Between the four of us, we should be able to pull this off.

I hope.

* * *

When we came up with the plan, this isn't exactly what I was expecting. Then again, I suppose that I shouldn't have expected any different. After all, we're Fairy Tail wizards. We never do things halfway. We always go all out, even if that means tearing down a few buildings.

Which leads to me why I'm scratching thirty foot long tracks in the ground that look like a dragon got mad and raged through here. And I'm pretty sure I've knocked down a few buildings as well. As well as sent several contingents of soldiers running for their lives.

 _Hey, this is pretty fun, isn't it!_

I roll my eyes and sigh. _Natsu…you're the only one who finds destroying a city and causing mass panic to be fun. I'm only doing this to save our friend._

 _Party pooper._ Natsu climbs onto the roof that I've perched myself on, and he starts cackling evilly, his cape fluttering in the wind, and a pair of garish yellow horns sticking out of his head. "I am the demon they call Dragneel! And I've come here to this world to steal all of your magic power!" Flames shoot out of his mouth as he aims to terrify the citizens. And it's working. "Faust ain't your king anymore, cause I kicked his sorry old butt!" Natsu spreads his arms wide, gesturing to where the now conscious king has been bound and gagged. Natsu laughs again. "But I decided to spare his life, for now!"

I suppress the desire to roll my eyes. _Natsu…you're overdoing it a little. Why can't you play the cool evil villain? You just have to go for the crazy one…_

 _I'm not crazy!_

 _Yes…yes you are._

Natsu brushes me off and his attention is back on the growing crowd. "Come on, Redfox! Hey Marvel! Now, my faithful servants, it's time to trash the city!"

As planned, or sort of improvised, Gajeel starts crashing through the city, bringing down buildings like a pro. In fact, he might almost be as bad as Natsu when it comes to causing property damage. And it's more than enough to send the crowd into a massive panic.

I catch a familiar voice, and pinpoint the source, an Edolas version of Gajeel. "These villains won't stop until they've destroyed everything in sight!" It seems like he's caught on to the plan without even being told. "The city is under attack by demons from another world! Just look at them, they're an unstoppable force of evil!" Saying that about Wendy's failed attempt at scaring someone isn't exactly accurate. For Gajeel and Natsu on the other hand, I won't contest it.

Finally, I hear Mystogan's voice. "Just what do you think you're doing!? Stop this!"

"Now, my loyal servants of Lord Dragneel, don't stop destroying stuff!" Natsu's head is swelling. I'm surprised the horns still fit.

Gjeel glares up at Natsu. "Keep goin' with this servant crap and I'm comin' up there first."

"Just do what I tell you to, slave!" Natsu…really didn't get the point of that. Then, he pushes me forward. "Lieutenant Dragon Wing! Wreak havoc upon them!"

My hand twitches, and for a second, I kind of want to strangle him instead. "Very well…" I raise my hands to the sky in an extravagant gesture, selling the idea of demons from another world. "Raise the winds and let them scream!"

The wind picks up, howling like a monster through the city. Then, it turns into sharp gusts of wind that terrify the gathered crowd. "Does this please you?"

The crowd starts shouting accusations at us, saying that it's our fault that the magic is gone, that we're the ones who stole it. Which means that they're all playing into our hands. And that makes Natsu grimace terribly. "It does. Better be careful, cause you know what happens when you play with fire." Natsu goes ahead and starts breathing fire like an actual demon, or rather, a dragon. But I'm guessing that none of them have seen a real dragon, or they would know that.

"Natsu!" Mystogan's voice rings out across the city. "Stop this, now!"

"Huh?" Natsu turns his head towards the sound of the voice, and all of the attention is drawn to Mystogan. That gets Natsu all fired up. "Are you tellin' me what to do, ya little punk?"

"Stop this foolishness, the king has been defeated! There's no need to attack innocent people!" He may be one of the highest ranking members of Fairy Tail, but he's being rather slow on the uptake today.

"Oh, yeah!?" Natsu starts breathing fire again, and this time, a whole lot more of it. "If you're tryin' to scare me, it ain't gonna work. I don't care if you are the prince." And there he's dropped the bombshell. Now, it's all up to the people to take the bait. They need to choose him as their hero. Only that will be able to make him step up and take his place here.

Edo-Gajeel's surprise is obvious, even from up here. But there is a certain joy to his voice now. "Prince Jellal is back!"

As the crowd starts murmuring and yelling for their prince, Natsu gets even more pumped up, filling his role quite well. "Let's fight. Or your precious city is going to get burned to the ground." That's definitely a threat that my brother can follow through on if Mystogan doesn't agree to play our game.

Mystogan glares at us slightly. "Natsu, stay right there!" But he's still not willing to but into our game. Which means, that we have to continue to wreak havoc until he does.

Taking in a deep breath, I raise my head and roar into the sky, terrifyingly loud, and only half as destructive as if I were seriously trying to hurt anyone.

Natsu chuckles. "Didn't ya hear me? I am the great and powerful Lord Dragneel!"

As Mystogan races towards us, Edo-Gajeel continues the ruse. "Is he really going to fight that monster by himself!? What unbelievable courage he has!"

Mystogan closes most of the distance, until he's only a short ways from us. "Now, sleep!" He tries activating one of his magic staffs. But instead of casting the sleep magic, the magic staff fizzles out. Obviously, he forgot that he can't use magic anymore. He's a citizen of Edolas, so he doesn't have the inborn magic power that we do. And without the magic in his staff, he's powerless.

Well, as powerless as any angry Fairy Tail wizard can be.

Natsu catches on quick and grins. "What's the matter? You scared without your magic, huh?" He lights his fist on fire. "Well you should be. Cause check this out, I've got plenty!" He slams his hand down, taking out the entire building we're standing on.

I take to the sky, not willing to go down with my brother's stupidity. Not that a little stunt like this could hurt him anyway. He's too stupid for it to leave a bruise. Though it does manage to send the crowd running as they panic and flee the falling debris.

Mystogan keeps running, heading straight for us. "I said stop!"

Wendy looks uneasy as I float overhead. "Natsu, you're going way too far!"

"No, he's not." Gajeel gets what's up. "The more powerful the villain's magic seems to everyone, the stronger the hero looks when he beats him without usin' any magic at all."

I hang back, watching as Mystogan confronts Natsu. "Listen to me, Natsu, you're making a big mistake with all this, this whole show that you're putting on. You can't expect to fool all these people."

While Mystogan is the one trying to break character, Natsu is fully immersed in his role. "Hah!" He points at Mystogan. "I challenge you!" Then, he jumps right in with a punch to the face, the start of a typical Fairy Tail guild hall brawl.

Mystogan grunts as he pushes himself up. "You fool, you can't bring the people together like this…" Unexpectedly, he gets up and throws a punch of his own. "Through evil!" He's finally playing along.

Natsu catches the punch, staring Mystogan straight in the eye, his voice barely a whisper. "Fight me for real.

And taking the invitation, Mystogan gives Natsu a kick right to the face. And I'm certain that it's going to bruise tomorrow. And the result…the newly gathering crowd is now cheering on their prince with everything their scared little hearts can muster.

Natsu grins. "Yeah, now they're really gettin' into it."

"Idiot!" Jellal growls at Natsu. "You should have stayed down so we wouldn't have to stretch this out further."

I shake my head and sink down towards Wendy. "Except then…it wouldn't be convincing. Plus…"

Natsu grins. "Not my style!" He drives a punch straight to Mystogan's gut, easily winding him.

Mystogan really should have remembered that my brother is a master of hand to hand combat. But with each strike that the two of them land, it looks like he's starting to remember that. Because slowly, the strikes are taking off the kick gloves and the two of them are putting on a fairly convincing show. At least, to the untrained eye. But from the look on Gajeel's face, he knows just how phony this fight really is. Natsu isn't going at even half his strength.

Then, I hear Natsu's voice lower to a soft growl. "This is it, buddy. I'm going to give you a real Fairy Tail send-off."

 _Ready, Natsu?_

 _Ready._

Natsu grins, and I smile faintly, using a concentrated burst of power to reach into Mystogan's mind. Readying the sendoff that I once perfected on a rainy day in the guild with Erza and Gramps.

"Since you're leaving Fairy Tail, you've got to swear to follow these three rules." _In leaving our family, there are three rules that you must abide by._

"Number one!" _Number one._

"Never, ever share sensitive information about Fairy Tail with anyone, as long as you live!" _You must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live._

"Number two!" _Number two._

Natsu falters a little. "How'd that one go again?"

I can just see Mystogan rolling his eyes. "Number two, you must never contact any clients you may have worked for with the guild for your own personal gain!" _You must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain._

"That's right, and don't forget number three." This is our favorite, and always will be. "Although our paths must stray, you've got to promise to live the rest of your life to the fullest. That means to treat every day like it was going to be your last day in this world. Don't forget the friends you loved." _Number three. Though our paths may have diverged, you must continue to live out your life with all your might. You must never consider your own life to be something insignificant. And you must never forget about your friends who loved you._

Mystogan smiles. "You must treasure them for as long as you live."

The two of them give each other one last punch, and Natsu just keeps smiling. "Did ya get all that? When a guild works together, there's nothing they can't do." Natsu falls over with a big grin on his face, while Mystogan keeps standing. "Nice knowing ya, pal. Later."

As the crowd cheers, I know that our time is almost up. So I focus my telepathy on Edo-Natsu instead. _Hey there…_

His eyes nearly burst out of his skull. "Whoa, what!?"

I snicker a little. _Quiet down, I'm using telepathy to speak into your head. His eyes find me, standing well away from the people. I smile at him and nod. I just…wanted you to know that…if your sister had lived, she probably would have been hyper, stubborn, bossy, and way too much for you to handle. And I'm sorry that you had to grow up without her. But…I hope that this time will leave you with a memory of what she could have been, and that you'll take some comfort from that._

His eyes glaze over a little, and I could swear that hes got tears rolling down his cheeks, which he quickly wipes away. So I shoot him a last smile, before leaping over the crowd, and crouching down next to my downed twin. I ignore the cheering and jeering crowd, focusing solely on keeping Natsu covered and warding off any thoughts people may have had about retribution that could go too far.

Then, out of nowhere, our bodies start glowing. That means that our time here in Edolas is up, and the Anima will be sucking the last of the magic in Edolas out, and transporting it back to Earthland.

Mystogan seems confused now. "What? What's that?"

I smile and speak softly, pulling off the mask, my words and expression only for his ears. "Our time is up. It's time for us to go home. Time to bring this act to an end."

My body becomes light, and I start to float into the sky, along with Natsu, Gajeel, Wendy, Lucy, Gray, and every single Exceed in Edolas. We play act as though the process is hurting us, like we've actually been vanquished by their beloved prince, but as I look over to the Edolas Fairy Tail, I can't help but smile. And just for Mystogan, I raise my hand in the Fairy Tail salute. Because it's probably the last time he's ever going to see it from another member of his family. And he gets it along with one last message.

 _Live strong, live well, and be a good king for Edolas. I will remember you…and I will miss you…_

Silly little Edo-Natsu can't help himself, and he raises his hand to wave goodbye to , no one notices him, which is good, but it still seems a little strange. Nevertheless, I return it with a smile.

It's all a rush of farewells and tearful realizations that we're never going to see each other again. But like this, we'll all be able to walk into our own futures. And that's the way it's supposed to be.

Then, the Anima sucks us through, and everything goes white.


	82. Home Again

**Wow, I got this last one done pretty quickly (for once), and this is it for the Edolas arc. Also, I plan to develop a friendly/partners in crime sort of relationship between Ciara and Lisanna, now that she's not going to be hanging off Natsu 24/7.**

 **Because let's face it, after getting back from Edolas, she really doesn't hang all over him, or follow him everywhere, though she does still scold him a little, and of course she cheers him on. But, my interpretation of it is that because of the separation, their previous relationship cools to that of a sibling-like one.**

 **I'm sorry, Nali fans, but that's kinda just how it plays out.**

 **But anyway, I'm planning for those two to get into some mischief, though I've only half figured it out so far. But it's going to involve a lot of prying, a lot of gossip, and some sneaky little matchmaking (mostly Ciara getting dragged into it by Lisanna because she's observant, and knows all the gossip from the past two years).**

* * *

The Anima spits us out rather violently in the forest outside of Magnolia. While the others collectively end up in a doggy pile, I lightly float off to one side, avoiding having anyone drop on my head. Because as much as I like getting close to people, doggy piles are a bit outside my comfort zone.

After composing himself, Natsu grins and tosses everyone off his back. "We're back, everybody!"

Then, we all hear a bell tolling in the distance, which drags our collective gaze over to a very familiar sight. There, exactly where it's supposed to be, is the city of Magnolia. And despite the rain, it looks exactly how we left it. Completely intact.

Natsu laughs again, jumping up and down in the air. "Everything's back to normal!"

"There's Magnolia!" Lucy hugs me in her enthusiasm, so I pat her on the head.

Happy also crashes into me, jumping straight into my arms. "We did it!"

"Wait." Erza works to temper the enthusiasm. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We shouldn't celebrate until we know everybody's okay."

"They're just fine." A little voice above us squeaks a little. We all look up to see the sky covered in Exceed. And one little one is talking to us. "We got here a little while ago, so we went and checked on em for you."

"We decided to fly through town real quick."

"Your friends and everyone in town are doing great."

"When we talked to them, they didn't even know they'd been turned into a lacrima."

"Earthland is totally awesome, you guys! It's got tons of magic power!"

I think…that five Exceeds talking to us in quick succession has friend several brains. Gajeel, Wendy, and Gray are all slack-jawed and speechless. Carla, on the other hand, is not. "What are they doing here!? It's not right! The Exceeds don't belong in Earthland!" She points at them commandingly. "We cannot allow them to stay here. They're far too dangerous. They should return to Edolas."

Happy hops out of my arms and hops over to Carla. "Be nice."

Wendy crouches down as well. "Their homeland's gone, so they have nowhere to go. I think that we should forgive them."

"Never!" Carla is absolutely insistent on not forgiving them.

The Exceeds start piping up one after another. "We apologize for throwing rocks at you, lady."

"We're really sorry."

"We have no place to go now that Extalia's been destroyed."

"We promise that we'll be nicer to you, now."

"Please say that you'll forgive us."

But Carla isn't having it. "This has nothing to do with you kids! It's her!" Carla points at a white Exceed. "I'm angry because Extalia's queen and her lackeys sent me to Earthland on a mission to kill the dragon slayers!"

"I know!" Suddenly, Lucky pipes up, and none too quietly. "The queen ordered us to give up all out eggs! How can she be so heartless!? Gah!"

"Calm down dear…" Marl speaks soothingly, trying to calm down her husband, or mate, or whatever the Exceed call their life-partners.

Happy steps forward, smiling. "Hey there, mister."

But his voice is overwhelmed by the another Exceed. "Yeah, no joke. She never even told us why, did she?"

"I can assure you that she had a most honorable reason to do so." The elder with the huge bear and the glasses paws at the ground with his cane.

Then, the least furry elder take over. "I remember the moment vividly. It was six years ago."

The first elder takes over again. "As I mentioned before, Queen Chagot has the ability to glimpse into the future. It is both a gift and a curse. One day, she had a vision of the future that showed Extalia falling from the sky. We now realize that Extalia was bound to fall through natural means due to the exhaustion of magi power." Now it's starting to make sense. "However, at the time, we believed our homeland would be destroyed by the humans. As such, she gave the order that we were to save the children."

"Save them!?" Lucky has yet another outburst.

Marl paws at her face worriedly. "You don't mean…"

"What the…" Happy is now very confused. "Wait a minute. That's a way different story than the one we were told. You aren't lying to us, are you?"

The first elder shakes his head. "No young man."

A third elder, one of the taller ones speaks. "To prevent panic among the Extalians, we carried out our plan without their knowledge."

"The queen then issued a false proclamation." The second elder taps his cane. "It was merely a cover-up for our plan."

The elders nod slowly. "We felt horrible for making to queen lie to you like that."

"Yes, but we had no choice."

"We simply could not go public with the knowledge that our beloved Extalia might come crashing to the ground."

"Despite what you've heard, I assure you that we have no ill-will towards the dragon slayers whatsoever." Sure, it's a little reassuring to hear that, but it's not like it changes anything. Bad things still happened.

But Wendy just smiles. "Don't worry, we know. You just needed something to go along with the story you told them."

Lucy considers it for a moment. "You knew everyone would panic if the truth got out, so you had to make up something else to tell them."

"We get it." Gray shrugs slightly. Though it's not like either him or Lucy would have been affected by a false order anyway.

Finally, it's Chagot's turn to explain herself. "We made use of the humans' Anima to successfully carry out our operation. However…something completely unexpected happened with one of the eggs." She shifts uncomfortably. "We had no idea that you, Carla, possessed an incredible power."

"Me?" Carla seems shocked, which means that she clearly doesn't know about it.

"Yes." Chagot lifts her head. "As it turns out, you possess the same prophetic powers that I do."

I raise an eyebrow. _What now?_ I glance at Carla, then back to Chagot, drawing similarities between the two. _They're both pure white, dark-eyed, prophetic powers…and by the sounds of it…Chagot could very well be old enough to be Carla's mother…_

She lowers her gaze a little again. "Unfortunately, you didn't have conscious control over it. And as a result, it clouded and confused your memory. Of the one hundred Exceeds that we sent away, only you had this gift. I suspect that you began to see scattered fragments of Edolas' future. Your gift caused you to mistake that information as your personal mission."

Carla trembles a little as she takes in this new information. "I was wrong."

"Wait, does that mean…?" Happy tries to put together the last of the puzzle pieces in his head.

And Chagot provides the last one. "The two of you were never given a mission. It was just your way of trying to make sense of all the strange thoughts and images in your head. You were sent here because we wanted to protect the next generation. Nothing more."

"So…" Carla puts a paw to her head, probably going over everything that happened. "Those were all prophecies?"

Nadi shakes his hand quickly. "For whatever reason, we thought you'd be better off if we hid your prophetic powers from you. Therefore, we had no choice but to make it seem as though we were controlling you. We beg your forgiveness."

"At the time, we honestly thought that was the only way we could embellish the queen's illustriousness." Nichiya hangs his head in shame. "However, now, we deeply regret it."

Chagot's head drops lower, her eyes fixed on the ground. "The show of false bravado tat I chose to put on for the citizens and humans in the face of hardship is what caused you to suffer. No…" She shakes her head. "I didn't just cause your suffering. I brought anguish to all of the families I took eggs from six years ago. Now you understand. That is why I handed the sword to you." _A sword?_ I raise an eyebrow as she continues. "I swear that Exceed kind had nothing to do with this. It was my fault alone."

While Nichiya cries, Nadi waves his paw desperately. "It's not your fault, you Majesty, no one is to blame."

"You shouldn't be held responsible when you were only doing what you thought was best for the citizens of Extalia." I can't believe that Nichiya managed to get all of that out while bawling.

"Yeah, we're just as much to blame as you are, Queen Chagot, cause we were so full of ourselves." The outpouring of support has begun.

"But now that we're in Earthland, we can make things right again."

"Let's go out there and final all the Exceed children that were sent away six years ago." That last suggestion has the Exceeds cheering, which means that it's probably going to be on top of their list of priorities. And many of them take to the air, eager to get started on just that, along with many other things on their growing bucket list.

Natsu grins and giggles a little. "They're optimistic, aren't they?"

Chagot starts crying her own heart out. "Thank you…everyone…"

Nichiya continues to cry, while still not sniffling a bit. "We should all count our blessings today. We are lucky to be granted this new beginning."

I glance down at Carla, who crosses her arms and sighs. "Well, okay. Then, in that case, I forgive you."

"Oh." Chagot's eye fill with more tears, this time, of happiness. "Carla…"

"But tell me." Carla goes into her questioning mode. "How did I end up possessing the same prophetic power that you do?"

Chagot gets embarrassed and awkward in an instant. "Uh, I don't really know what to say."

Carla twitches. "Why are you avoiding my question."

I smirk a little. _Oh…I think I've got a pretty good idea why she's avoiding the topic…_ Then I turn my gaze over to where Happy and Lucky are standing right next to each other in strange poses.

Happy wastes no time in getting comfortable enough to ask questions. "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah?" _They…seriously look like father and son._

"Is it just me, or do Queen Chagot and Carla look a lot alike?" _You think…?_

"You think so?" Lucky copies Happy's earlier pose.

Happy switches poses again. "Aye, sir. Also, they act the same."

"They do?" Lucky once again copies Happy's pose, and I don't think he even realizes he's doing it. That, or the two of them are trying to do some kind of partnered pantomime.

Marl laughs, so I smile at her. "You know, my brother is the one who found Happy's egg."

"Oh, really?" She looks interested, but like she's trying not to be.

"Mm-hm." I smile knowingly at her. "He nearly roasted Happy alive trying to hatch him. Luckily, we were only eleven, and we had plenty of adults around to tell Natsu not to barbecue the poor egg. And only a little while after he hatched, I was the one who taught him how to talk. I even used a picture book that Gramps kept stashed behind the bar." I still have no idea why he even had that, though.

Marl's eyes widen, before she starts chuckling again. "I see, the three of you must have had many interesting adventures."

"We have…" I watch as Happy and Lucky continue their bonding. "We went on plenty of jobs together, and Happy even flies Natsu around most of the time. He doesn't fly me around much, since I can fly without help. Though sometimes he'll curl up with me and Natsu for a nap. We even used to sleep with him snuggled between the two of us."

"I see…" She still hasn't claimed him as her son, but I know that look. It's the same look that Gramps always gives us. Well, when he's not mad at Natsu for burning something down.

I crouch down beside her and touch her paws. "I promise, Natsu and I will take good care of your son."

Her eyes widen as she turns to me. "My son? How did you-?"

I tap my nose. "Never underestimate a dragon slayer's nose. You and Lucky smell a lot like Happy, plus, he's got your color, and Lucky's eyes, as well as a lot of Lucky's quirks. So it wasn't hard to tell." I sweatdrop a little. "Although…I'm going to have to take responsibility for his tendency of teasing people. I did it when I was younger, and he kinda caught on to it."

That just sets her off laughing again, this time with happy tears in her eyes. "I'm so glad that he has such a loving family…"

"Well, of course he does." I laugh quietly "After all, he's a proud Fairy Tail wizard. And in Fairy Tail, everyone is family." Then, I catch sight of Chagot giving Carla a hug, and Carla acting all bewildered and embarrassed about it. "And it seems like we've got another family reunion over there…"

"Really?" Marl presses her paws together, watching the two white Exceed.

I nod and sniff the air. "The same coloring, the same prophetic power, and similar scents…there's no doubt." _Which means that not only did she send the eggs of others here…but her own as well._

Marl rubs her head against my arm, smiling gently at me. "I think it's time for me to go. May I know your name, Miss?"

"Hm?" I tilt my head and my smile grows wider. "Ciara Dragneel."

That makes her smile grow. But what makes her truly glow is when Happy comes bounding over. "Hey, Ciara! Miss Marl!" He grins at us happily. "Everyone's leaving!"

"Yes…" Marl gazes at Happy fondly. "Feel free to come and visit us anytime, okay?"

Happy raises his soft little paws in the air. "Aye-aye."

"Gah!" Lucky appears out of nowhere. "You don't have to visit, see!?"

"Oh, I promise you, I will." Happy becomes bashful all of a sudden. "I don't know why, but I really like the way that the two of you smell."

That reduces both his parents to tears, until Lucky gets it in his head to chase Happy around. "If you think you can show up unannounced, you got another thing coming! Be polite and check with us before you visit! You're not too old for me to bend you over my knee!"

I snicker at the sight of them, then squeeze Marl's hand one more time. "Well, Happy is bound to get into a mountain of trouble at Fairy Tail, but it'll never be boring. So when he comes to visit, be prepared to hear all sorts of stories. And half of them won't sound true, trust me."

She nods, and shoots me one last smile before tottering over to Chagot, and picking her up to fly her away. The Exceeds' voices chorus through the sky as they say their thank you's and goodbyes. And Happy stands on my shoulder to have a better view while waving goodbye to all of them.

Once the Exceeds are nothing more than pinpricks in the sky, Natsu gets excited again. "All righty! What do you say we head back to the guild?" He's doing that weird hand shaking thing that Nadi does.

And he's not the only one. Lucy has caught it too. "Sounds good, but what are we gonna tell everyone?"

"Nothing." Gray caught the shaking bug as well. "Since they got no clue that anything happened, why bother telling them?"

"That's a good point, but I think we should tell them about Mystogan, don't you." Erza may have a point, but it's hard to take her seriously when she's waving her arm just like the other three.

Wendy pokes her nose in. "Hey, what's with your arms?" But no one answers her, so she backs away slowly.

"Uh, we got a problem." Gajeel is looking disheveled and semi-miserable.

Natsu definitely hears Gajeel. "It ain't a problem! It's actually a lot of fun! You should try it!"

"Yeah, come on, do it!" They've gone and corrupted Wendy.

I turn to Gajeel pleadingly. "Please, for the sake of my sanity…don't."

Gajeel growls, then his eyes pop and he freaks out. "I'm not talkin' about your fist pumping, you morons! Where the heck is my cat!?" Oh… "Don't tell me those flying felines took Lily with them!?"

Gray furrows his eyebrows. "Who's Lily?"

"Remember that big brawny Exceed who helped us?" At least Lucy remembers him.

"Are you blind?" A familiar voice emanates from the bushes to our right. "I'm right here."

It's certainly a change from the last time we saw him. Pantherlily is now about a foot and a half tall, and very cute. But his voice is still the same, though a little higher pitched. It's definitely going to take some getting used to.

"So tiny!" Everyone is more than a little surprised to see him like that.

"You look really cute like that, though." Happy tries to boost Pantherlily's morale like that, and I just hope it works.

"Unfortunately, it appears my previous physique wasn't well-suited for Earthland." On the bright side, the little guy actually does look adorable now.

Carla sweatdrops. "Obviously. And that doesn't bother you?"

"Well, normally it would, yes. " I can just sense the but coming. "But right now, I want to join the guild that took care of my prince." He points at Gajeel. "You promised me! You said you'd get me in, Gajeel! Can you!?"

Gajeel gets the go-ahead nod from Erza, before leaping at Pantherlily and scooping him up into a tight hug. "Consider it done, buddy! Welcome to Fairy Tail!" His voice is so high pitches as he cries tears of comical joy, that it's almost impossible to believe that's really Gajeel.

Once Gajeel puts Pantherlily down, I notice the rope in the little black Exceed's hand. "Now, on an unrelated note, I happened to come across a suspicious person."

He tugs on the rope as Gajeel stands over him proudly. "What an overachiever. You're definitely my cat, alright!"

The one on the end of the rope, who comes into sight after being tugged out of the bushes, is none other than the Lisanna we met in Edolas. But that's impossible. "Hold on, it's not what you think! Please let me explain!" She tumbles into a puddle, soaking her clothes. "Ow, that hurt." She sits up as the rest of us gawk. "I'm not suspicious. I'm a member of Fairy Tail too."

Natsu nearly loses any and all trains of thought. "It's…Lisanna."

"Don't be so rough with me, cat!" She squints at Pantherlily. "Wait, are you an Exceed?"

"The name is Pantherlily." His suspicious gaze doesn't waver, even as he introduces himself.

Gajeel crouches down behind Pantherlily. "If you got a problem with my cat, you'll have to take it up with me, Lady!"

Gray finally stops reeling. "Whoa! She looks like-"

"Lisanna!" Erza snaps out of it too.

"No way." Happy's eyes are wide, and he's nearly hiding behind my leg as he stares at Lisanna.

Carla frowns a little. "It can't be. Perhaps she's the one from Edolas?"

Lucy panics a little. "How in the world did she end up here?"

"What should we do?" Wendy seems to be under the impression that right now, we have to do something. Right now, the rest of us, those of us who knew Lisanna, are still processing exactly what we're seeing.

Because the Anima was only supposed to drop those with magic power back here in Earthland.

Lisanna spots Natsu, and she forgets that she's tied up, resulting in her dragging Pantherlily along when she tackles Natsu with a hug. "Natsu!" She lands right on top of him with tears of joy in her eyes. "Natsu, it's you. I thought I'd never see you again."

Yes, this has to be our Lisanna. There's no way that it could be the Edolas version. Which means that Happy is now needed to go and rescue my brother from the over-zealous hug.

He is quickly captured by Lisanna. "Oh, Happy! You're here too! I missed you so much!" She squishes her face against his cheek, deforming both their faces in the process. Then she looks up at Erza and Gray. "It's been so long since I've seen everyone. This makes me so happy." Next, she turns to Wendy and Lucy. "Oh, you must be the two new members of the guild I haven't met yet. The little one looks like Wendy. And the blond must be Lucy."

"Wait a sec…" Gray points at her shakily. "You-are you…our Lisanna?"

She smiles slightly, tears still in her eyes, and nods. "Mm-hm."

I take a hesitant step forward, then another, and another. "Lisanna…"

She looks up at me, her smile strengthening a little. "It's good to see you, Ciara. I missed you."

"Yeah…" I'm still feeling a little dazed, but I'm more than present enough for this. I drop to my knees and touch the rope around Lisanna's wrists, slicing it to pieces under my touch. Then, an image of Mira crying on my shoulder appears to me, and it feels like a stone sinks into my stomach. "You're…back."

She sniffs once. "Yeah." Then she throws her newly freed arms around me, squishing me in a hug. I'm not really used to her hugs. Sure, she did it when we were younger, until she settled for teasing me from across a table.

I circle my arms around her back, and her head leans against my shoulder. At this distance, her scent is unmistakable. This can't be anyone other than our Lisanna. I try to tell her that everyone was heartbroken when she died, or rather, thought she died. But the words won't come out.

Natsu, on the other hand, has no trouble getting words out. "She came back to life!"

"Hurray!" Happy jumps into the air, paws flailing.

The two of them nearly jump Lisanna, before Erza pulls them back. "Hold it right there!" She glares at the girl clinging to me. "You can't be our Lisanna. She died two years ago. And she couldn't possibly have been resuscitated."

I loosen my grip on Lisanna and turn to Erza. "It's her…I'm sure."

Erza narrows her eyes at me. "There's no way."

"It's because she said she missed me." It's such a simple detail, and yet, I'm the only one who would have picked up on it. "If she were Edolas' Lisanna, then there's no way that she ever would have met me, or any version of me." A sour taste rises in my throat. "Because according to the Edolas version of Natsu, the me who lived there…died as a child, before he joined Fairy Tail. So…before anyone else jumps to conclusions, we should hear what she has to say."

That shuts everyone up, and there's a few crestfallen looks at the revelation of that morbid detail. So, Lisanna sits back and steers the conversation away from such unpleasant topics. "The truth is, I didn't actually die that day." I stand up and help her to her feet so that she can more comfortably continue her story. "Two years ago…on that S-Class quest with Mira and Big Brother Elf, when I got hurt, Mira thought I died, because I disappeared without a trace. At that moment, I must have suddenly been pulled away by an Anima. I'm not sure, but I assume there were little ones all over Earthland back in those days. It was a real shock when I awoke in Edolas."

After our own trip to Edolas, I think I know what she's saying. "Because everything seemed the same, but also different?"

She nods. "I was confused because everyone looked so different. But I recognized all of the people there. They welcomed me because they thought I was the Edolas Fairy Tail's Lisanna." Her face falls. "I can only assume that she died. Everyone seemed so surprised to see me. It was as though I'd come back from the dead. I didn't know what to say. I was thoroughly confused at the time. But looking back on it, I think I understand why the Anima pulled me in. It was simply trying to fill a void in Edolas, a void that was caused by the other Lisanna's death. I couldn't find it in my heart to tell them the truth. So I pretended to be Edolas' Lisanna."

I bit my lip, understanding where she's coming from. But the magic itself is the strange part. _So the Anima filled a void by creating another void…? Seems rather counterproductive to me…or too much like something that the king would have done._

Lisanna sighs. "There was some confusion at first. I would apologize and tell them my memory was hazy. I tried my best to fit in, and it got easier as I learned more about Edolas. It didn't take very long to get accustomed to my new life there. Two years passed quickly." She glances at Natsu, Happy, then me. "And then Natsu, Happy, and Ciara showed up out of the blue six days ago."

"Why, Lisanna?" Natsu's voice is a little choked, before he starts getting angry. "I don't understand why you didn't bother to tell us the truth then!

She looks away from us. "It wasn't the right time. I didn't want you two to know, because I didn't want to make my big brother and sister sad again. But then, I started glowing when the Anima was sucking me back through to Earthland. And they told me that they knew all along that I wasn't really their little sister. They were so sad…"

I sigh and close my eyes. "Lisanna…when Mira and Elfman came back from that S-Class job…Mira cried on my shoulder." I would rather not burden Lisanna with this, but I can't keep it all to myself anymore. "And as she cried, I sat there and watched her heart shatter. And then, I sat down with Natsu while he cried, and I experienced all of his emotions. It was one rainstorm after another, and everything was so dark and cold. Eventually…it got easier, but your absence still affects everyone in the guild." I open my eyes and stare at her. "Come on, we need to go to Kardia Cathedral." I grab her wrist and pull her along. "There's a couple of people that you need to see."

* * *

It's raining hard outside the cathedral as we approach, but no matter how bad the weather is, this is something that has to be done. We walk around to the back of the church, to where the cemetery is. And right on schedule, Mira and Elfman are there, laying flowers on Lisanna's grave.

I give her a single push, and Lisanna takes off running, splashing through half a dozen puddles as she weaves through the tombstones.

The rest of us stop, and I smile faintly. "Let's all go home. I think those three need some time to themselves."

"Aye…" Happy nods sleepily in my arms.

Erza pats Pantherlily on the head. "Come now, let's get you to the guild and have you join as an official member."

He nods quickly. "I appreciate it."

I lean down next to Pantherlily, a grin on my face. "Looks like you're gonna be the third Exceed to join the ranks of Fairy Tail. But I'll warn you now, you might end up stuck with a lot of flying around, because that's what Happy and Carla do for Natsu and Wendy."

"I see." He nods again. "If that will be useful, then I will arrange for that with Gajeel. However, I am also quite skilled with a sword, which may prove to be of use in battle."

I grin a bit. "Well, Happy can pummel people pretty good with raw fish. It's actually a little frightening." The last scene that comes to mind is when we fought with Phantom Lord, and Happy whipped out a couple of big raw fish, and started whacking wizards over the head with them. We've had some good times, and some bad times, but mostly just crazy times.

And today, our guild just got a whole lot more interesting.


	83. Whole Again

**Alright, so I'm starting up the Tenrou arc now. This first chapter is just a prelude to most of it, setting stuff up for next chapter, when everything starts getting out of hand. It's also a way of resolving the whole Lisanna issue that was left at the end of chapter...22.**

 **There is a moment for Ciara and Lisanna, mostly funny, a little cute. Just two teenagers hanging out and talking about life. And…other things. Meaning boys.**

 **Honestly, I don't like the bad rap that Lisanna gets when people are shipping Nalu and Nali. Lisanna is a sweetheart, even though I ship Nalu. So I will NOT be making her into a bitch.**

 **You don't like it?**

 **I don't care. :)**

* * *

Maybe I'm just getting stronger, or maybe I didn't use up as much magic as I thought, but I only slept for sixteen straight hours this time, instead of being out for a couple of weeks. That said, I'm still nursing a few painful bruises and open cuts from that battle with Edolas' king.

But it's about time for me to check in with the guild. After all, it's past noon, and I'm hungry but feeling lazy. Plus, Natsu has probably started all kinds of trouble by now. And no one else is going to stop him.

The walk to the guild takes no time at all. But I almost wish that it had taken longer, because as soon as I open the doors, I hear my brother's voice. "Screw waitin' will it's over, Gildarts! Why don't you fight me now!?"

I sigh and slam my hand towards the ground. And in that motion, a gust of wind races through the guild hall, and squashes Natsu flat. "Oi! Can it, moron!"

A muffled protest comes from somewhere on the floor, in the middle of a tangle of bodies. But I roll my eyes and stroll over to the bar, where Gildarts is sitting around, and Pantherlily is standing on a stool.

Gildarts chuckles as I sit down. "Well, looks like your aim has gotten better, kid."

"Well, I aim to please…" I turn to Mira behind the bar. "Can I get my usual, please? I'm feeling too lazy to cook today."

Mira smiles cheerfully at me. "Of course!"

While she busies herself behind the counter, Pantherlily shifts closer to me. "So…is this a common occurrence?"

"What? Me eating at the guild?" I'm a bit confused by his question.

"Uh…no." He points to where Natsu is sitting up, rubbing his cheeks gingerly. "Your…peacekeeping methods."

"Oh." I shrug. "Yeah. I basically break up all of the brawls around here. Someone has to."

"I see…" He observes me quietly for a minute. "So…I was curious about the hierarchy here. Is it alright if I ask you a few questions?"

"Of course." I glance at him and notice a new white emblem on his back. "You're probably going to need to know some stuff, since you're one of us now."

He breathes out smoothly, as though he was holding his breath, and has only just relaxed. "So, who stands at the top, and who stands at the bottom?"

I should have figured that he would ask something like that, after all, he is ex-military. "Well, at the top is, of course, the guild master. Below Gramps are the S-Class wizards." I point to Gildarts behind me. "He's our strongest S-Class wizard, no contest. But Erza also holds the title of S-Class, as do I, along with Mira here. Laxus held the rank during his time here, as did Mystogan."

"The prince did?" Pantherlily's eyes widen slightly. "I see, that's good. And judging by her counterpart's skills, I can see why Erza would be granted that rank if she retains similar abilities here."

"Anyway, below that are those who have been selected as candidates for the S-Class exam, as well as those who could be potential candidates. So that would include Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Cana, Juvia, and others on their level, like the Thunder Legion. Below that are the newer members, or those who specialize in less powerful magic, or simply haven't mastered theirs yet. Of course, there are some magics that afford their wizards more raw power than others, so if we're basing it on strength alone, then all of the dragon slayers are in a class to themselves on the basis of using Lost Magic."

"That includes Gajeel, yes?" Pantherlily's eye light up a little. The little guy is clearly interested in exactly how people here measure up.

"Yes, it does." But I don't want him to get the wrong idea. "Keep in mind that it doesn't mean that we're always the strongest in any given situation. It just means that we have some advantages that no one else could possibly have. That won't make up for the ability to think fast and react quickly on the battlefield."

He nods again. "Of course. The circumstances must always be considered. What is advantageous in one fight, may be a fatal weakness in another."

"Exactly." I knew that he would catch on quick. "So, in short, the hierarchy is as follows. Gramps is at the top, then there's me, Erza, Mira, and Gildarts. Below us is everyone else, though they have something of their own hierarchy down there. That said, rank has little to do with respect. For example…" I point back at Gildarts. "Half the time, he gets no respect, because he crashes right through the wall and leaves a giant hole. Whereas everyone is always respecting Mira, because she's the one who does most of the cooking around here."

"Speaking of cooking!" Mira puts a big plate full of hot food in front of me. "Macaroni and cheese with sausage and bacon, fried pork dumplings, an omelet with half the fridge in it, and…" She plops a tall glass down in front of me. "Spiked Lemonade."

"Thank you!" I smile at Mira and she heads back down the bar.

Pantherlily stares at my plate incredulously. "Are you going to eat all of that?"

I blink at him and frown. "Uh…yes? Why would I order it if I wasn't gonna eat it?"

I can see the sweatdrops rolling down the back of his head. "Do all dragon slayers eat this much?"

"Pretty much!" I shove some of the pasta into my mouth, swallowing down the cheesy goodness before turning to Pantherlily again. "A common trait to all of us is our enormous appetite. Well, once we've hit puberty, that is." I smirk a little. "Just wait till you see Gajeel's appetite. Or worse, Natsu's."

"I've got a wager for you and the little girl, Salamander!" Gajeel's voice cuts through the crowd as he makes a ruckus f his own. "I betcha my Lily can beat the ever-loving crap out of your puny cats!"

That ticks Natsu off. "Yeah?"

Gildarts just finds it hilarious. "Your kitty up to the challenge?"

I lean over towards Pantherlily. "Maybe you should go to the others and make sure that they're all right. Knowing Gajeel…he could pull just about anything right now."

"Agreed…" Pantherlily hops down from the stool and waddles off towards Happy and Carla.

Natsu slams his head against Gajeel's "Go ahead and make my day, punk!"

"I will!" Gajeel knocks his head right back, turning it into a headbutting showdown without the horns. "Ain't no way you guys can beat my Lily. He's the strongest with a capital 'S'."

"We'll see about that, because Happy's a cat with a lowercase 'c'." Natsu is definitely not winning any points for smart remarks today.

Somehow, it takes them only ten seconds to start another brawl, and almost all the guys get dragged into it. I groan and turn my entire focus onto my plate. Maybe just one barrier…just to be safe.

Thankfully, Gramps distracts my brother before it all gets too out of hand. "Let me ask you something , Natsu. What was I like in this other world you visited?"

I raise an eyebrow slightly. So…it sounds like this morning, they all got the download on what happened in Edolas. That makes me smile. I wonder how many of them choked.

Natsu turns away from his fight. "You mean the Edolas version of you?"

"Yeah, tell me about him. Was he the opposite of me?" Gramps seems awfully interested. But honestly, I can't remember ever seeing anyone who looked like him there.

Natsu frowns. "Well…now that I think about it…" His eyes widen. "No way…" You think that maybe…it could be the king?

I freeze and nearly choke on my food. What the hell!? What do you mean the… I remember the old mans face, and some of his expressions and gestures. No way…it can't be!

Natsu crosses his arms and thinks hard. "I always thought there was something about the old guy that seemed kinda familiar." He points right into Gramps' face. "Ha! That's it!"

"What's what!?" Gramps leans back, frowning slightly.

Natsu grins, like he has some kind of happy memory about the guy that I wasn't privy to. "I'm not totally sure, but I think you might have been the king."

"Oh yeah?" That kind of fantasy seems to appeal to Gramps. I'm sure that he's wanted to be a king of something for ever.

Gildarts grins eagerly. "Hey, so what was I like over there? Was I a dashing prince, or a great soldier?"

I turn away as Natsu frowns in concentration. "Actually, I don't remember seeing anybody there who looked like you. I guess it's possible you were a frog or fish or something."

That does more than a little damage to Gildarts' ego. So, I smirk slightly. "I wouldn't put it past Edolas to have Gildart's version be that huge frog that chased us across the desert, or that gigantic fish that chased us through the forest. Both of them were needlessly destructive."

Natsu grins. "Oh yeah! That could be it!"

Gildarts whines like a child. "That's not funny, you two…"

Gray catches sight of Natsu and glares at him. "Aren't you the one who started this, Pyro?"

"Better hurry and get over here or else!" Gajeel seems to want Natsu back in the brawl as well.

Elfman doesn't help. "Yeah, come fight us like a real man!"

Freed, uncharacteristic of his usual reserved attitude, is preparing himself to brawl as well. "Only a coward would turn their back on a fight they initiated. We're finally seeing the Salamander's true colors."

"Natsu…" I turn towards the brawl, cracking my knuckles. "Unless you want to get flattened, I suggest that you not head back over there to fight.

Natsu wisely chooses to not only not go back to the fight, but also to back away from me as I stand up. I turn around, staring at the out of control brawl, and take in a deep breath.

"WOULD ALL OF YOU SHUT UP AND SIT STILL!? I'M TRYING TO EAT HERE!" My voice echoes across the guild like I shouted into a loudspeaker. Then, a burst of wind drives all of the brawlers apart, instantly calming the chaos.

I sit back down and go right back to eating my meal, glancing slightly at Gramps as he addresses the pervy old geezer. "Gildarts, tell me something. Do you think Mystogan's gonna be okay over in Edolas? I don't want to sound like an old fool, but I can't help but worry about my children."

Gildarts smiles. "I'm sure he'll be fine. After all, he grew up in this guild. He'll always be one of us."

I smile softly and put down my fork. "Don't worry, Gramps. We gave him the proper Fairy Tail send-off. He knows it as well as I do. And he knows that we'll always remember him, and he'll remember us as well." I think back to the smile that was on his face as the rest of us were pulled through the Anima. "I think that he will make a good king, and that he will gather trustworthy and precious friends around him." I laugh a little. "And who knows. We may see each other again, someday."

"Yes…" Gramps smiles, even though it may seem like a fanciful dream. Then he turns to Gildarts. "So, how long you planning to stay in town this time?"

"Well, I haven't decided yet." Gildarts chuckles, rubbing his head.

Gramps lowers his voice to a serious tone. "There's something I'd like to discuss with you."

That catches the old geezer's attention. "Yeah, what is it? Why so formal?"

Gramps turns to me as well. "You too, Ciara.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "You want to talk to me as well?" Frowning, I count the days, and it's just about time… "Is this about next month? The exam is coming up." We've got only three weeks until the exam, which means that the guild is going to get even crazier, if that's possible.

Gramps nods. "By tradition, the candidates for the exam are tested by those who are already S-Class. Therefore, I would like for the two of you to be examiners in these tests."

"Oh?" I'm more than a little surprised. I haven't been involved in an exam since my own promotion exam a few years ago. "Sure, I'll do it, but what exactly do you want me to do?"

Gramps smiles. "Don't worry, child. After I speak with Erza and Mira, I will make sure to write down all of your instructions. We can't have any information leak out before the exam."

He's got a point. Because if I find out what the exam is about beforehand, then Natsu might be able to pry it out of me, one way or another. After all, loose lips sink ships.

"Well, I suppose I can stick around long enough to help out." Gildarts lounges back, taking a swig of his drink. "And I'm curious to see who the candidates are this year."

"Me too…" Though I have a feeling that I could pick out half of the ones Gramps has in mind this year.

Any further conversation on the topic is cut short as Lisanna prances over with a smile on her face. Gramps turns to Mira to order more booze, while Lisanna plants herself down next to me. "So, it's been a couple of years. What have I missed?"

I probably should have seen this coming, so I conjure up all of my memories of the past couple of years. "Well, it's been pretty hectic ever since Lucy arrived. First, there was an incident with the dark guild Eisenwald. They managed to summon a demon flute that came straight out of the pages of the Book of Zeref. You know, that centuries old story of that dark wizard. Anyway, almost a week after that, Natsu and Happy stole an S-Class job off the board and dragged Lucy along with them."

Lisanna's eyes widen. "They took on an S-Class quest!?"

"Yep." That's a particularly irritating memory. "Gramps sent Gray after them, and he ended up joining them instead. So, I officially took the job and ran off after them. Cue another of Zeref's demons, this time melting it out of an icy seal, Natsu and I took that one down, sort of. I mean, it was kinda dying already, so it was more like we put it out of its misery."

"Oh!" Her eyes start sparkling a little. "Sounds like you and Natsu have had a lot of adventures since I left." Left is a mild way of putting it, since we all believed that she was dead.

But I decide not to point that out. "After that, everything went to hell again when Phantom Lord picked a fight with us." She knows about our long-standing rivalry with the now disbanded guild. "We won, which is part of the reason that Juvia and Gajeel joined Fairy Tail."

Lisanna's eyes travel over to where Juvia is stalking gray again. "Is the other part because she has a crush on Gray?"

"Yeah…" I smile at the sight. "I think it's sweet. She's completely infatuated, and her feelings are just getting stronger by the day. Gray is an idiot not to realize it."

Lisanna shifts a little closer to me. "But…are you over Gray? Doesn't Juvia bother you?"

"Hm?" I sure wasn't expecting that question. Though, since it's Lisanna, I probably should have. "No, of course not. Gray and I are basically siblings now. We would die for each other, sure, but dating is out of the question."

"I see…" At first, she sounds a little disappointed. Then, she perks right back up. "In that case, why don't we try and…give them a little nudge?"

Well, now that signals danger. I've long since learned not to get involved in any Strauss matchmaking, since it usually involves Mira squealing. But Lisanna gazes at me with her big blue eyes, and makes it impossible to say no. "Fine…" I roll my eyes. "I've been encouraging Juvia anyway, so I guess that if we team up, we should be able to get something done about them faster."

Lisanna grins. "So, what about the others. Has anyone caught Erza's eye?"

Her question sets me right back on my earlier path of memories. "Well…maybe. I mean, right after our fight with Phantom, Erza got kidnapped, and was almost offered up as a sacrifice to resurrect the dead. And the guy who did it seemed to have been an old crush of hers."

"Oh…" That puts Lisanna out a little. "Well, then what else has happened? It seems like you've had a busy year."

"That's an understatement…" I sigh a little. "Well, after the incident at the Tower of Heaven, where Erza was taken to, Laxus started a huge battle royale in Fairy Tail, and tried to take over the guild. He…got kicked out because of that."

Lisanna's face falls. "I see…that explains why I haven't seen him around here."

I nod. "It's been a while since anyone saw him. It's kinda like he disappeared off the face of the earth." I shake the thought from my mind, as it brigs back unpleasant memories of the fight that happened in the cathedral. "Anyway, after that, Fairy Tail hooked up with a few other guild to take down the Oracion Seis, a dark guild that used to be part of the Baram Alliance."

"Used to be?" Lisanna looks at me questioningly. "What happened?"

I chuckle dryly. "We happened. Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Cait Shelter." I glance over to where Wendy is sitting with Carla. "Those two used to be part of Cait Shelter, before it dissolved, literally. I started training her about a month later, after I got out of recovery. She wanted to learn more about being a dragon slayer, and since we use similar magic, she wanted me to teach her."

"Oh, so you're a teacher now." Lisanna pokes my cheek. "But what's that about recovery? What happened?"

My blood suddenly runs cold. "Well…I…got hurt in the battle. We all did. But I needed more time to recover than the others, so I stayed with Blue Pegasus for a month. Hibiki took care of me."

"Hibiki Lates!?" Lisanna's eyes light back up, a new eagerness in her eyes. "He's one of the trimens, right? Mira told me about them earlier! I found some of the Sorcerer Weekly magazines, and saw a picture of the three of them. So, when was the last time you saw him!?"

"Not long before we got sucked into Edolas…" In fact, it was part of the last major event before our little cross-dimensional field trip. "He…took me out to celebrate my recovery."

"He took you on a date!?" Lisanna squeals almost as much as Mira does. "Are you going out with him now? That's why you're over Gray, right?"

I sigh. Jeez…she can be so nosy sometimes. "No to both. I'm not going out with Hibiki, and he's not the reason I'm over Gray. I'm over Gray because I realized a long time ago that we weren't going to work. It's as simple as that." I tweak her nose a little. "Besides, you're focusing too much on my non-existent love life. Shouldn't you be focused on people who actually have one?" What happened with Hibiki is something I really would rather not talk about, especially if she's going to try and set me up with him.

She claps her hands. "You're right!" Then, she peers around the room. "Alzack and Bisca haven't gotten together yet, huh?" _Topic has been successfully diverted._

"Nope." I grin slyly. "But that's just something we'll get to work on, right?"

I giggle softly. "Right."

She laughs high and bright. And it makes me feel warm inside. When we thought she died, it was like there was a hole left in the guild. One that never healed, one that was never fixed.

The hole has been filled back in.

And the guild is whole again.

* * *

"Now, about Hibiki."

I groan and smack my head down on the bar. _This is going to be a long day..._


	84. The Exam

**This chapter is shorter as well, but it's where the Tenrou arc officially starts in canon, so please look forward to the progression of the S-Class trials. Oh, and there's going to be things in the next few chapters that make reference to later arcs, so I'm warning you now, if you aren't up to date with the manga, you may wish to be (though to be honest, I've been referring to later arcs since first giving Rogue a P.O.V.). But I'm putting the warning up anyway, since I don't want anyone screaming at me for spoiling something by accident.**

 **I must be updating faster because Tenrou is one of my favorite arcs. :)**

 **I was going to add in Ciara taking a job before the S-Class exam, but decided against it because...plot.**

* * *

This is the one week a year that I hate above all others. There is nothing that can possibly rival my loathing for this one part of the year.

On the bright side, I suppose that I have Phantom Lord, the Oracion Seis, Jellal, Laxus, and the king of Edolas to thank for putting it off this long. They've caused enough crisis situations to delay the trial by nearly half a year. The one for my S-Class year was in August of X781. But I'm here for the hell this year, the one week a year that makes an S-Class job look like a bakery full of beautiful cakes.

Hell Week. It's the week that lies just before the annual S-Class exam. And since everyone wants to be nominated for the exam, the jobs are being snatched off the board at lightning speed. But what I hate about it is not the fact that a lot of the good jobs get taken, but that everyone is scrutinizing everyone else's every move. They're trying to outdo each other at inhuman paces.

But, at Gramps' request, I'm not supposed to go on any jobs that could extend past Hell Week. No, because he's coaxed me into participating in the exam as one of the examiners. I haven't been around for any exams other than my own, when I set the record for being the youngest Fairy Tail wizard to achieve S-Class.

I still think it was a total fluke, though. I stumbled my way through the first part of the exam, accidentally finding the starting point of the second exam after blasting myself through the air. I was even the first one to make it there. It was supposed to be a race, but obviously my unstable powers hadn't gotten that memo.

The second part of the exam was easier, since all I had to do was figure out where the third exam was taking place, through a series of clues left behind by Gramps. Ultimately, it led to a lone field of flowers on the island. And of course, once I had that figured out, all I had to do was follow my nose.

By the time the third exam came around, I'd been tired and cranky, and was in no mood to fool around. Unfortunately, that's when Gramps decided to throw us into the battles. Saving the best for last, as he called it.

As the youngest participant, no one paid me much mind earlier in the exam. They must have thought that once they were done with each other, I would be an easy opponent to take out. Unluckily for two of the four of us remaining, they had underestimated each other, and ended up knocking each other out. It was so long ago now that I can't even remember their names. They left the guild a few months after the S-Class exam.

The only two left standing by the end of the exam were me and Cana. I'd known that she'd taken the exam once before, but couldn't make it all the way to the end. But even if she had the upper hand in age and experience, I wasn't going to let her outdo me.

So…I may have broken a rule.

The rule about not taking off my ribbons.

But, I made S-Class, after fighting past Cana to get it. And this is Fairy Tail, we're not exactly known for adhering to the rules. Though I still feel a little guilty about having been the one to kick Cana out of my exam year. She's been trying to make S-Class for four years. This year is going to be her fifth try.

So, I hang out on the second floor, lazing around with one of my magic books, since Gramps doesn't want me running off to who knows where. Meanwhile, there's a huge commotion down on the first floor, where everyone is swarming Mira about taking jobs. I almost pity her.

But…not enough to help her out of that mess.

On the other hand, I at least have a minor distraction to keep my attention occupied, unlike the hooligans swarming Mira. Pantherlily has grown to his full size for a brief time in order to spar with Erza. It should be good practice for the both of them, as well as allow for some good old fashioned Fairy Tail bonding.

"Hey guys, you shouldn't be doing that indoors!" Kinana, the new waitress, hesitates in getting closer than twenty feet in order to scold them.

The two of them, however, don't care in the slightest that they're inside the guild. Though they do part their blades, and Erza smiles. "Had enough?"

As a response, Pantherlily's transformation expires. "It seems I can't stay in my original form for very long."

"Still, I find you quite impressive. Your blade skills are top-notch." Erza certainly is liberal with her praise, not that the Exceed doesn't deserve it.

Pantherlily takes it in good stride. "You flatter me. I think I should be the one complimenting you."

Gajeel jumps in,a proud grin on his face. "What do you think, Erza? My cat is a force of nature, ain't he?"

Pantherlily smiles. "I assume this is what the guild refers to as an S-Class skill level?"

Erza nods slightly. "That is correct, it has been a few years since I was made an S-Class wizard by Master Makarov."

"I see…" Pantherlily nods. "Then I will be sure to train hard and earn similar acknowledgment."

I chuckle quietly at his assertion. He may be new to the guild, but he is certainly fitting in perfectly well. Then, my attention drifts over to a rather familiar face.

 _Mest?_ Something about seeing the dark haired guy over by the railing puts me off a little. _I thought that he was on a top secret mission from Gramps. Why is he back?_

Since I don't know what to expect in approaching him, I head downstairs to talk to Gramps about it. And as I expected, I find him at the bar. "Hey, Gramps, there's something I want to talk to you about."

He pats the seat next to him. "Well, then come and sit, child."

I eye the seat warily. "It's…something I would rather speak to you about in private. It's not something for public ears."

Gramps raises an eyebrow. "I see…" He hops off the bar stool. "Very well, we'll speak in my office."

Leaving the main guild hall behind, I follow Gramps to the back, where his office is stashed. Not that he uses it much. He's usually at the bar most of the time, throwing back the booze and supervising the brawling.

I shut the door behind me, listening carefully to make sure there's no one within earshot before I point out our problem. "Mest is back."

"Yes…" Gramps frowns slightly. "I was not expecting him to return so soon. It's not one of our scheduled appointments."

"So…do you think that he might be here because the Magic Council wants him here?" Mest left last year on a mission to infiltrate the Magic Council, wiping his own memories in the process to make it more convincing. It was all for the sake of gathering information, since he's the best we've got when it comes to stealing things.

Gramps nods. "That is certainly a possibility."

"So…what are we going to do about this?" And by we, I mean me and Gramps. Gildarts wasn't around when Mest joined, or when he was given the mission, so he doesn't know anything about him. But in wiping his own memories, Mest also wiped the memories of himself from almost the entire guild. But similar to Mystogan's sleep magic, the memory spell didn't work too well on me when he left. So Gramps brought me in on it all, just in case Mest got in over his head and needed backup.

The thing is, it's been a while since we last heard from him. And because of all the incidents that we've had going on for the past several months, I haven't had a chance to see Mest, myself, in quite some time.

Gramps frowns. "I believe that his objective is to participate in the S-Class exam. He has attempted to alter my memory to include him as one of the participants, as well as one of those candidates from last year's exam."

"So that's it…" _In that case, if Gramps doesn't nominate him as one of the candidates, then he'll know that the memory replacement didn't work. If he knows that it didn't work, then he'll run before we can figure out why the Magic Council sent him here, or if it was them who sent him here at all._ "Then are you going to nominate him as a participant in the S-Class exam?"

Gramps nods. "I am. But it's fine. The boy deserves a chance to fight for the title of S-Class, the same as anyone else in this guild." Of course Gramps would give him a chance. After all, whether Mest knows it or not, he's one of us.

"And the other nominees?" I think I'd like to know who I'm going to get to torture ahead of time. Gramps grins, then hands me a list of eight names. I scan the list, my own grin growing wider with every name. "This year…is going to be a lot of fun."

* * *

Twenty-four hours later, I line up with the other S-Class wizards on the Fairy Tail stage, ready for the announcements. Gildarts and Mira stand on Gramps' left side, with me and Erza on the right. It's time for him to announce the candidates for this year's S-Class exam. The ones who are going to get a shot at joining those of us on stage in the highest ranks of the guild.

To calm the clamor of the gathered wizards, Gramps coughs, calling for attention. "Ahem, in accordance with the Fairy Tail guild's time honored tradition, I will now announce this year's entrants for the S-Class wizard promotion trial!" That sets off everyone's excitement, and Natsu is so fired up that he literally gets fired up. The idiot is spewing flames out of every pore.

Erza calls out next. "Please be quiet, everyone!"

"Shut up and let the master finish talking." Ah…Gildarts, the dad we all wish we could have, because he swears and lets us get away with anything and everything.

Gramps takes a single step forward. "The trial this year will take place on Tenrou Island. Our guild's sacred ground. The strength that you possess inside, your character, and your hearts. These are what I considered while making my selection. And I have chosen eight participants." I remember the first name on his list and smile proudly as he looks through the crowd. "Natsu Dragneel!" And Natsu sure looks pleased about that. "Gray Fullbuster." Another one who looks pleased. "Juvia Lockser." Her eyes widen as her name is called. "Elfman." A bit of a surprise, but I suppose he'll have the chance to follow in his sister's footsteps. "Cana Alberona." This is her fifth time being nominated. "Freed Justine." A member of the Thunder Legion, makes sense. "Levy McGarden." Chosen for her brains, no doubt. "And Mest Gryder." Our little thief who is trying to play spy.

I grin at all of them, watching the triumphant faces of those who have been nominated. _You poor saps…you guys have no idea what you're in for this year. None of you have even questioned why we're up here as part of the announcement._

"Although eight wizards have been selected, only one will emerge victorious." Gramps lays down the rules. "The trial will begin in one week's time, so you'd better step up your preparations. For the benefit of our newcomer, let's go over the rules of the challenge, shall we?"

Mira smiles and steps up next to Gramps. "The eight participants will each choose a partner. This person will also be allowed to train with them during the week leading up to the event."

"Observe these two rules when choosing your partner." Erza gazes at them sternly. "Number one, they must be a member of Fairy Tail. And number two, your choice cannot be an S-Class wizard."

Now, it's my turn, and I get to reveal something fun. "I suggest that you choose your partners carefully, because this year is going to be a little different." I glance mischievously at my fellow S-Class wizards. "Because you are looking at your examiners."

That silences the guild hall immediately, and everyone who wasn't chosen looks almost relieved, while the participants look like they've been hit by lightning.

But, it opens up the floor for Gramps. "We'll reveal all the particular details of the trial once we've arrived on Tenrou Island. But know that you'll have to get past Erza to claim victory."

Mirajane smiles and waves to the crowd. "And I'll be doing my very best to help weed out the rest of you right beside her."

"Quit your bellyaching." Gildarts grins at the crowd. "The four of us had to go through this trial. It's only fair you do too."

I chuckle darkly. "And if you can manage to survive past them and the rest of the challenges, then you'll have me waiting waiting for you." I crack my knuckles with a bright smile on my face. "I've been pretty bored hanging around the guild for the last week, so this is a great opportunity for me to get some exercise. Please don't disappoint me."

Gramps crosses his arms and stares out at the crowd. "The eight participants I named earlier and their chosen partners are asked to meet at the port of Hargeon, one week from today. So get to work.

I hang out on the second floor for a little while, watching some of the partnerships forming. Freed chooses Bixlow, a wise move, seeing as they've been partners a long time. The two of them should be able to work well together.

Natsu picking Happy is something of a no-brainer. With no access to Gray or Erza, and especially with no access to me, Happy is his best bet for a partner that he can fight with without having to spend a lot of time planning or communicating with. And with their partnership offical, the two of them run straight out of the guild to go training.

It turns out that Gray has some kind of arrangement with Loke. And I think I remember the two of them sneaking around, talking about the S-Class exam last year, promising to partner up if either of them got chosen for the promotion trial.

Instead of sticking around to see who everyone else picked, I decide to head on home. I need to pack enough for a week and a half. That means clothes, snacks, and maybe a book or two.

As I walk out the doors, there's snow everywhere, even on the once blooming cherry trees. Our trees here and Magnolia are quite special, they bloom twice a year. The climate is so warm that they bloom in the spring, and then again in the fall. But now, everything is covered in snow.

 _It's all so beautiful…_

* * *

It takes me almost no time at all to gather up what I need from across my house. I just throw a couple of outfits into my pack, along with a book, and everything left in my cupboards. _I'll have to get groceries when I get back… And then cook a big dinner for Natsu. Either in celebration, or consolation. Either way, he's gonna be super hungry._

Just as I move to open my door, there's a loud knock on it, and I can sense my enchantments at work, keeping it from being broken down. _I have a feeling that I know who that is…_

I open the door to reveal Gildarts' smiling face. "Alright, kiddo, time to go." He must have accidentally leaked some of his Crash Magic, otherwise there's no way the enchantments on my door would have activated like that.

"Yeah, I'm ready." I pout a little. "And I'm not a kid anymore, remember?"

Gildarts laughs and pats me on the head. "Yeah, I know." Then he gives me a whack on the back. "Come on, the train is leaving soon."

"Yeah." The old man may be a pain in the ass, and a bit of a perv at times, but he's the closest thing I've had to a father since Igneel disappeared.

And now I've got a whole week alone with him and a couple of demons.

 _Great…_

* * *

 **Next chapter is going to be the journey to Tenrou Island. Well, the one that the S-Class wizards take a week in advance in order to set everything up for the participants.**


	85. Ship of Monsters

**Alright, so there have been questions across the chapters about Ciara getting motion sickness, and whether she does or not, and why. I hope that this chapter will clarify things. More notes on that at the bottom. This is my whole "all in due time" way of doing things. I know that many have been waiting on explanations, so I'm giving them to you now.**

 **There was also a comment involving Gildarts finding out what Ciara…tried to do while in Hibiki's care at Blue Pegasus. That is addressed in a way that I hope keeps Gildarts in character, seeing as he tends to be pretty laid back and cheerful most of the time, but can get serious when needed. He's also the type that doesn't like to put pressure on others. So with all of that in mind, I fashioned their conversation in such a way that I hope these traits of his are expressed as he tries to keep Ciara from becoming uncomfortable and unresponsive. So, a few little dark themes there, warning you all about that in advance (because stuff like this doesn't go away overnight, especially after being transported to another dimension to rescue your kidnapped friends before they're all massacred, then being tortured and having your magic sucked out of you...very...very painfully, not to mention all the other shit that went on before that).**

 **Basically, this chapter is going to be a lot of Ciara and Gildarts at first. Starts angsty, gets funny. Thank Mira for the funny.**

* * *

So, a monster, two demons, and a dragon all board a ship.

It sounds like the start of a bad joke. That's about how I feel about the four of us being on the same boat. A powder keg just waiting to explode. Yet, somehow, the boat is still in one piece. No explosion in sight. Though I suppose that I would know more about being a powder keg than the rest of them. Because lately, I've been waking up in the middle of the night.

And it would seem that the day is no safer.

* * *

 _Everything is dark, and cold, freezing cold._

 _Footsteps echo through the darkness as I run. But I don't know where I'm running to. The ground is flat, and there's nothing to trip over. I can't see a thing. There's just nothing out there._

 _"Hello!?" I cup my hands around my mouth, trying to make my voice reach farther. "Is anyone out there!?"_

 _There's no answer. My voice is all that breaks the silence. Silence that reminds me of a graveyard, or an abyss._

 _Despite my trepidation, I continue walking forwards, still trying to peer through the darkness. Then I take a single step too far, and tumble down into the abyss, falling into nothingness. At least, I think I'm falling down. There's no way to tell for sure which way is up. Gravity seems to have no meaning here. Nothing in this place makes a lick of sense._

 _Then, it all stops. I can't move. My body feels heavy, like I'm swimming in thick honey. Pressure builds around me, and my skin starts to tingle, the way it always does when there's a storm approaching. But I've never been afraid of a storm, I relish them._

 _Then, the darkness begins to clear, and a little of the heaviness melts away._

 _But I wish it hadn't._

 _The newfound light, or lack of darkness, reveals trails of blood that stream across the ground, pooling together into small lakes, connected by scarlet rivers. And in the middle of one of those crimson lakes is a mop of pink hair. Mouth open, and clothes drenched in blood, his dark eyes wide and lifeless._

 _Natsu._

 _I nearly choke at the sight. But as soon as I take a step away from him, my foot hits something and splashes into something warm and wet. I look down, to see dark hair, dark eyes, and pale skin revealed by the lack of clothing on his upper half._

 _Gray._

 _My heart pounds wildly, fear coursing like cold blood through my veins. More crimson pools reveal themselves as the darkness recedes, revealing locks of blue and blond, and fur of blue and white._

 _Wendy and Lucy. Happy and Carla._

 _I shake, clenching my fists to try and stop the tremors. But they don't stop. The air itself begins to shake, proof of an oncoming storm._

 _Holding up my hand, I plan to stop the storm._

 _Then I see the blood coating my fingers._

 _And I scream._

* * *

"Ciara! Ciara! Wake up!"

Someone is shaking me.

"Come on, kid, ya gotta wake up!"

Yelling right in my ear.

"It's just a nightmare!"

Everything gets hot around me as I feel him force a burst of magic power into my body. My eyes shoot open, and the light disorients me for a minute as I try to sit up. But he pushes me back down against the bed, patting my hair as he tries to calm me.

"It's alright…I'm not gonna hurt ya."

I blink my eyes a few times, each closing makes the bright lights dim a little. Enough for me to see a familiar head of ginger hair. "Gildarts…"

He smiles softly at me, if not a little strained. "Hey, kid, good to see ya."

I grumble a little as I push his hands off me and sit up. "Don't call me a kid, I'm seventeen…" Well, and almost a half, but who cares about that.

Gildarts chuckles slightly, before becoming serious again. "What was that nightmare about?"

I glare sharply at him. "None of your business."

Gildarts sighs. "Listen, I know that the past few months have been rough for you but-"

"Rough for me?" _Like he knows anything about what's been going on._ "You weren't here. You have no idea what happened to us." To me. "So don't act like you do." I know that it's the fleeting remnants of the nightmare that are making me act this way, but I don't care. I need to blow off some of this steam, or I'm going to explode.

"That's true…I haven't been around much, have I?" Gildarts pats my head again, slowly. "That's why I was waiting to bring this up. I didn't want to remind you of it if you weren't ready to talk about it. But I guess that the nightmares mean that you can't forget."

I lean away from him, staring determinedly away. "What are you talking about?"

He doesn't say a word, just pulls at my clothing, shifting my sleeves aside. And at first, I don't really pay attention to his antics. Then I realize exactly what he's pulling at. What his goal is.

Yanking my arm away from him, my wristband slips off, baring my wrist, which I promptly hide. "What are you doing!?"

He squishes the wristband in his fist and his eyes drop to where my right hand is covering my bare left wrist. "Master told me what happened after your run in with the Oracion Seis and Nirvana." He looks sad and disappointed. Disappointed in me.

Not that I care. "So you thought that you'd try and talk to me about it?" I scoff and roll my eyes. "Great plan."

He continues to sit there, his voice quiet. "Does anyone else know about the nightmares?"

"No. And they're not going to." The last thing I need is someone fussing over something I can't control.

That's not what he wanted to hear. "Hey, Fairy Tail is family. You're allowed to rely on them for help if you need it. Somehow, some way, we're all here for you."

If Gramps really told him everything, then he should know full well why I can't rely on anyone for help. "I can't risk putting them in danger. All it takes is one wrong word, and I could snap."

"But you haven't, right?" Gildarts shuffles closer to me, towering over me, even though he's only sitting. "That kind of fear…is the fear of losing control. So to fight it, you have to train in control. Learn to control your emotions, but not suppress them, controlling them when feel them, and when you express them. If you can keep your negative emotions in check, and learn to harness them at the right moments, then you'll be able to release them without them overwhelming you."

"Release them without them overwhelming me?" It seems to be a rather foreign concept to me. If I could control my abilities perfectly, there would be no need for my ribbons.

"Yeah, like Natsu does." Gildarts grins at me. "After all, he's always releasing that pent up energy of his. Gives the guild hall a good workout too." He chuckles happily, as though lost in nostalgia.

 _So…the brawls…?_ It's true that Natsu uses up a lot of energy whenever he picks a fight inside the guild, something that I try to avoid doing at all costs. "So…what? You think I should start off my days by crashing into the guild hall and challenging everyone in sight?"

He shakes his head. "Nah, that's not your style. But it could do you some good to let down your hair once in a while." He eyes my ponytails briefly. "Uh…metaphorically speaking, of course. I don't think Master would approve of you putting another hole in the front wall."

I shoot him a deadpan stare. "Hello Pot, my name is Kettle."

Gildarts bursts out laughing now. "Alright, alright, you got me…" Then he takes my left hand, his thumb tracing the scar on my wrist. "Just make me a promise that you won't try something like this again. I know a lot of people who would be very sad if anything happened to you."

 _A sobering request…_ I take a deep breath, my own eyes tracing the now faintly visible line. "Okay. I promise." It' not a huge deal, since Hibiki basically demanded the same thing of me.

"And try to curb that death wish of yours."

I snap my eyes to his and frown. "What?"

He frowns disapprovingly. "I realize that you feel the need to protect Natsu and Wendy, but harassing a mad scientist into torturing you is not the best way to go about it."

My cheeks flush slightly. "So they told you?"

"Yeah, Natsu did." Gildarts rubs my back soothingly. "Remember, it's a big brother's job to protect his little sister. Seeing you protecting him like that, getting hurt for his sake, really scared Natsu."

I scoff and roll my eyes. "I'm hardly a delicate little princess who needs protecting from the big bad dragon." Those fairy tales never really applied to me anyway. After all, I'm the daughter of a dragon, not a princess locked in a tower.

That elicits another laugh from Gildarts. "True. You and Natsu aren't exactly the most normal siblings, are ya?" He boops my nose with his metal index finger. "Just don't scare him like that anymore, I don't wanna see him looking that spooked ever again."

"Okay…" I can try not to scare him, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to stop protecting him.

"Anyway," Gildarts stands up and grabs my arm, pulling me out of bed. "Mira and Erza want you up on deck. Something about it being too hot outside and wanting a cool breeze."

I'm ashamed to say that I'd completely forgotten about the drastic change in weather as we head south. Back in Magnolia, it's just started snowing. But this far south, in the waters past Hargeon, the sun is shining down mercilessly, and the lack of wind in this area makes for very hot weather, as well as slow sailing.

So I follow Gildarts up onto the main deck, and immediately run into an immense wave of heat. Of course, having trained with Natsu before, heat is not something that I'm unfamiliar with. And to be fair, this kind of heat is nothing compared to when he starts breathing fire.

Mira spots me, and bounds over, pretending to be unaffected by the heat, even though she's sweating bullets. "Ciara! It's good to see you up!" Then she spots my hair. "Oh my! Your nap must have been an energetic one, your hair is all messy!"

"Really?" I raise my hand to my head and ruffle my hair. And she's right, it's starting to come out of the ponytails. "Huh, you're right."

But just as I reach for my ribbons, Mira smacks my hands away. "I'll do it!"

I've never been entirely sure why, but ever since we were kids, Mira has had this fascination with playing with my hair. Way back when, it was one of the few times when she would act girly. The two of us would sneak into a corner, and she would braid my ponytails for me, even though I never let her take the ribbons out. Of course, it's impossible to keep my ribbons in constantly, after all, they need adjustment. But I always do that myself, since I'd rather not have an accident.

Just as I open my mouth to protest, I catch Gildarts' eye, and he smiles at me. Recalling our conversation earlier, I lower my hands and breathe. _Control…just retain control…_

Staying calm, I allow Mira to take the first of my ribbons out of my hair, straightening it out around her neck. Then, she goes for the other one. But as soon as it's out of my hair, my stomach lurches and I hit the deck.

All of a sudden, it feels like the boat is swaying. "Ugh…hey guys? Did the wind pick up…or something? I don't…feel so good…" I struggle to get up, and stumble forwards as I look for something, anything that's stable.

Eventually, I find the railing of the boat, and I fight down the sudden urge to puke up everything I've eaten in the last month. I haven't hurled like this in forever, and never while feeling this dizzy and sick. I've somehow combined vertigo with food poisoning.

A hand pats my back. "Hey, kid, you okay?" I' not. The impact was hard enough that the nausea returns instantly, and what I ate this morning makes its way up, and fall back down towards the water.

I groan a little. "Leave me alone…" I have never felt this bad on a boat, ever. In fact, I would even go so far as to say that I love being on boats. It must be something that I ate. _Maybe buying food from the dock's sandwich stand was a bad idea._

Footsteps clack against the deck behind me, and Mirajane huffs quietly. "Alright, well let me get your ribbons back in. Then you can go back to sleep."

"Okay…" I groan a little more, my stomach doing a full gymnastics routine without my consent. "Ugh…why did I have to get sick now…? The S-Class exam is next week…"

Mirajane brushes her fingers through my hair. "Well, I'm sure that we'll have enough time to get you back up to full strength!" Twirling my hair up on the right side, she ties the ribbon back into my hair and loops my hair around the base of the ponytail before tying it in a nice little bow.

While she busies herself with the second ponytail, a few things occur to me. The first is that we're not swaying as much as I thought we were. The second is that it's starting to cool down a little. And the third is that I'm not feeling so sick anymore. "What the hell?"

Erza walks over, clad in a skimpy bikini and fanning herself. "My, it seems that you've recovered quickly. Perhaps you have a greater constitution than you give yourself credit for."

"Really…?" But just a few seconds ago, I felt like I was going to die. "I mean, I don't feel sick now…but it's weird. It almost felt like-" I freeze in my tracks. "Motion sickness…?"

As Mira finishes tying up my second ponytail, she looks around at me curiously. "Motion sickness? But I thought that you didn't get sick like Natsu."

"Hm…" Erza stares at me, her eyes flicking over me as she scrutinizes me. "Your sickness started only a minute ago, yes? And then it stopped just now, correct?" I nod a yes to both, and she draws back a little. "Did your sickness begin before or after Mira took out both of your ribbons?"

"It-" My answer dies in my throat. _My ribbons?_ I reach up to touch them, sliding my fingers across the soft fabric. "It started after Mira took out the second one. And it stopped as soon as she put one of them back in."

"If that is the case, then what is causing your ribbons to negate the effects of motion sickness?" Erza frowns a little, working through the problem in her head.

It's not really a secret, so much as something that we just don't really talk about at the guild. But I don't hide the fact that my ribbons seal up my magic. Laxus knew, before he left the guild, Gramps knows, Natsu knows, Macao and Wakaba know, my brother's team knows, and the three Strauss siblings know.

It's the details about what Igneel said that they don't know about. "Uh…well, before Igneel…disappeared, he told me never to take my ribbons out. He said that they would protect both me and the people around me. He was talking about them sealing up my magic so that it doesn't leak out."

Erza nods. "And that seal is also one of the reason why you do not fall ill as often as you used to." I nod quietly in response. "Could they perhaps also serve as a way to deter motion sickness?"

I have honestly never considered the possibility before today. Then again, I've only taken them out a handful of times. And never while riding a vehicle, as Nirvana was nothing more than a city, that happened to move over long distances. Therefore, not a vehicle. Not that Natsu could make that distinction.

There's a sinking feeling in my stomach that I just can't shake. But this time, I know it's not the motion sickness. If Erza is right about this, then it means that I can never take my ribbons off while riding a vehicle, otherwise I will end up being just as useless as Natsu tipped half out a window. Because I've got the same stupid weakness as my big weakness that turns him into a complete and utter wimp at the most crucial moments.

Motion sickness.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I turn towards the bow, and raise my arms just above my shoulders. Following my silent command, the wind picks up, cooling the air around the boat, as well as catching in the sails and pushing us faster towards our destination. I mean, it would be silly of me to just forget about the whole reason that Gildarts dragged me up here in the first place.

That finished, I turn to the three of them, blushing furiously at the earlier revelation. "You will never repeat what has happened here to anyone. Understood?" The last thing I need is anyone else in the guild knowing that I get pukey and sick on vehicles like Natsu does. And I certainly don't need him knowing about it. Not after all of the times I've teased him about getting sick on the train.

 _Talk about the pot calling the kettle black…_

All three of them, suppressing laughter but still smiling, nod. But it's hardly reassuring, considering the circumstances. I'd always thought that Natsu was the only one of us who got motion sickness.

It seems I was wrong.

* * *

 **First up, an explanation of the mechanics behind why Ciara's ribbons prevent her motion sickness. (Oh, I've been so stoked to get to this chapter, to actually get to explaining why she always seemed immune to it.) Okay, so remember that Wendy and Gajeel didn't start developing motion sickness until their magic developed more. So, the premise behind Ciara's supposed immunity to motion sickness is that her magic sealing ribbons seal off enough of her magic that it reduces her to a pre-GMG Gajeel or pre-Alvarez Wendy level of magic power. Add to that the fact that they're meant to protect her from illness (albeit with limited power), and you've got one effect compounded with another (the illness "prevention" and the magic sealing properties). Together, those two effects are what have been preventing her motion sickness from the get go. Also, on Nirvana, she was floating above the surface of the tower for the most part, so even then, had she considered Nirvana a proper vehicle, she would have been fine, as her feet were not touching the city (because wind magic).**

 **Okay, so I've been getting some questions about where I'm going after this arc. The answer to that is that I'm planning to skip over most of the Key of the Starry Sky arc, to send Ciara on a job for one of her old clients. During which, I plan to have her meet yet another Sabertooth member. The meeting will be cordial, as he will not recognize her, having never seen her before (plus, she never liked posing for pictures or interviews for Sorcerer Weekly). But I feel like when I get to the Grand Magic Games arc, I really want like half the Sabertooth team to be thinking something along the lines of "oh shit, I know her".**

 **And spoiler for the GMG arc, Ciara will be taking Wendy/Elfman's place on the team, whereas Wendy will be on reserve, letting her fight in Erza's place on the third day (after Pandemonium) when she fights Chelia.**


	86. The Fairy

**Sorry for taking so long to update, I got sick and felt uninspired. Then a friend kept me rather occupied for a couple of days. But I'm feeling better now, so I'll try to update a bit faster.**

 **Time for some fun girl talk! Meaning…Mira and Erza harass Ciara a little over some gossip that Mira heard. But this is really just part of putting the whole Hibiki issue to rest (you know, along with the seven yer skip that's going to be happening in half a dozen chapters).**

 **But there will be none of Mira's squealing about babies (mostly because it's this arc in which she does start actively imagining people's babies, namely Elfman and Evergreen's). So no baby drama.** **Yet.**

 **Also, a new, yet familiar face appears to hang out with Ciara.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

After a few days of setting up our base camp, a place for the failing participants to go after being weeded out of the exam, the four of us finally have a chance to relax. To Gildarts, fishing is what constitutes relaxing, and he disappears as soon as there's nothing more to do. Effectively abandoning me to the company of Mira and Erza, who are all too happy to stick their noses where they don't belong.

And that means ambushing me right when I'm trying to finish eating my lunch. Mira's smile is what tips me off to their mischief first, even though she should know very well to never interrupt a dragon slayer while they're eating. "So, what's this I hear about you and a certain Blue Pegasus playboy?"

I groan and close my eyes. "Not you too...Lisanna must have told you…" This is a topic that I should have seen coming a mile away. It is Mira, after all. Fairy Tail's resident matchmaker, whether people want her interference or not. And I really, really don't...

Mira squeals. "You two would look so cute together! I want all the juicy details!" _Of course she does…she wouldn't be Mira if she didn't._

"There's nothing going on!" I throw my hands up, already frustrated. It's funny how Mira can manage to frustrate me with only a few words. Well, and the interruption of my lunch. "There's nothing cute or juicy about any of it. So don't ask."

"Ask about what, exactly?" _Great…Erza is the last thing I need right now._ Her brown eyes bore into me, obviously expecting answers. And when the Queen of the Fairies wants something, she won't stop until she gets it.

I cross my arms and huff irritably. "There's nothing going on between me and Hibiki. We went on one date, sort of, and that's it. And it was celebratory, nothing more." I purposely leave out the part where I sang to him, since Mira and Erza are both well aware that I only ever sing with Natsu, and that's when almost no one is looking. I save my singing for very special people, and very special occasions.

And of course, Mira still squeals. "Has he called you!? He definitely called you. Right!?"

 _Did she have to ask that question…?_ But I'm well aware that if I tell her no, she'll either know I'm lying, or she'll just press me until I say yes. So I might as well be straight about it. "Yeah…about a week and a half ago. He said that he was checking up on me."

A grin tells me that that was precisely the wrong thing to say, because now, Erza looks quite interested in my non-existent love life. "So…Hibiki Lates is your type?" Actually, she's wrong, he's not my type. The date with him kinda just happened. And by happened, I mean that he set it up, and I didn't protest, because I wanted to get outside for the first time in weeks.

"Why are we talking about this!? I already told you that there's nothing going on between me and Hibiki! The call was just so that he could make sure that I was doing alright. I did spend like a month at Blue Pegasus. Think of it like a doctor calling his patient as a follow-up. There's nothing else there!" And there never will be, because the idiot is way too flirty and flighty for me. Though…if he were to settle down somewhat…after all, he's gotten serious before, though all our lives were in danger at the time. But that's still a pretty big if.

"If you say so…" Mira just keeps on smiling, like she doesn't really believe me. "But he did kiss you on your date, right?" _Of course she would jump to that conclusion. Lisanna probably exaggerated what I told her just to get her sister interested. Thanks..._

Instead of me turning red in the face, it's Erza who ends up with a face to match her hair. "K-kiss!? He kissed you!?" Like usual, when it comes to intimate gestures, she acts like a little schoolgirl who's never kissed a boy. _Actually, she probably hasn't kissed a boy. She's usually too busy beating them up._

I roll my eyes and shake my head. "No, he didn't. Well, except for one on the hand, but that's it. So quit making such a big deal out of it. He was just trying to be charming." I get to my feet and brush some of the dirt off my jeans. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should probably head over to my position. They'll be here in a little while…"

That sobers up the atmosphere pretty quickly. Mirajane packs up lunch and smiles brightly. "Then I suppose that we had better get ready to greet everyone." She says that like she's the hostess at a party, instead of a demon about to kick someone out of the competition.

Erza, on the other hand, appears to be quite pleased about the impending challenge. "I wonder who will pick my route."

I stifle a laugh. "Well, knowing my brother, I'm sure that he won't be too disappointed if he's the one who ends up fighting you. Though I don't expect any of the others to try to run into you." _But if Natsu runs into Erza, I'm not entirely sure if the island will survive._

That earns me a smile from Erza. "Well, I'll see to it that only the best have the chance to make it to you."

I nod silently, taking a piece of paper from my pocket, a letter from Gramps that includes a map. "All of my instructions are here, so I'll be heading out." I grin at the both of them, forgiving them for their earlier nosy antics. "Let's show this year's nominees what it means to be S-Class."

* * *

I weave my way away from our base camp, located in the forest that surrounds the giant tree that makes up most of the island. Ever since we landed, I've felt this place humming with magical power. Even the air is vibrating with it. And all of it makes me feel alive and powerful.

My first stop is the beach, where we have a smoke signal set up. According to the letter Gramps left for me, the island itself can't be seen until you're within a certain distance of it, which means that the smoke signal won't be seen either. It must be some sort of natural concealment magic. It's rare, but spells like that do come into being every once in a while.

The box for the smoke signal is already stuffed with a bunch of green, leafy branches, which should smoke and smolder for hours. Erza and I spent hours stuffing that box on our first day here. And luckily for me, I left the flint here.

Picking up the two stones, I strike them together, quickly lighting a small fire in the bottom of the box. I jump back, covering my nose with my sleeve. _Ugh…that smoke is…pungent. Did we accidentally mix some sea creatures into it or something? Or did a family of mice crawl in there and die?_

Dropping the flint, I turn to look at the eight tunnels that ring the area. _So…the contestants are going to be going into these…but I need…_ I look around at the lettered tunnels. _That one._ Tunnel E, it fits the description of the one that has an extra, secret tunnel branching off it, that leads straight to the grave of the first guild master, Mavis Vermillion.

Then, a large hand comes down on my shoulder, and I look up to see a familiar face. "Hey Gildarts. You here to pick a tunnel?"

"Yep." He glances over each of them quickly. "I was thinking tunnel E. Where are you headed?"

I stifle a laugh. "I'm headed in there as well. Gramps wants me to head through the tunnel network and hang out at the First Master's grave."

"Oh?" He raises an eyebrow as the two of us start waling into the tunnel. "And what exactly has he got you going in there for?"

I hold up the folded letter and hand it to him. "See for yourself. Gramps has decided to be pretty sadistic this year."

"Lemme see…" He opens up the letter, scanning over it carefully. "Well, I'll be…" He starts laughing as he folds it back up. "Looks like they've got their work cut out for them! Ending this whole thing with a simulation of an S-Class mission like that!? That's just cruel!"

"Oh, I know." I chuckle darkly. "And I plan to make them work for it.

Once deep inside the tunnel, in a cavern full of spirit flies, Gildarts stops. "Alright, I've gotta wait here for one of the competitors. Good luck on your end."

"Yeah." I smile and look around to see an unmarked tunnel, illuminated by the tiny creatures. "Guess that's my stop." I hold out my fist to Gildarts. "Try not to kill anyone, alright?"

He chuckles and bumps his fist against mine. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

With a grin plastered all over my face, I leave Gildarts behind and head into the next tunnel, traveling upwards towards my destination. A minute later, I see light at the end of the tunnel. _Guess I'm almost there._

I walk towards the light, and the darkness of the tunnel falls away, revealing an area open to the sky. And resting there, in an alcove on the other side, is a stone grave marker. The grave of the first master of Fairy Tail. Mavis Vermillion.

 _So…this is where she's buried…?_ Something feels kind of wrong about this place. But it's mostly in the smell. _It doesn't smell like a graveyard here. And the ground hasn't been disturbed…_ If there was actually a body here, then I would be able to catch a faint scent of decay, at least. And the ground would have been disturbed, still bearing traces of it, even if it had been left alone for a long time.

 _But…it could be that the reason there's no body here…is because there was nothing left to bury. After all, they did live in a time of war. Maybe…something went wrong. Maybe there's nothing left of her to mourn… All of this might just be honorary._

A footstep as soft as a spring breeze appears from nowhere, with a bright cheerful voice to accompany it. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, if I were you."

I spin around, only to come face to face with a girl of about thirteen, with blond hair that nearly sweeps the ground, and bright green eyes full of playful laughter. "Who-"

"She smiles softly at me. "My name is Mavis Vermillion."

"What…but that's…" I sniff the air, looking for any trace of her scent. But there is none. "You're…not alive, are you?" I can feel her presence, quite strongly, actually. But there's no scent in the air, nothing to prove to my nose that my eyes and ears are telling me the truth. Not to mention that she looks like a child. I was not expecting the first master of our guild to be a kid.

She shakes her head slightly. "No. But I'm still here, aren't I?" She points to the emblem on my left shoulder. "That's why you can see me."

I sweatdrop a little. "So…I'm being haunted by the spirit of our first master…great."

She giggles, her tiny body shaking from her laughter. "Well, I'm probably the nicest ghost you'll ever meet."

"I guess." I shrug a bit. "I mean, I doubt that Fairy Tail could ever have a mean master. Even when he's angry, Gramps isn't all that bad."

"Gramps?" She comes a little closer, the tiny wings in her hair twitching again. "Who is 'Gramps'?"

It occurs to me that since she's dead, she probably doesn't know who the current master of Fairy Tail is. "Gramps is the master of Fairy Tail. Makarov Dreyar. A lot of the members my age call him Gramps, because he's an old grandpa that we've known ever since we were little." Though that in itself is not a pleasant story. "A lot of us came to the guild young, so the name kinda just stuck."

"Makarov Dreyar…" She sounds like she recognizes the name. "I remember him, his father was…a very good friend of mine."

"Oh." That explains why she recognizes the name. "Well, he's been the master of Fairy Tail since long before me and my brother arrived there. He's probably been in charge of that place for forty years!"

That makes her smile brightly. "So, what's Fairy Tail like nowadays?"

Her question makes me cringe a little. "Rambunctious, boisterous, destructive. The members are always getting into fights and tearing up the guild hall. And it's always for the stupidest reasons. Spilling food, tipping over a drink, bad information, or just because they're bored. I try to stop as many of them as I can, but I'm usually out of town a lot. Most of the brawls I break up are when I get back from a job. My brother is the worst of the lot, he's always starting a fight in the guild." But the memory of some of those fights makes me smile. "But…I guess that it's a good way for them to burn off all that energy. They seem to enjoy their bar fights and brawls."

"I see!" She claps her hands excitedly. "So are these fights fun!?"

I scoff slightly. "Not for me, I save my fighting for when I'm out on a job. But the others seem to like them, so there's only so much I can do to stop them from ripping the guild hall in half." I sweatdrop again. "Though it's already been totaled once. The whole thing had to be rebuilt. Then they went overboard and made it twice as big as it used to be."

She giggles again, her eyes sparkling even brighter. "It sounds like Fairy Tail has become everything I wished it would be."

"Yeah…if everything you wished for was bar fights and parties." I roll my eyes and sigh. "But…it's a place that we can call home. Which is good, because otherwise, there's a lot of us who wouldn't have a home."

She stares at me a little longer, and I could swear that she's analyzing me. She may look young, but there's no mistaking those calculating eyes. While before, she was laughing, she is looking at me now like she wants to see into the depths of my soul. It's a little unnerving, but also, comforting, in a way. She just exudes this bright, positive energy that I thought only Natsu could. And somehow, she puts even Natsu's energy to shame.

A moment later, she smiles again, tilting her head in a way that makes her look even more fairy-like. "I hope I see you again soon." She skips around me, settling herself on top of the gravestone. "What's your name?"

I blink twice, then relax a little. "Ciara Dragneel. I'm an S-Class member of Fairy Tail, here as an examiner for the S-Class exam."

Hearing that makes her eyes glitter even more. "Well then, good luck. I hope that the exam goes well today."

"You and me, both." I smile back at her, watching as an ethereal glow permeates the entire area. Then, a number of familiar smells waft their way towards me on the breeze, eliciting a smile. They're here… I sit myself down and lean against the gravestone. "Well, then, with the blessing of Mavis Vermillion, Fairy Tail's First Master, let the games begin."

Mavis' clear laughter is the music to which the first of the wizards begin their journey to S-Class.

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

 _It's totally not fair that Freed pulled that kind of stunt with his enchantment. And then Levy and Evergreen went and left the rest of us trapped in the barrier while they got out. It's so not fair!_

Happy and I approach the shore, and the air is thick with magic power. This is definitely the right place. So Happy drops me right next to the smoke signal.

Happy starts sweating nervously. "Do you feel that, Natsu? There's so much magic energy here, it's kind of freaking me out."

"Yeah." I can almost taste the power being carried along by the wind. But that's Ciara's thing, so I'm not gonna butt in on her territory. Speaking of Ciara, I can smell her around here. It's not too faint yet, which means that she was here recently. Then, I spot the flint on the ground. _She's probably the one who lit the fire…_ But that's just good news for me. "Okay, let's go!" The two of us charge towards the tunnels ahead of us, just like Gramps said.

The problem is, half of them are already blocked off. I groan a little at the sight. "Man, we're way behind!"

"Half of the routes have already been taken!" Happy floats ahead, looking at each of the four free paths. "Well, which one should we pick? You choose."

"Hmm…" I look around at the four remaining routes. C,D, E, and G. From what I can tell, Ciara's smell gets stronger towards Route E. But back at the guild, she said that we'd have to fight past Erza, Mira, and Gildarts in order to get to her. So either she's in that tunnel, or one of the others is because her scent rubbed off on them. Plus, it's the letter E. And I know one wizard whose name starts with an E. "That one! If we take route E, I bet we'll have to fight Erza!"

Happy shivers. "That's definitely not the path I would choose."

"I finally get to fight her mano a mano!" I run towards the tunnel, not willing to let anybody else grab this route. "I'm coming for ya, Erza!" And worst case scenario, I might just end up fighting my sister instead.

"Ugh…have you thought about what you're gonna do if she's not on this path?" Happy follows close behind me as I run into the darkness.

"Yep!" I grin widely. "Ciara's smell is also down here. So if it's not Erza, then I bet that Ciara is the one down here."

Happy pales. "That's even worse! You know that Ciara wants to kick your butt! She's the last person I wanna run into down here! She'll annihilate us!"

"Oh, don't worry, it's probably just because Erza smells like Ciara right now." I reason it out with my nose. "Those two are best buddies, so Erza always smells a bit like her!"

Happy groans. "Great…two monsters…like that makes it any better."

"Oh, come on, it'll be fine!" I laugh eagerly as I sprint down the tunnel, dodging rocks every other step. "What's the worst that could happen!?"

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

 _He's here…_ Natsu must have followed my scent, because he races past the concealed tunnel, protected by my barrier, and heads straight into the open chamber.

Straight to Gildarts.

I smile at my fairy-like companion. "It seems that the trial is underway. And Natsu is here…he's just run into Gildarts." An explosion rocks the tunnel, and I shake my head. "Sound like he's already getting to work taking on Gildarts. This should be interesting. I just hope that he doesn't make this whole place cave in."

"I agree. I can't wait to see who passes the trial and makes it to S-Class." Mavis smiles at me, her little fairy wing hair pieces twitching.

A few explosions later, everything goes quiet again. And that seems strange to me. "It can't be over already…Gildarts is supposed to be holding back, and there's no way that Natsu would-"

 _Fight me!_

 _Help me!_

 _Screw you!_

 _I'm gonna win!_

 _Let's attack!_

 _Hit him all at once!_

 _S-Class is mine!_

 _Gildarts is going down!_

It's like there's a million tiny Natsu voices in my head, and all of them are talking at once. It's a cacophony of annoying comments and challenges. I try to blink away the thoughts, but end up frowning. "What the heck…?"

Disassembly Magic.

 _He didn't…_ I try to focus on Natsu's mind, only to find it in a million mostly coherent, but very angry pieces. _Oh gods, he did…_ "Gildarts disassembled Natsu…now there's a million tiny Natsu." _This is not what I signed up for…I'm so not dealing with this…_

"Is that so?" Mavis seems way more amused by this than I am. "How interesting. I wonder what he'll do now."

"I don't think I want to know…"

Eventually, the voices quiet down. Even while blocking them out, I could still hear them needling at the back of my mind. But the newfound silence is a prelude to yet another large explosion.

But that's far from the end of it.

The ground starts to rumble, and air shakes, and a very familiar magic power begins to grow stronger. But it's not Natsu's. No, this power belongs to none other than Gildarts. He's got as much power as Gramps does. Mavis's eyes widen a little. "That's quite a lot of magic power." She's right, but it's Gildarts, after all.

I can sense Natsu's fear, though I have none of my own right now. Even being this close to Gildarts' crushing magic power, I don't feel fear. At least, not mine. Then again, I'm not the one facing Gildarts, that would certainly change things, though I'm not sure by how much. And there's the issue around the fact that I've lost much of my fear for my own life already. I might freak out a little if I were right in front of him, but I'm not, so it's all just speculation.

The magic soon dies down again, relieving most of the pressure in the air. And Mavis kicks her legs out, acting like a total kid. "So, it feels like the battle is over. How do you think your brother did?"

I glance towards the sealed tunnel and shrug. "Gildarts is probably gonna pass him either way. Judging by those explosion earlier, Natsu must have fought pretty hard. There's no way he can beat Gildarts, at least, not right now. And Gildarts knows that. So it'll be up to his judgment to decide whether or not Natsu goes on to the next round. And knowing him, he'll let Natsu go on as long as he tried his best." Right now, the point isn't so much to win against the S-Class, as it is for the competitors to prove that they're ready to join us.

"That's good." She giggles a little. "The first trial should be ending soon, right? Then, they'll be coming to look for you."

"Yep." Now that I can sense Natsu making his way further down the tunnel, it should be safe for me to go ahead and bring down the barrier. "That's Gramp's second challenge for them. They have to come and find this place. Once they do, it's my job to present them with the third trial."

"Then I'll leave you to it!" She hops off the top of the gravestone and skips towards the middle of the room. "In the meantime, I'll go and see how the others are doing."

"Alright." I wave goodbye to her as she smiles at me, before popping out of existence. The glow she leaves behind once again fills the room, before dying down and leaving me alone in the silence.

This first stage was to weed out those who couldn't make it further, and to thin the crowd before the third stage. The second stage will entail finding their way to me. And once the time limit is up, whatever it might be, the third exam will begin.

And I'm more than ready to play my part.

* * *

 **Right, there's a question that I've been meaning to ask, and I'll officially ask it when I get to that part in the story. Its because I want to see your reactions to the…interactions that go on between Ciara, Sting, and Rogue when the three of them meet up in Crocus (really, when the two brats decide that it's a good idea to track her down and ambush her, looking for answers). But I'm not entirely sure how close to make Sting get to her later. He's almost literally a second Natsu (plus, I do kinda ship Stiyu). Plus, Ciara would be more inclined to just scare the shit out of him if possible.**

 **So…thoughts?**


	87. The Black Wizard

**Hello everyone, I'm sorry that it's been so long since my last update.**

 **It's been forever since I last worked on this fic. And apart from getting sidetracked by my Naruto fics, I blame my laptop for breaking down back in August. I finally got it back last week, and have been busy downloading stuff back onto it, including my collection of Fairy Tail episodes (which have now all been successfully downloaded). Yay! And of course, Scrivener, where all of my fanfiction notes are. But, in honor of my first anniversary on fanfiction, I've been working extra hard the last couple of days to prep as many chapters for as many stories as I can.**

 **Also, I seem to remember someone saying that Ciara's gestures in the Tower of Heaven were reminiscent of Zeref. Well, it's time for the black wizard to make an appearance, and for him to come face to face with the ones he's missed the most.**

 **And I've also realized, looking at my notes, that after the Tenrou arc is over, and I put in a few little filler chapters, the GMG arc is going to be massive. Like twenty chapters minimum to cover both the GMG and the dragon attack. And then there's the extra chapters needed for switching between what's going on at Sabertooth, vs. What's going on at Fairy Tail. I've also gotten some interesting feedback regarding her future interactions with Sting and Rogue. Thank you for that.**

 **Still need to figure out what kind of job to send Ciara on while the Key of the Starry Sky arc is going on. I want her to run into…Rufus. Ideas? Because I really want it to be an interesting meeting. The more unwitting history that she has with Sabertooth, the better it'll be later. And by better, I mean more entertaining.**

* * *

As I sit by the grave, I smell someone coming. Although honestly, I wish I didn't. I may love him like there's no tomorrow, but that doesn't stop Gramps from smelling like old man and alcohol. Or wearing a gaudy flower print shirt, apparently. His fashion choices definitely leave something to be desired. _Maybe I should take that up with Mira when we get back to the guild. She might be able to figure something out._

Gramps eyes me with a slight smile. "So, have you made yourself comfortable?" He says that like he's not the one who dragged me into this in the first place.

I nod. "Yeah, now it's just a waiting game." I chuckle slightly at the thought of the game ahead of me. "So, who made it past the first round, and how did the others lose?"

He snaps open a fan and olds it close to his face. "I assume that you know that Gildarts passed Natsu." I nod again, so he continues. "Bixlow and Freed lost in combat to Cana and Lucy. Juvia and Lisanna were stopped in their tracks by Erza. Mest and Wendy met Gray and Loke in battle, and it did not turn out in their favor. And Mirajane was unable to stop Elfman and Evergreen from moving on, while Levy and Gajeel were able to choose the quiet route."

"I see…" Some of that is rather surprising, especially Elfman and Evergreen beating Mira. But Freed and Bixlow should't have lost to Lucy and Cana, since Loke's contract with Lucy is obviously on hold for now. He's her most powerful combat spirit, the last time I checked. "So…Natsu, Gray, Cana, Elfman, and Levy. Those five are the ones trying to find their way here to the grave, and to me?"

Gramps smiles, fanning himself a bit. "That's correct. And once the six hours I gave them are up, the third part of the exam will begin."

Chuckling slightly, I lean back against the gravestone. "You know, you're a sadistic old man…to think that you would make chasing me down the last of the challenges. I hope that you realize how impossible it's going to be for any of them to catch me."

"Well, I thought that it might be good for them. After all, if they're going to be taking on S-Class jobs, then they should experience what it will take to complete one." He says it like it's something they should find easy.

That is most certainly not the case. "Well, I know that I can catch an S-Class level criminal if I try. But pitting them against me is just cruel. My magic makes it too easy to get away. How exactly do you expect them to catch me?" I understand that the entire point of the challenge is for it to be difficult. But if he's trying to make them do something that none of them have the ability to do, then it's not so much a challenge as it is torture.

Gramps grins at me. "Don't underestimate their determination. You might be surprised at the creative solutions they might use to complete the challenge."

"True…" I definitely wouldn't out it past Natsu to use Happy's flying abilities to the fullest. He knows my style best, so no matter what I do, he would instinctively have a solution. However, having a solution doesn't guarantee that he would execute it properly. And the reverse is also true. I know him better than anyone else as well. "Might wanna put a time limit on that, though. If it comes down to me and Natsu, it could go on forever."

"Hm…perhaps you're right." Gramps frowns a little, like he usually does when he's thinking up a solution.

But while he goes about thinking, there's a strange tingling feeling that shoots down my spine. What was that…? I look around, my eyes flicking all over, my nose trying to pick up on any strange scents, and all of my other senses stretching out in all directions, trying to find the source of the chill.

Then, I find it. "Gramps, sit tight. I need to go check something out."

"Hm?" He eyes me warily. "Is it serious?"

"I don't know yet." My fists clench tightly. "But I'm going to find out. I'll be back soon. And if I'm not, then sound the alarm. Because there's magic out there that I don't recognize."

He nods. "Very well. But be careful, my dear. Don't strain yourself." _Last I checked, you're the one who nearly keeled over before the Fantasia parade from all the stress…_

"I'll be fine." I look straight up, where there's a much quicker exit from this place. "It should only take me a few minutes to check this out." Crouching a little, I get into a comfortable jumping position, before shooting straight up into the sky fast enough to avoid being detected by any of the competitors. After all, I don't want to go and give away the location that they're supposed to be trying to find on their own.

Once I'm high in the air, I take a look around, trying to visually note any disturbances that could account for the strange energy I saw. And while I can't pinpoint a location through sight, or through smell, as there are several new smells here that would take too long to investigate individually, I can sense the direction that the energy is coming from.

As I approach the source of the energy, my instincts start screaming at me. Whatever it is that I'm heading towards is unknown and dangerous. And according to the way that my instincts are burning at me to turn around, this force is also quite likely to be lethal.

But, turning around is not an option. I'm one of the examiners, which infers a certain amount of responsibility unto me to watch out of the lives of those taking the exam. So, since none of the others seemed to have picked up on this dangerous energy, it falls to me to investigate it. I pick up speed for a moment, zooming towards the source of the magic and covering most of the distance in only a few more second. But, about a hundred meters from it, I slow my pace down to a trickle, and descend into a more cautious approach.

Down on the ground , I spot an unfamiliar figure, right at the heart of the wave of strange, dangerous magic. _Well, I suppose that I don't need to ask who the intruder is…_ My guard up and fortified, I make my way to the ground, my eyes focused on the intruder, but also paying some attention to the landscape, in case this person tries to get the jump on me with an attack from behind.

Touching down about twenty meters from the intruder, I take a few steps forward, only for my eyes to reveal to me a boy no older than myself. And for a minute, if it weren't for his dark, silky looking hair, and the forlorn expression on his face, I would almost wonder if it was Natsu. There's just something so familiar about him.

I take a few more steps towards him, closing the distance to only fifteen feet. And it's become clear that I now have his full and undivided attention. His eyes widen, and I could swear that he starts to tremble. "You…"

Taking up a defensive stance, I sink down a little, ready to spring into action. "Who are you, and what do you want here on our island?"

That seems to send a jolt through his system, and now he looks more shocked than anything else. "Your island? But…I wasn't aware that there was anyone living here."

That makes me rather suspicious, even though the more logical part of my brain tells me that it's actually not that surprising if he didn't know that this is Fairy Tail's sacred island, since no one actually lives here anymore. My instincts, on the other hand, are sending me some rather mixed messages. One half is arguing for putting this guy in the ground because he's a threat to everyone on the island. The other half wants me to go and give him a hug. I have no clue why.

So, with all of the different parts of my brain screaming different solutions at me for a plethora of reasons, I settle for ignoring them all and figuring out a little more about this guy before taking any definitive action. "We don't live here, but this is our territory. I will warn you now, Fairy Tail's smartest and most powerful wizards are on this island right now. So I suggest that you leave right now and let the others continue their exam in peace."

"Exam?" He looks rather perplexed. "Are you taking the exam?"

I slow down a little, confused about why he's finally decided to hold up his end of this odd conversation. "No, I'm one of the examiners. I'm the final test in the S-Class Promotion Exam."

"So…you're an S-Class wizard, then?" A small smile blooms right in the middle of his face, bringing some light to his dark eyes. "That's…good. I'm glad."

Now that made no sense at all. _He's…glad? That I'm an S-Class wizard? Why would he be glad that the one threatening him is a tier above normal wizards? Does he have a death wish?_ "Tell me, who are you?"

"I'm…a wanderer." His smile grows a little sad. "And I…have been waiting a very long time to see someone precious to me again." His dark eyes flick over me, as though taking in my appearance. "You…have grown up to be strong and beautiful…" Then, pain flickers through his eyes. "I'm sorry…"

"What?" I feel like I should recoil at the compliment from a complete stranger, and yet, I can't bring myself to. There's something about him that's so familiar, I just can't put my finger on it.

"Ciara…Dragneel…" His smile brightens once more, before vanishing entirely, replaced by an expression of utter fear. "No, you have to get away!"

"What's going on here!?" Elfman comes stomping through the bush, followed closely by Evergreen. He quickly catches sight of our intruder. "Who are you!? You're not supposed to be here!"

Evergreen props up her glasses a little. "You're trespassing. Only members of our guild are allowed here."

He suddenly looks rather apologetic. "Forgive me…I had only just learned that a few moments ago. I had no intention of trespassing."

Elfman makes to move forward, past the safety of the fifteen feet that I've marked out. "You'd better leave right now!"

"No, stay back!" The boy holds up his hand, as though trying to physically keep up at a distance. "If you value your lives, don't come any closer to me." His scent has changed slightly, and I don't like it.

A low growl emanates from Efman. "That sounds like a challenge."

"Wait." I hold Elfman back with one hand. "There's something that isn't right here. I don't know what it is, but he smells…like death."

Evergreen balks at the description. "Wait, you mean he's dead!?"

I shake my head. "No, he doesn't smell like a dead body. He just…" It's rather hard to describe. "He has the purest possible scent of death around him. I didn't even know that this was possible…until now."

The boy sighs in relief. "I don't want to fight you. I'll leave the island peacefully. Please…just don't come near me."

Evergreen frowns. "What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know, but he shouldn't be here." Elfman clenches his fists, a sign that he's ready to go on the attack.

But the look in the boy's eyes tells me one thing, he's not scared of us. He's scared of himself. He's scared of the power that he wields. It's a look I know rather well, because I've seen it before, in the mirror.

Suddenly, he clutches at his head, a look of pure fear on his face. "No, get away, hurry!" He gasps slightly. "Here it comes…the predatory death…" He groans a little louder. "I can't stop it!"

 _Sis! I'm right behind you, put up a shield, now!_ Natsu's voice echoes in my head, and without even really thinking about it, as a black wave emanates from the boy in front of me, I put up a magical shield in front of us, to hold the dark magic at bay.

Behind me, Natsu's voice roars from outside of my head. "Get down!" And out of the corner of my eye, I see him land on top of Elfman and Evergreen, pushing them down into the dying grass, but out of the way of this wave of death.

It is definitely a wave of death, because everything within it is dying. The leaves, the grass, the trees. Everything except for us. That's definitely not good. I've never seen magic like this before, so it's only pure luck that my shield managed to hold up. And as the death wave dissipates, I lower the shield, since the boy seems to have calmed down somewhat. That, and I doubt that it's an ability that he's just going to use over and over again, no matter how out of control it is.

What I don't expect, when he lowers his hands, is for him to stare at Natsu, his eyes flickering back to me, before returning once more to Natsu. "You…Natsu…" Tears start to fall from his eyes, streaming down his cheeks. "Both of you…"

I recoil a little. _Okay…the cute guy who uses death magic is crying because he looked at mine and Natsu's faces… Uh…what exactly am I supposed to do now?_ I may read a lot of books, but none of them have prepared me for a situation even remotely like this. Natsu looks just as perplexed as I feel, which isn't really helping. I was hoping that at least one of us had a clue as to what to do now.

 _Uh…sis?_

 _Yeah?_

 _Who is this guy?_

 _…I have no idea. And I hate that I don't have the answers._

 _So…what's he doing here on our guild's island?_

 _…I don't know that either._ My eye twitches slightly, since I don't have the answer to that either.

Natsu decides to go with a safer question this time. _…Do you have any idea what kind of magic that was?_

 _Death magic, I think. But from the looks of it, he couldn't control it at all._

Natsu takes a moment to ponder that. _I guess…you're speaking from experience…?_

 _Yeah…_ I take a deep breath, forcing down the unpleasant memories that the comment brings to mind.

So, with no answers, and a desperate need for them, Natsu glares and growls at the intruder. "Who are you!? You'd better answer me or else!"

However, instead of the intruder being the one to answer, Evergreen speaks up. "I'm glad you showed up when you did, Natsu."

"Me too, but can you give us a heads up next time?" Elfman groans from his rather awkward positioning in the dirt.

"Natsu, did you go to the bushes to make a stinky, or are we not going to the top?" Happy flies over towards us, and I resist the urge to let my face meet my palm at his childish guess. Though the fact that he would even ask that makes me wonder exactly what Natsu does on jobs when the two of us aren't together.

Natsu's eyes narrow slightly. "Definitely a stink here, but I'm not the one you should be blaming for it.

Happy blinks, then freaks out. "Whoa! How'd all the trees die!?"

"Not just the trees…everything's withered." Evergreen swallows nervously, and I can't blame her. I doubt that this is what she expected when she signed up as Elfman's partner.

"Everything except for us…that is." I grit my teeth and find my gaze wandering to the circle of death. _Thirty meters across…? Is that how far this destruction has spread?_ It's a rather terrifying thought, since this magic could be used to kill a lot of people. On a more positive note, that seems to be precisely what this boy is afraid of, hence his attempt to stay away from people by traveling to a mostly deserted island.

Happy's wings droop slightly. "This guy did all that damage?"

Evergreen nods. "He's no ordinary wizard."

"What's with the sissy tears?" Sometimes, I really hate how obsessed with manliness Elfman is. This guy is obviously crying because of some kind of deep-seated trauma. And also…the tears started up once me and Natsu were together. Somehow, the two of us were the trigger.

And while I would prefer to handle things delicately, Natsu has other ideas. "Look, pal, this island is off-limits to anyone who isn't part of the Fairy Tail guild. Keep your freaky death cloud outta our trial!"

The boy's expression softens a little. "You've both grown…so much." Then, he smiles a little. "I've…missed both of you. Natsu, Ciara…"

Before the boy can say anything else, Natsu leaps forward and punches him right in the face. "Tell me who you are, or I'll hit harder!"

But unlike most of the opponents my brother fights, who usually end up flying right through walls or into craters, the boy simply touches the ground with one hand, pressing against it as lightly as a fluttering flower petal, before flipping over onto his feet, and landing with barely a sound.

Natsu looses a feral growl. "You'd better tell me who you are, bub. I won't ask again!"

Instead of replying to my brother's rather insistent questioning methods, the boy just starts crying again. And somehow, I get the feeling that it has nothing to do with the fact that Natsu socked him right in the face. He's giving no indication that he's even hurt.

Then, out of nowhere, that black mist from earlier returns, the precursor to that death wave of his. Natsu's presence fills my mind in an instant. _Get Elfman and Evergreen out of here! They'll die if they stick around here much longer!_

I can hardly disagree with that assessment. They might be strong, but I doubt that they would stand a snowball's chance in hell against that death magic. So I turn away from the boy, who screams at us to run, and I snatch up Elfman and Evergreen, straining just a little as my wind magic picks us up off the ground, and we race away towards the nearby cliffs.

Dropping them at the base, I turn to see the black cloud expanding, and my brother disappears inside of it. Happy hovers just beside me, his eyes wide in horror. "Natsu!"

"He's fine!" I'm not entirely sure how he's alive, but he definitely is. "I can still feel him." If Natsu were to die, I'm positive that I would feel his absence inside of me. That ever-present other presence inside my mind would be gone, and I would know that he was no longer with us. Instead, the presence is as strong as ever.

Natsu pants a little as our intruder disappears, then he turns to me and sighs. "Well, I see what you mean by losing control. One second, he was takin' a punch, the next, he was screaming at us to run while that death cloud tries to eat us."

I nod solemnly. "Exactly. It really seems like he has no control over his magic. The only control I saw there was the fact that it stayed a sphere the whole time. And frankly, I think that has more to do with the flow and gravitation of natural energy towards itself than anything else."

"Uh…" Natsu blinks at me, then shakes his head. "Yeah, whatever."

Then, I notice something rather odd, and I approach Natsu to get a better look at it. "Natsu…your scarf…"

Happy's eyes widen. "Natsu, what happened to your scarf!? It turned black!"

Natsu gasps in shock, then looks down at the pitch black scarf now adorning his neck. He growls at the sight of Igneel's last gift to him. "He'll pay for this. Next time I see that punk, he's gettin' a fiery fist in the face!"

I walk over, and crouch down next to him. _Looks like the scarf absorbed the magic from the blast…_ "Let's see…" I hold it in my hands, and it thrums with dark energy. I pour some magic into it, trying to drive out the death magic tainting it.

Natsu frowns at my efforts. "Well? Is it working?"

After pouring several spells worth of magic into it, I let go of the scarf and shake my head. "No. Whatever this magic is, I don't have the ability to purge it from your scarf." I feel a pained frown on my face. "I'm sorry, Natsu…"

He pats my shoulder and presses his forehead to mine. "It's alright. Thanks for trying, anyway."

I feel really bad about not being able to purge the dark magic from the scarf, since it was Igneels last gift to Natsu. But on the other hand, I'm glad that it's absorbed the dark magic. If it hadn't Natsu might have really died since he was unable to outrun the blast. _Note to self…do some speed training with Natsu. He needs to be able to outrun things better._

But, with things taken care of here, and the intruder nowhere in sight, there's nothing else to be done here. Though it's strange, either he's left the island, or he's suppressing his magic somehow, because I can no longer feel him. Not only that, but his scent has disappeared as well.

 _Well…as long as we don't have to deal with him again…_

I get to my feet, pulling Natsu up with me. "I should head back to Gramps and tell him what's going on. I'd rather not interrupt the S-Class Exam, but I don't know if I'm going to have a choice. There's something weird going on here, and we're going to have to get to the bottom of it."

Happy's ears droop a little. "What do you think is gonna happen with the trial?"

Evergreen muses for a moment. "Well, with Mr. Doom and Gloom running amok in the woods, I think Ciara is right. This is going to have to be put on the back burner."

Happy nods. "You're probably right."

"There ain't no way I'm ditching the trial!" Natsu gets fired right back up at the idea of not being able to finish the exam.

Elfman follows suit. "A real man would conquer both at the same time!"

While the boys slam their heads together and argue over it, I turn to Evergreen. "I think there's more going on than we think there is. I'll go find Gramps now. Please, make sure that these two don't do anything stupid."

She sweatdrops slightly. "No promises…"

Considering that it's my brother I'm talking about, I'll take that as she'll try, but it's Natsu, and he's unpredictable at the best of times, and an impulsive idiot at the worst. I nod once, then let the wind circle around me, propelling me into the air, and off towards where Gramps is no doubt waiting for an update.

It's not long before I'm back in the small grotto where the First Master's shrine is located. And sitting there in front of the stone is Gramps. He opens his eyes as I approach, his expression stern. "So? What's going on out there?"

I frown as I recall what happened. "We have an intruder on the island. A boy about my age…black hair, dark eyes, and seems strangely familiar, though I don't know why. He also seems to know who Natsu and I are as well. That struck me as rather strange."

He hums a little, then gets to his feet. "Indeed…that is certainly strange. Is there anything else?"

My frown deepens a little. "Yeah…he seems to use death magic, but not willingly. His power was pretty out of control when Natsu and I confronted him. If you encounter him, I would exercise extreme caution."

"I see…" He clasps his hands behind his back and sighs. "Very well, I understand. Meditate here for a while, some of the brats might show up soon. I will go to investigate this matter, and I will signal you if there is an emergency."

I don't really like sitting idle, but I understand his point. "Very well, I will remain here for a little while. But as soon as I see a signal, I'll be doing whatever I see fit."

"Yes…that's fine." Gramps heads for the tunnel and waves goodbye. "Don't worry, I'm sure that everything will be back to normal soon." Then, he disappears down the tunnel, leaving me to take up the place at the base of the headstone.

I take a deep breath and close my eyes, focusing on the push and pull of the energies on this island. _Everything will be back to normal soon enough…that wizard said that he would leave the island peacefully…so there's no reason to worry. Everything is going to be fine._

Oh, how I wish that were actually true.


	88. Grimoire Heart

**Wow, sorry for being gone for so long. I really didn't mean to disappear on you all. School caught up with me, in more ways than one, and I got swamped with end of term assignments and exams (over twenty thousand words worth of history essays in less than a month!). And then I crashed really hard the whole Christmas break, and slept like a log in the middle of the day. It's gotta get pretty bad for me to sleep seven hours in the middle of the day. But, school is back in session, and my sleep schedule is back to normal after catching up on a ton of it. Despite currently being on the rather ill side. But I'm feeling like I'm on a roll today, so I'll get working on the next chapter right now.**

 **Alright, so just to let you guys know, I'm planning on having about two or three more chapters in this arc after the current chapter, after that, we'll get to the seven year skip, and then into the skipping of that terrible filler arc.**

 **I apologize to anyone who is fond of the "Key of the Starry Skies" arc, but I hate it. Edolas was forgivable (and I also made it somewhat more forgivable), KSS…was not, and I do not have the confidence that I could redeem it. That was just a sorry excuse to buy some time. The fact that it is referenced later in the manga ticks me off a bit, since it means that I can't ignore it completely, as it does constitute canon, however slightly. So, I'll be compromising. Instead of eliminating it completely, here's what I'm going to do…**

 **Ciara is going to get a letter from one of her old clients, who needs her to solve a rather tricky problem involving a curse, some fae-like spirits that like to pretend to be poltergeists, and few very old tomes, with the complication of one pompous blond member of Sabertooth who can't keep his hands off interesting books. (Guess who…)**

 **If anyone wants to weigh in on that, feel free.**

* * *

I really should have known better than to hope that everything would be calm. Foreign magical signatures start popping up on the island. _Two, three, four, five six, seven, eight, nine…ten. There are ten foreign signatures within range of the island, powerful ones… Then, smaller dots pique my interest. More…? But weaker, somehow. Grunts? Ten wizards and a few hundred grunts?_ But most of them are concentrated in a single location, somewhere just off the coast of the island.

Grunts are one thing, they can be handled easily by the collection of wizards that we have here. The stronger wizards, on the other hand, might prove to be a problem. _Great…this is just what we need in the middle of the S-Class Exam…_

Then, from a distance, I can feel a surge of dragon slayer magic. But it's not Natsu's. _Gajeel…_ Moments later, two of the moderately powerful magical signatures go out like a couple of lights. I doubt that it's a coincidence. _Looks like someone is finally getting the battles that he came here for._ Knowing Gajeel from his time in the guild, I'm sure that he's been getting bored with the lack of fighting that he's gotten since coming here. He should certainly be satisfied now. And judging by the deafening rumbling, I'd say that he most definitely is.

The most concerning part is that the two signatures were the weakest of the ten. That leaves another eight powerful wizards to deal with. Then, I make the mistake of looking to the sky, where a red emergency flare explodes in the sky. _Yeah…I thought as much…_ Since we now appear to be in crisis mode, this is no time for me to just be sitting around and waiting for the examinees to come to me.

I know that Gramps told me to wait here, but in a situation like this, I think that he'll forgive me for disobeying him. That's the nice thing about being part of the S-Class, we can get away with disobeying orders much easier than the others, since Gramps trusts our judgment for the most part. That's a privilege that I plan on making good use of today. With that, I take to the sky and charge.

Big mistake.

As I rise into the air, I can see that Gramps has beaten me to the punch, literally. He's fighting what looks like a giant airship. With the emblem of the dark guild, Grimoire Heart stamped right on the bow. And from the looks of the weapon charging up in front of him, he's about to take a hit from a Jupiter Cannon. New and improved, if the streamlines design says anything.

That brings back a few less than pleasant memories from when we were in the middle of our war with Phantom Lord. Honestly, I think I preferred our cold war over facing down that cannon. Fortunately, Gramps knows very well how to handle himself. If anyone can stand up to that shot, it'll be him.

I make sure to hang back as Gramps swings his gigantic leg up to smash it into the flying ship. The impact tears the ship into pieces rather easily, and for a minute, it looks like it's all going to fall into the ocean. But with our luck, I suppose that it should come as no surprise that only moments after the pieces begin to fall, a bright light envelops the ship, restoring it to its former state.

My eyes narrow as I scrutinize the ship. _What…the hell was that? Some kind of restoration magic? Form manipulation? Building magic?_ I whittle off any and every kind of magic that I can think of, each possibility growing less and less likely. _Could it be…time magic?_

If that's the case, then it's definitely not good. Time magic falls into the category of Lost Magic, and ever kind of magic in that category is either very strong, or very dangerous, sometimes both. And in this case, I would bet that it's both. And, of course, there's no question as to why a dark guild would be here on our island. They're definitely not here to invite us all out for a picnic.

When the light dies, the airship is revealed to be all back in one piece, as good as new. Though when one figure goes flying through the air, over Gramps' other shoulder, he just glares at it. "Run if you like, there is no escape."

I would go after that one streak of light, except that most of the enemies are concentrated on that airship. The others can handle one member easily enough. Running interference here is much more important.

That's when Gramps brings his hands together in a familiar gesture that makes the corners of my lips turn up. _So…breaking out Fairy Law already, huh? Looks like this battle is going to be over quickly._ It's almost a pity, I was kinda hoping for a good fight. The space between his hands glows, bringing back memories of the last time I saw him use this spell, when we totally destroyed Phantom Lord.

"I'm going to give you until the count of three to get out of my sight, otherwise you and your comrades will see the other side of oblivion." Gramps sounds…downright pissed, actually. Of course, he has to be, if he's resorting to his trump card like this. "One." No response. "Two." Again, no response.

That's when hundreds of tiny magic signatures disappear from the ship and reappear on the island. I grit my teeth and scowl. Great…there go the grunts. And- My breath catches as the major magic signatures slip past in exactly the same way. "How-!?" _Spacial magic?_

"And that's three. Time's up!" It looks like it doesn't matter, because the old man is about to blow everyone away. Including the man now standing on top of the ship, exuding a particularly dark magic. "Fairy Law!"

"Don't be so hasty!" Magic gathers between the hands of the other old man, and it looks suspiciously like Fairy Law. Only…it's made of pure darkness, instead of light. "Grimoire Law."

Right now…I kinda want to smack my face. I mean, really? He couldn't come up with a more original name than that?

"These spells serve their intended purpose. Lesser men would be deterred by them. But unless one of us backs down from this duel, the destruction that follows will leave a scar on this world of cataclysmic proportions." This old man, likely the master of Grimoire Heart, if the levels of his magic are anything to judge by, is offering quite the ultimatum. Back down, or everything goes up in flames.

"What!?" The magic fades from Gramps' hands. "Impossible! No, it can't be!"

"You're looking well, boy." The dark wizard addresses Gramps a little too familiarly for my liking.

But Gramps seems to recognize him, enough to be shocked enough to show it. "It is you…Master Precht."

 _Precht? Who the hell is Precht?_ "Gramps!" I scream nearly in the old fart's ear. "What's going on!?"

He grunts angrily. "Go, child. This is no place for you."

"Like hell it isn't!" There's no way I'm just going to disappear on him, even if he wants me to. "I'm not abandoning you! Family sticks together!"

"Family…" He looks stricken by the words, as he turns back to our foe. "Master, it's really you… Why? Is this some sick joke?" _Master? What does he mean by master?_

Whatever it is that Gramps is trying to say, the other old man doesn't want to hear it. Instead, he conjures a magic circle that produces magical chains, all headed for Gramps. That's not going to fly.

I race in front of them, knocking about half a dozen of them aside, while a couple more of them race past me. As they slam into Gramps and throw him off balance, I grab hold of one of the magic chains, pulling on it as hard as I can, trying to dislodge it. But touching magic chains is something done at your own peril, because I can feel them shocking me as I try to shake them off.

Gramps goes tumbling, and this Precht's eyes fall on me. "Well, aren't you a stubborn child?"

"Tch." I click my tongue. "Of course I'm stubborn. I'm a Fairy Tail wizard. It's in the job description."

He nods. "Yes, I suppose it is…" He flicks the chains again, driving Gramps along the ground and through the trees, where he shrinks back to normal tiny size. "Now, stay out of the way, brat. I'll deal with you later."

As he disappears, my blood thunders through my veins. _Brat, huh? I don't know who you are, but you seem to be seriously underestimating me, old man._

I move to get in close to the two guild masters, but stop in my tracks as their magical power flares. It's almost scary how much the two of them have. And I know that getting in the way now would only hinder Gramps. He won't make a move if one of us would be hurt in the crossfire. His opponent clearly has no such compunctions. As is usual with members of a dark guild.

Well, I stay back until a column of dark light shoots into the sky. "Gramps!" I race through the air, riding the wind as I speed through the trees.

As Gramps, who can barely stand, is hurled across the clearing, I race down there and hear something I wish I hadn't.

"Amaterasu Formula One Hundred." And the whole area is caught in a huge blast of dark magic. A blast so strong that it hurls me straight into a boulder. I haven't felt power on this scale since going up against the Dorma Anim back in Edolas.

Groaning, I pull myself out of the boulder and stumble to my feet, shaking off the brunt of the impact. "Okay…that hurt."

"Hm…so the little one is still alive then? Impressive." Precht walks across the clearing, totally unaffected by his powerful spell. "I'd expect no less form my successor. It's no surprise you've held the guild together for forty-eight years." Then, he approaches as Gramps collapses. "What is it, boy? Are you not feeling well? I guess the years are catching up with you. Nearly half a century has passed since we parted ways. Does fate intend to bring us full circle on this lonely and venerated ground?"

And…I've had it. I know that Gramps told me to stay back, but orders have rarely stopped me from doing what I believe is right. In an instant, the wind brings me across the clearing, to stand right in front of the master of Grimoire Heart, who towers over me by about a foot. "You're not getting any closer to Gramps, you hear me?"

Precht raises an eyebrow, but Gramps tugs on my sleeve, trying to move me out of the way. "I…don't understand, you were…an amazing guildmaster, Precht. One who spoke of harmony, and led us towards a path of righteousness. Did you change your mind, or was it all a lie?"

Precht scoffs quietly. "Let this be a lesson to the young Fairy here. Magic was born from the depths of darkness, and those who utilized its power were met with fear and prejudice." He turns and starts to walk away. "Eventually, magic became commonplace, so much that we integrated it into our culture. But as I delved deeper into the source of magic, I found that it always led back to Zeref? At last, I had found the truth, the personification of wizardry. Sleep, boy. Fairy Tail shall rest here with Mavis."

Gramps is down for the count, so that leaves it to me to take this guy on. Maybe he used up a bunch of power bringing down Gramps. And maybe… "You said that Zeref is where all your studies on magic led back to, huh?" Wind swirls around me as I bite my hand and let the blood flow, drawing runes onto my arm. "I suppose that means that you haven't studied the magic that leads back to the dragons."

"Oh?" He turns to look at me. "And what would you know of the magic of the dragons?"

I clench my fists. "Only what my father taught me."

"Hmph, then you are hardly worth the effort of stomping." He turns away from me, disappearing into thin air.

But he should know better than to try and escape from a dragon slayer. "Gramps, sit tight, and I should be back soon." I've gotten close enough to memorize his scent. And I take off through the trees, heading straight for the beach, where his smell is strongest.

I emerge from the trees, and he turns to face me. "It seems that you are a persistent brat."

"Yeah, I am." The runes on my arm glow. "Now, let's see how you like this!" I unleash the binding spell, one of the many parts of one of my books on barrier magic, along with a little modification, thanks to Freed.

He raises an eyebrow as the binding spell connects. "Well, I must commend your abilties, you have made such a simple spell into something quite powerful. However, it will take far more than that to bind me." He breaks the spell in an instant, and his fingers start to glow, magic circles appearing in the air. "Here, let me return it to you."

I feel the binding spell take hold, but all it really manages to do is piss me off. I flare my magic, the wind stirring up the sand of the beach. "I've spent a fair bit of time studying barrier and spacial magic. Not as much as you, I'm sure, but more than enough to break that."

"Hm…a scholarly youngster." He raises his hand again. "And you can cast and break spells quickly and efficiently. And you're creative, drawing runic spells in your own blood. Most would shy away from such a practice. What is your name?"

I glare at him and fill my mouth with magic. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" A huge funnel of wind blades explodes from my mouth, tearing through the air as they race towards him.

"Oh? You use lost magic." His hand glows, and the funnel splits in two, racing off to either side of him. "How interesting. And how did you obtain such magic? Did your father implant a lacrima into you?"

I shut my mouth and cut off the flow of magic. "He did, but that's not where my magic comes from. He trained me as a dragon slayer because that is the magic he knew." I sink down a little. "I learned my magic straight from a dragon. It doesn't come from this darkness that you're talking about."

"The child of a dragon…" He considers me a moment. "Lost Magic. Impressive."

"Yeah, I like to think so." The runes on my arm glow again, this time, in a different sequence. I've written about fifteen different spells on my arm, using common runes and rearranging them. Magic circles appear all around my opponent, all of varying strengths. "Now, let's see if these will hold you!"

Light flashes through the air as the spells activate, one by one. I'd rather cast all of them at once, but I'm still working on simultaneous casting. It takes far too much concentration, even for me. But does that mean that I'll stop trying? Not at all. Besides simultaneous spellcasting beings all sorts of possibilities to the table.

As the spells go out, I growl with frustration. And Precht just shakes his head. "Those were all excellent attempts, especially for a child. But pointless, ultimately pointless." Then his eyes sweep over me. "Tell me, are you the one they call Dragon Wing, one of the S-Class wizards? Rumor has it, she's a young dragon slayer."

I smirk slightly, glad that my reputation spreads even to the top ranks of dark guilds. "You're correct. I am Ciara 'Dragon Wing' Dragneel, the Wind Dragon Slayer, and an S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail."

"Indeed, then it is all the more impressive that your spellcasting is so advanced, when you are not naturally a user of this kind of magic." He sighs slightly. "It's too bad that your loyalty lies so heavily with Makarov. Otherwise I would be quite interested in having you in the ranks of Grimoire Heart."

I grit my teeth at the notion. "A dark guild got hold of me once, and it's never going to happen again." I've got one more binding spell that might just do the trick. Its a lot more powerful than anything I've thrown at him so far, even more powerful than most of my wind magic. If this can't hold him, nothing will.

The runes glow once more, and a series of magic circles encircle him. "Mirror Crystal Prison!" It's ancient magic that I got out of one of my most expensive tomes. It's a spell that will trap whoever it's cast upon in a prison made of reflective and magic resistant crystal. Perfect for ensnaring powerful foes.

But as the spell activates, his fingers twitch, and he shakes his head. "A good try, but futile."

Suddenly, light glows around me, and the magic circles surround me instead. _He…turned my spell back on me?_ I move my fingers, trying to cancel out the spell before it takes hold.

Then, I find myself face to face with a clear crystal wall. _Damn it!_ I was so close…if he had been just a second or two slower, the spell would have been irreversible. I didn't know of anyone who could cast faster than me, but somehow, he managed to put a reflection spell in place before he was immobilized by the effects of my binding spell. Even though that shouldn't be possible in the first place.

He approaches the crystalline prison, tapping on it with an armored finger. "This is quite a powerful spell. I hadn't expected anything quite like this, judging by your earlier spells. I suppose that this will teach me not to be so careless. The young ones today are full of surprises. Nevertheless, I believe that you will make a fine ornament for the throne room. Until you expire, of course. I wonder if it will be air or dehydration that takes you first…"

The hollow crystal floats upwards with me inside, and I make sure to make a very rude hand gesture at him as I silently snarl. He floats me off towards the ship, leaving me to sit down and think about my predicament.

On the one hand, he's right, I only have so much air in here, though that's easily remedied by turning my magic power into wind. I'm certainly capable of re-oxygenating the air in small amounts. Though I can't break the prison from the inside, because my attacks will be reflected right back at me.

On the other hand, I hardly have to wait long enough to become dehydrated or starve in here. By then, we'll have either won the battle, and someone will come to crack the prison and let me out. Or we'll have lost, everyone would be dead, and it wouldn't matter anyway.

As Precht deposits me in the throne room, I lean back against the wall of the prison and sigh. This is going to either be a very short, or a very long wait. And being trapped in a big crystal with nothing but my thoughts promises that even if it is a short wait, that it is going to feel exceptionally long.

 _Well, I've got nothing but time now...might as well try to come up with something..._

* * *

 **Now, for anyone unsatisfied with that battle, keep in mind that she was trying to fight HADES one on one. Like THAT was going to go well... She didn't even both wasting time trying to fight him, since she would have just gotten blasted with Grimoire Law. Instead, she tried to make his spells useless so that she could dispose of him later. Fighting smarter, not harder. The latter is Natsu's job, since he's dealing with a godslayer while all of this is going on.**


	89. Master Hades

**Wow…it's been forever since I last updated this. Naruto and school, that's about what it boils down to. For that, you have my apologies. So please, take this nice, extra long chapter and forgive me.**

 **Now, I got better reactions to that last fight than I was hoping for. Is it because despite the fact that she 'lost', she still got to show off some new tricks? I hope so. Though in this battle, there's no losing in sight, and I've tried to make her sufficiently badass.**

 **Though…it makes me wonder how happy you all are going to be when it comes to her kicking ass in the GMG. Because that's basically all she's gonna do. Kick ass, and scare the living hell out of Blue Pegasus. That second part is something I'm definitely looking forward to.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

It's frustrating, I can't feel a thing outside of this crystal prison. Of course, I do nothing to outwardly express that frustration, since doing that will just use up my air faster, and the less magic I have to convert, the better. So I stay calm, composed, and on the inside, exceptionally irritated.

I wish that I had some kind of counter-spell for this, but the inside is designed to be magic-repellent. If I throw anything at it, it'll just be shot right back at me. The catch…the surface needs to be intact. Which means that if it's cracked from the outside and the crack travels all the way to the inner layer, I can use that to avoid the reflective properties of the spell. Still, it was never designed to have the caster trapped inside it instead.

With a sigh, I glance through the crystal, alone and bored. Except…that I'm not alone. And I jump back slightly as I see the face of Mavis staring back at me from the crystal wall.

She smiles at me gently. "I'm sorry that it took me so long to find you. Your magic has nearly disappeared from outside this ship."

I nod slightly. "That's because all of it is contained in here. I can't get out unless someone cracks it from the outside."

"I see." She frowns unhappily. "Then I need to lead the others here."

"Yeah…" Though I'd rather not put them in danger like that. "But if we lose here, then freeing me will mean nothing. Though I'd rather not have my corpse become an ornament for the Grimoire Heart guild hall." Because I'm certain that their master knows that I would rather die than join them. I let darkness corrupt me once, and I'm not letting it happen again.

Then, there's a slight burning in my chest, and I recognize the feeling. _Laxus? Dammit, not now!_ It's the connection to the charm that I gave to Laxus before he left Magnolia during the Fantasia Parade. The only problem is that I'm in no position to help him right now. And here I'd promised to help him when he needed it.

Right now…I can't help anyone. And that burns me up inside. "Please…if you can help them at all, forget about me and go to them. I'll be fine in here a while longer."

She keeps smiling at me, a little sadly, if I say so. "You are a wonderful Fairy Tail wizard. Have faith in your friends and you'll all make it through this."

"Yes…" I close my eyes and slump against the side of the crystal prison. I'm tired, so tired.

Her presence disappears, and not long after, my exhaustion doubles. It's like the life is being sucked out of me. My magic is being sucked into thin air. I feel like a plant that has lost all water and sunlight, like I'm just…wilting away as my life force is sapped. All the power I can still feel is the crystallized power remaining in my heart.

It feels…like the earth is crying. Like nature itself is crying out for help. It's powerful enough to reach me even in my prison. Which is saying something, because I can't even feel Natsu properly from in here. And it's that last part that's rather frightening. Lately, I've gotten more and more used to being able to feel Natsu nearby, smell his scent, and just know that he's there. For all of those senses to be completely cut off is a shock to my system.

 _Natsu…_

* * *

Natsu's P.O.V.

 _Ciara…_ It's been a couple of hours at least since I last felt my sister roaming around in the back of my brain. And what' worse, her smell is fading as well. _What the hell is going on!?_ I know that she's not dead, I'd definitely feel it if she was. Which means that it's up to me to find her and save her. And the best way to do that is to get these baddies off our island first.

Problem is, half the people on our side are injured, unconscious, or don't stand a chance against these guys. Mira, Elfman, and Evergreen are down, Gramps got taken out, and we need to leave someone here to look after them.

"Alright then. I say we pay ol' Master Hades a visit." I push myself to my feet sniffing out the few little traces left of my sister's scent. And no surprise, they're coming from ever where that big hunk of metal in the sky is. _Damn it, you just had to go and start the party without me._ "How about it? You with me?"

Happy jumps up in a second. "Aye sir!" I knew that I could count on him. I can always count of Happy to go into battle with me.

Lucy looks like she's gonna start shaking. She can't be that scared of Hades, she hasn't even met the guy yet. "Just the three of us…?"

"Hey, we're a team, remember?" Yeah, Happy knows whats goin' on. We're a team and we can totally beat this guy." That's what got us this far, and I'd say that it works pretty well, since we haven't died yet. Besides, there's no one I'd rather have watching my back than my team.

"Yeah, I know that! But wouldn't Freed be a better choice?" Jeez, something really has her spooked. We've been through worse than this! And it's not the first time we've taken down a dark guild.

Freed shakes his head. "Thanks, but I need to stay here and write an enchantment."

"We'll stick around and make sure that the others can heal up." Bixlow crosses his arms, nodding determinedly.

Wendy skips over from Gramps' bedside, fists up and ready to fight. "I've done what I can here, so I'll go."

"You'll do no such thing!" Carla is protesting, but again, it's not something we haven't done before, and we all got out of that in one piece.

Wendy frowns. "They're going to need every bit of support they can get in this fight."

"Oh, I'll come too." Gajeel's cat is shaking like cold or something. "I owe him a beating for Gajeel's sake."

"Okay, then I'll stay behind and help Freed with his enchantment." Levy steps up on the defense team.

And so does Lisanna. "I wouldn't be much help against Hades, so I'll keep an eye on the wounded."

Freed looks like he approves of all of this. "It would appear that we have a plan of action."

"We'll hold the fort down while you guys go kick some butt." Bixlow's support makes me feel a lot more confident. I do actually feel better with the whole Thunder Legion here. Those guys are tough customers at the best of times. _Hm…I should challenge them when we all get home. That would be awesome!_

Lucy is pumped and ready to go."Now that my power's back, I'm ready to rumble!" _Guess she realized that Hades isn't actually that scary. It's just an old dude in a ship._

"Let's show him why you shouldn't mess with Fairy Tail!" Wendy's got her game face on. And even if she's still little, she looks pretty cool now.

Happy throws a paw into the air excitedly. "If we do our very best, we'll always win!" Man, I love my little buddy!

I grin, punching my own fist into the air. "Let's go!" Because we've got a bad guy to beat, and my sister to find. Taking off through the woods, I sprint through the trees with Lucy, Wendy, and our cats behind us. Then, I catch a whiff of two other familiar scents, even through all this rain. "Hey Wendy, you smell what I smell!?"

She sniffs the air, and I look over my shoulder to see a smile on her face. "It's Gray and Erza!"

"Really?" Lucy' face lights up with a smile. "Let's go get them!"

"Aye sir!" Happy does a loop through the air, zooming around my head. "Time to get the team back together!"

"Yeah!" I follow my nose until it brings us to a spot on a ledge right above Gray and Erza. They both look kinda beat up, but that's never stopped us from getting into a fight before, and I don't think it's gonna stop now.

Our arrival gets their attention, and Gray looks up at us. "You're all here."

"Hey guys!" Lucy smiles down at them.

Wendy gets close to the ledge as well, her toes nearly coming to the edge. "Glad we found you!"

Then, I grin at the two of them. "Feel like getting some payback?"

Even though I can smell blood on both Erza and Gray, both of them smile. And Gray laughs a bit. "Yeah, I could definitely do with getting some payback. These guys need to learn the hard way not to mess with Fairy Tail."

Erza helps Gray get steady on his feet. "Yes. They have trespassed on our sacred ground, caused harm to our guild, and disrespected the resting place of our First Master. This cannot be allowed to stand without due retribution."

"Great!" That's exactly what I was hoping to hear. Well, sort of. "Anyway, we gotta get to Hades and rescue my sister, and then we can all give him the beating that he deserves!"

"He's got Ciara!?" Gray's strength seems to come back in an instant. "Why didn't you say so!? Why are we standing around here when he's got one of ours!?"

"Nothing, now let's go." Erza looks at me expectantly. "Alright, Natsu, lead us to your sister."

"Right!" I sniff the air again, Ciara's scent already washed away by the rain. But there's no mistaking the smell of a bit metal ship hanging in the air. And I know exactly what direction that's in. "This way!"

 _We're comin' for ya, sis!_

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I feel like I've been trapped in here for an eternity, and it's really starting to drive me a little nutty. I'm the Wind Dragon Slayer, I like big, wide, open spaces. I do not like being kept in a cage, especially one that I made. Which is what's making me even more mad than crazy.

And of course, that's when Hades chooses to waltz back into the room, heading out to the edge where he can observe the island.

"Damn it…" I slam the side of my fist against the strong crystal wall. _How the hell did he manage to learn how to cast so quickly? He doesn't look like he uses wind, lightning, or speed magic, so how could he cast faster than me?_ It's a moot point, but at least it gives me something to focus on. After all, those who use wind, lightning, and speed magic get a class of speed all to themselves when it comes to activating their magic. And I know that 'm fast, really fast, but somehow, this old geezer managed to outcast me. _Is the difference in skill really that great?_

If it is, then I need to try a lot harder than this.

That's when a huge rush of fire races through the room. Fire that I know better than anyone else. _Well, I guess this means that the cavalry is here._ I just wish that I could actually hear them, or at least contact Natsu. But this damn crystal is still in the way.

That said, I can still see when Natsu races into the airship, which is probably not the brightest idea, seeing as this is a vehicle, flanked by Lucy, Wendy, Erza, and Gray. _Well, looks like the whole team is here._ Our Exceeds are suspiciously absent, even though I'm certain that I caught whiffs of all three of them earlier. _Hm…if I was Natsu and not bringing Happy into battle…then I would give him a job to do._ And considering their size, I would guess some kind of infiltration. That would be the best use of them in a situation like this. _He probably wants them to ground this thing._

Erza requips into her Black Wing Armor to go on the attack, and Gray conjures himself a huge ice sword while Lucy summons Taurus. And when Natsu gets involved with his fire, and Wendy supports them with enchantments and sky magic, well…it's complete pandemonium. My eyes have a hard time tracking the movements of all…five of them? _Six? Does Taurus count as a extra fighter? Or does he count as part of Lucy? And then, what about Hades?_ There are seven bodies moving around in a flurry of magic attacks, and no one is really paying me any attention while I'm over here in this corner.

Though I have to compliments them on their combination attacks, Gray and Wendy are excellent accompaniments to Natsu's fighting style, what with Gray launching Natsu off ice hammers, and Wendy shooting him through a tornado. And Lucy switches to Scorpio while Erza hammers away between Natsu's attacks. If I didn't know any better, and I do, I would think that those five are using telepathy to coordinate their attacks.

 _Huh…using telepathy to coordinate attacks across a whole team during an intense battle…that could be a good idea. We could do combination attacks and heavy assaults in rapid succession that way._

There's a lot of smoke around, and it's hard to make out anything. So not only am I nose-blind, deaf, and dumb, I'm not completely blind. Talk about frustrating.

Then, when the smoke finally clears, I'm treated to the sight of Wendy being completely vaporized by what looks like a verbal spell that Hades just yelled. Though I can only make a tentative observation, seeing as I can't hear a damn thing going on out there.

But when all of them look up towards the ceiling, I catch sight of one of Lucy's celestial spirits stuck to the ceiling, Horologium, I think. _Ah, he must have saved Wendy._ At least, judging by the relieved expressions on their faces.

Wendy eventually falls back to the floor, dressed in completely new clothes. _Well, I guess the middle of a break in a battle is a perfect time for a costume change…_ Not that I'm a stranger to ripped and ruined clothes. I train with Natsu sometimes, so it kind comes with the territory.

The break stretches on and on, and it looks like Hades is giving them some kind of lecture. A lecture that doesn't amuse Natsu very much, seeing as he catches sight of my crystal prison, charges in, pisses off Hades, and restarts the battle involving magic bullets and magical chains.

It's half a minute before all of them are lying on the floor, completely taken out of the action, and covered in more than a few bruises and smears of blood. And when Hades puts his foot on my brother's head, I bang my fists fruitlessly against the walls of my cage.

But when Hades prepares to release a particularly powerful magic bullet, a giant bolt of lightning bursts into the room. And honestly, I've never been so happy in my life to see that spiky head of blond hair. _Looks like he figured that something big was going down when I didn't answer him… Nice timing…Laxus._

He headbutts Hades, before catching sight of me sitting here in the corner. Lightning flashes all around the room, pouring off him in waves. And just a few of those powerful sparks light up around my prison, slamming into the crystal walls and cracking it like a rock hitting a window.

And when just the slightest breeze comes through the crack, I smirk. _Perfect…_ The crystal person is designed to reflect all magic back at the caster on the inside, but focusing it to that single broken point…

The crystal around me shatters and blades of wind explode and swirl through the room as I get to my feet. "Hey Laxus…I have honestly never been so happy to see you in my life." I grin at him as my magic pulses around me.

He eyes me seriously. "Your little charm started glowing, then stopped. I thought it was weird, and I was in the area, so I figured I'd drop in."

"Got it. Thanks for the save." Though I have to say, Laxus looks…different. I suppose it's because of fewer meals, and long hours on the road, but the excessively bulky muscles are looking less bulky but still strong, and Laxus looks…less angry, there are fewer frown lines on his face. It looks like his traveling has done him some good.

He glances back at the others, not looking particularly happy to see them lying on the floor. "How pathetic. You guys got beat so bad you look like a bunch of tattered rags."

Natsu laughs. "No joke." Leave it to him to laugh over getting tossed around like a bag of flour.

"What are you doing here, Laxus?" Erza's question confuses me, since I thought Laxus had already established that he was here because of the charm I left him. "Why would you be anywhere near here?"

"I was on my way here to pay my respects to the First Master. I used to be a member of Fairy Tail too, y'know." And for some reason, the answer makes Erza smile. "Then Pinky's charm started freakin' out, and I figured that something was going down. It's about this time of year that the S-Class trials are held, so I figured you'd all be here. I was just planning on stopping by Mavis' grave, so this is a big surprise. I certainly didn't expect to run into the Second Guild Master. I've got an idea, since you're already here." Lightning flickers around him. "How about I dig a grave for you too?"

"My, what a shame. To think poor Makarov would be burdened by such a pretentious grandson." Hades' magic aura flares, as though riled by the challenge before him.

Then, Laxus attacks, and it's faster than most people could track with the eye as he springs forward, almost disappearing as he flips over Hades' head to attack from behind. His lightning magic makes him fast, fast enough to punch Hades across the room, and into the floor. I just wish that his attacks would actually do some visible damage, rather than let Hades get up after each one. _Just what is this guy made of?_

"Good, I'm impressed with your magic power. Not to mention your courage. I didn't realize the boy had more than one pawn of Gildarts' caliber.

"You know, that reminds me of something the geezer used to say." Well, Gramps says a lot of things, and I can't begin to guess what's running through Laxus' head right now. "Whenever you face a tough enemy, it doesn't matter how strong they are. Standing up to em is what's most important. Ain't that right, Pinkies?"

"Yeah you bet." Natsu grins at me.

And I grin right back. "You know it!" We're all thinking of the same thing, Kardia Cathedral, and the battle that took place there.

Hades scoffs. "Utter nonsense. That's nothing more than a weakling's excuse. Think you're strong enough to face me? Then let's see what you've got!"

"You want back-up on this, Laxus?" I'm pretty sure he'll turn me down, but I'm offering it on principle, anyway.

"Nah, just sit back and recover, Pinky, I'll be fine." Laxus cracks his knuckles. "Now…if you insist."

"Fine, whatever. Famous last words." I stand back and quietly watch as I suck in every stray breeze that floats past me. I used up a fair bit of magic trying to take Hades on earlier, so this should help me to recharge.

Whether Hades knows it or not, his ensuing battle with Laxus creates a lot of breezes for me to suck up, especially by using one of his magic chains to swing around a gigantic globe. Rubble goes flying, and the globe rolls around the room, flattening half of what's in it.

 _Okay, this is getting way too dangerous. And if Laxus wants to one on one this guy, that's fine. But I'm not gonna let anyone else get caught in the crossfire._ I spring into action, dodging pieces of rubble as I race towards Lucy, scooping her off the ground just before the globe smashes down right where she was lying.

She opens her eyes and looks up. "Ciara!?"

"Don't worry, I've got you." I look around for a good place to put her down, and chose the far wall. "Stay here, I'm going after everyone el-" An explosion where Laxus and Hades are draws my attention, and I shield Lucy from the shockwave. "What the hell was that!?"

I look back at Hades, who smirks through the smoke. "Those hit by the Amaterasu Formula lose all strength in their limbs and become immobilized. Simply blocking is consumes so much magic power, it can be fatal."

Obviously, no one told that to Laxus, because he smashes Hades from behind, kicking him across the room in a burst of lightning. "To think, that was only one leg. I still have the other one and both my hands, not to mention the rest of me. If I combined 'em into one attack, it'd be a hell of a lot stronger than the kick that just took you down." He's cloaked in lightning, golden flashes swirling all around him. "You wanna try me?"

"You talk big, but I can't blame you. There's an air of confidence that comes with youth, but it's not indicative of your skill." Hades charges up, before charging forward. "You can't beat me!"

"Just watch me!" Laxus meets the attack in a flash of lightning, fighting the dark fire conjured by Hades' magic.

The power is so strong that I slide across the floor to Natsu, grabbing hold of him as the two powers meet and grow. "Snap out of it, big brother! We'll get toasted if you stay here!"

"No! Laxus!" Jeez, and to think that Natsu usually wants nothing more than to kick the big guy's butt.

Laxus falls t his knees, and Hades sneers at the sight. "Well, would you look at what we have here. I knew you were full of bravado, but I didn't expect you to fall to your knees so soon.

"Laxus!" Natsu tries to leap forward, only held back by my grip on him.

Despite his tattered condition, Laxus laughs. "I've traveled almost everywhere, all over this world of ours. But this is the first time I've ever met such a monster. I've…got a long way to go."

"What are you saying!?" Natsu struggles against me more, and I bite my lip as I watch Laxus. _So stubborn… Fine, even if you don't want my help, you're still getting it!_

"I'm glad I could help you come to that realization. Laxus, was it?" Hades' magic flares again. "But this is the end. Prepare to die!" He shoots a lethal spell at Laxus just as one of my magical barriers goes up around our cocky, stubborn, blond moron.

"I may not be a member of Fairy Tail anymore…but this bastard took out my grandpa, so I'm allowed to take revenge, right?"

"Yeah! Of course you are!" Natsu screams at Laxus just as the idiot's power flares brightly, engulfing the entire room.

Then, my barrier shatters as a mountain of lightning crashes down on top of us, blinding me, drowning out all other sound, and soaking into my skin. It tingles, it makes all of my muscles jump and spasm. And most of all, it thrums through my veins as I open my mouth to scream.

Now, I see why I'm not supposed to eat elements other than my own. I feel like I've been hit by an airship, kind of like when Natsu shoved Etherion crystals down my throat. And that's when Laxus' voice penetrates the din. "This is my treat you guys. Eat up."

Natsu laughs and groans at the same time. "Hey, thanks for the meal."

"I think I'm going to be sick…" I cover my mouth and try to keep the power from coming back up the hard way. _Note to self, stop letting other dragon slayers shove magic down your throat. It makes you very, very sick._

"I gave…you two…all my magic power." He sounds so weak now. That is not how Laxus is supposed to sound.

"Why did you give it to us? You know that we're weaker than you." Natsu clenches his fist, his confidence not nearly where it needs to be.

"It has nothin' to do with who's weaker or stronger." Laxus' breath sounds ragged, but still strong enough to survive. "He wounded Fairy Tail's master. It's only right that someone with the guild's emblem take him down. Anyone who hurts the guild deserves what's comin' to em." Then, Laxus smiles. "Besides, you're not alone. Now start a storm and go get em."

Natsu wipes away a couple of budding tears. "Okay." Then, his power pulses. "Sis, back me up here. Get in the air and do what you do best!"

"Yeah…" Magic flows around me as I leap into the air, tugging out my seals and dropping them into Erza's lap. "Hold onto those for me and get ready to run if it looks bad. It's going to get nasty in here." Flames erupt around Natsu, and I fan them higher and brighter as the air in the room swirls itself into a miniature hurricane. "Ready, Natsu!?"

"Oh, I'm ready!" His magic power pulses and envelops him in an intense cloak of fire and lightning. "And you're gonna pay for what you've done!"

Lightning streaks down from the sky, powering my growing storm further. And my storm further powers Natsu's own lightning and flames. The two elements seem distinct in his body, separate. Whereas in mine, they're fusing together more cleanly, the wind and the lightning twisting together at the molecular level. Well, minus the fact that lightning has no molecules, but that's not the point.

 _Was this what Laxus had planned?_

It would seem so, seeing as Natsu sends Hades flying with a single punch, before electrocuting him with a single kick. "Hey Sis! Catch!" He sends our foe flying across the room just for me.

So I race down and meet the flying body just in time for bright claws to extend outward from my hand, wind and lightning fused into something that I can definitely hit Hades with. "Storm Dragon's Flashing Claws!" I slam Hades back down towards the ground, right back to Natsu.

My brother returns the favor, sending Hades flying again, right into my next attack. "Storm Dragon's Talon!" I kick him straight down into the ground and into Natsu's waiting arms. The two of us fight together, using a more subconscious version of our telepathy to instinctively coordinate our attacks and bash the master of Grimoire Heart around the room.

"This is what happens to anyone who messes with Fairy Tail! I'll make you pay!" Natsu bashes Hades around again when I send him down. "Now say GOODBYE!" He hurls a gigantic ball of lightning-infused fire down on top of Hades, rocking the whole ship with the force of the attack.

Hades somehow survives the attack, and chains Natsu's hands together. "Try hitting me with your hands tied!"

"Oh yeah!?" He wrenches his hands apart through sheer force of will. "Sis! Now!" _Let's hit him with everything we've got!_

 _Right!_ I fly down just behind him, hovering above his head. "Storm Dragon's-"

"Lightning Flame Dragon's-" Natsu breathes in deeply, fire and lightning already spilling from his mouth.

"ROAR!"

I can't hear anything over the sound of the vicious roars ripping out of mine and Natsu's mouths. And I can't quite tell how far the roars go either. All I know is that when the dust settles, a whole wall how been entirely blown out, and the magic flew over three miles at least.

And Hades is on the ground.

"I…warned you not to…mess with us." Natsu falls backwards towards the hole in the floor, while I sag down towards the ground.

"Natsu!" Lucy sprints forwards, grabbing Natsu before he can fall down the hole.

"Thanks…" Natsu pants heavily. "That was a close one. I don't suppose…you have any food tucked away in that outfit, do ya?" Typical Natsu, always thinking about his stomach.

I, on the other hand, feel like I'm going to hurl. Food is the last thing I want to talk about. "Shut up…if you talk about food, I'm gonna throw up…" I look over at where Hades is knocked out on the floor. "Jeez…I can't believe he's still in one piece…" Considering how much magic we smashed into him, he should have been vaporized. Still, I manage to move enough to roll over to where Laxus is lying in a hole in the floor. "You still kicking down there?"

"Yeah, barely." He looks up and me and grins weakly. "Good job you two."

"Thanks…" I sigh, then glare at him. "I hate you, you suck, you shoved lightning down my throat, and now I want to puke. Thanks a lot, idiot." Somehow, that just makes the oaf chuckle.

"You may have knocked me down, but I'm not out." Hades sits back up. "Well done, Makarov, you've raised some truly remarkable children despite your flawed philosophy."

"You have got to be kidding me…" I stare at Hades, not entirely believing my eyes. "Why can't we finally get a bad guy who'll actually stay down after we throw that much lethal magic at them?" Still, if that's how he wants to play it then I'll play it that way. I start sucking up ever breeze that comes in from outside, sucking it all in faster and faster, replenishing my magic as quickly as I'm able.

He gets to his feet, as though we didn't have any effect on him. "I can't remember the last time someone left me tattered and torn after a good brawl." He even regenerates all of his clothes. "I appreciate the entertainment, but I must get back to work. I'll be obliterating you now. Believe me, you'll wish I'd done so sooner." He lifts a hand to his face and removes the patch over his right eyes. "Devil's eye, open." And it does open, revealing a pure red eye there. "You will now witness something you've never seen before. The Abyss of Sorcery. From here extends an endless realm that surpasses your feeble imaginations. I am the harbinger of Fairy Tail's last breath."

And at his command, magic swirls around us, growing thicker, heavier, more powerful by the second. It feels like I'm being crushed under even more power than what Laxus hurled at us. Like…if Igneel had stepped on me.

"In order to walk the path of sorcery, one must sink into its abyss of eternal darkness." That can't be good. "Within that darkness lie primordial magic that shines like the heavens. The purest of magic power." He summons what looks like pure darkness to his hand. "Can you feel it? The primordial magic is so close it's palpable. Yet it's so far in the depths it may as well be out of reach. Within those depths is a lost world, the Grand Magic World. And Zeref is the key to reaching it! Tonight, Zeref will awaken and history will forever be altered! And then, at last, the primordial magics will find their rightful place with me! But you will be ostracized, only the strong will be allowed to live. And you lack to resolve necessary to reach into the abyss."

"Great…another bad guy on a power trip." I stagger to my feet, biting my palm to release blood from it, something to write with. And I start using the wind to write the characters on the floor in scarlet swirls. "Maybe we lack that resolve because you're completely insane! I'd rather reach into myself for the magic I need, not into some deep, dark abyss." I hold my hands up, ready to activate a barrier at a moment's notice.

"Admirable, but pointless." Magic swirls around him, growing even heavier. "Chapter Four, Verse Twelve, from the Book of Zeref. Arcane Magic, Nemesis!" All around us, magic creatures emerge from the rubble. "With the magic power of the Abyss at my command, I can create nightmares from the tiniest speck of dust. Devilish dancers and heavenly arbiters. Such is the supremacy of Arcane Magic!"

Fear, it's overwhelming, and it's pouring off of these creatures in waves, inducing it in all of us. I can feel it, but I'm numb to it. I can just shake it off if it means protecting them. _Natsu…get up._

 _I can't…I'm out of power…_

 _Damn it, Natsu, I said GET UP! I can't do this alone, I can't do this WITHOUT YOU!_

 _…Yeah…okay. Let's do this. Together!_

I breathe a sigh of relief as I hear Natsu getting up. And he's not being quiet about it. "Don't worry, we've got everything we need to beat this guy right here with us. There's nothing wrong with fear. After all, how else would we come to know our own weaknesses? And you need to know them…to become a stronger and gentler person."

I laugh quietly. "Gildarts must have told you that." It sounds like something he would say.

"Yeah…" He struggles to his feet. "Today, we learned just how weak we really are. So what do we do next? I'll tell you!" I can feel his power returning, if only just a little. "We grow stronger! On our own, we might be too afraid to stand up to him, but right now, we have our friends by our side. I still have courage because you're all here with me. There's no reason to be afraid! When we're together, we can accomplish anything!"

"Still holding onto the light? You fools! Your future is nothing but darkness!" His creatures start to get agitated, and some of them start moving towards us.

I smirk. "You wanna bet!?" I change the characters around, setting them into an entirely new pattern. "Heliopolis, City of the Sun! Illuminate the darkness and wash away fear and despair!" It's ancient magic, and a spell that I'm far from mastering. Still, it should suffice here. I unleash the spell, and light nearly blinds me as a sphere of it hangs in the air, dissolving the darkness around us as the creatures go on the attack.

"Let's go!" Natsu charges forward, accompanied by Lucy and Wendy while Erza and Gray race on ahead.

Lucy and Wendy grab hold of Natsu's arms, dragging him forward and shooting him ahead to meet Gray and Erza, who give him the momentum he needs to reach Hades.

"I shall send you into the depths of darkness! It's time for your sun to set, Fairy Tail!" His spell of darkness pushes against my spell of light, pushing me back through sheer power and experience.

Does that mean that I'm giving up? Hell no. No, I support Natsu as he soars forward, pushing back the darkness just enough for him to slip through it and clock Hades right in the face with an explosion that can probably be felt all the way back in Hargeon.

We do that a lot. Explosions all over the place.

I let go of the magic and fall to my knees as the ship crashes to the ground. _Please tell me…that we did it this time._

Well, Hades is still standing, though not for much longer as Natsu clocks him again. And I have to wonder if Natsu was the source of the explosion or if it came from somewhere else. _Well, Happy is still roaming around somewhere, and he's just as bad as Natsu when it comes to doing stupid things, so…it could be the Exceeds, I guess._

"Look at that, all of the monsters are starting to crumble." And Erza is right, all of the conjured monsters are turning back into rubble.

And then, off in the distance, my attention is called by the Tenrou Tree, once lying on its side in the ocean, rising back up into the sky and reattaching itself to the rest of the trunk. It's been restored to its former state. And with that, magic power comes flowing back into me as my guild mark starts to glow brightly. _So that's why I felt myself weaken earlier._

And it looks like Natsu is feeling better as well, because he pulls his fist back again. "This is what you get for hurtin' our master, you jerk!" He almost gets Hades in the face, so…close.

"Sty back!" Hades throws Natsu back, kicking him across the ship. "Until I stand above all other who follow the path of sorcery…the devil within me will never sleep!"

"Oh shut up already!" I flip into the air and bring my foot right down on his head, slamming into him with the force of a hurricane. "No one wants to hear you blabber on about your damn sorcery!"

Then, Laxus appears behind Hades and smashes him with a powerful fist. "C'mon! Attack, Fairy Tail!"

The next thirty seconds are…nothing short of utter chaos. We all throw everything we have at him, and it's fun, really, better than a bar room brawl in the guild hall.

 _Hey Ciara, one more time! Combo attack!_ Natsu's voice rings in my head with all the force of a raging tempest.

 _Right!_ I let my magic gather in my hands, trying out something new. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art-" I raise a silver and gold wisp of a spear overhead. "Spear of the Thunderstorm!"

"Flame Lotus Exploding Lightning Blade!" Natsu's attack swirls into being, wrapping around mine as the projectile hurtles right over Natsu's head.

This time, Hades goes down, and he doesn't get back up.

I fall out of the air as Natsu roars into the sky, thankfully without involving any flames. "Fairy Tail is the greatest!"

"Yeah…" I sit down for the first time since this battle started, and breathe a sigh of relief. Well, until a new crowd of problems comes racing in, chasing after Happy, Carla, and Pantherlily. "Oh no…what is it this time?" I'm basically out of magic, and I am so not dealing with this shit.

"Stay right where you are!" I recognize that voice. And sure enough, it's Gramps. And it looks like he brought everyone with him. Well, except for Gildarts and Juvia. "I order you to get off this island immediately!" And that's all it takes to send the low-level goons running.

I lay back on the ground, looking up at the clear blue sky. Then, I start feeling nauseous again, and I turn over onto my stomach, trying not to retch my guts out.

Looking up and over at where Laxus has been surrounded by Gramps, Levy, and the Thunder Legion, I spit out a couple of curses. "Laxus, screw you, I'm gonna kill you for this!" I groan and hold my stomach. "Do you NOT remember what happened after Natsu made me eat Etherion, you bastard!?" I groan again. "You sadistic asshole! You never should have fed me lightning, dammit!"

At least he has the decency to look guilty about it. Though that's not going to stop me from feeling sick.

Forget motion sickness. THIS is the worst.

* * *

 **Okay, so I debated for a while on whether to give lightning to Ciara or not, and in the end, I decided that situationally, it makes sense, plus it fits with her style, and it opens up plot points later relating to the question that a lot of people have been asking regarding how she's dealing or not dealing with the dragonification. So, she can keep the lightning that Laxus hit them with, but...she's getting sick over it until her body can adjust, which is where we'll be picking up next chapter.**


	90. Black Wings

**Okay, so the Tenrou Island arc ends here with Acnologia's attack. After this, I'll have a chapter, maybe two, detailing what's going on with various people during the timeskip, before moving on ahead to the rescue. Also, take this double update as a sincere sign that I'm sorry for taking so long in updating. I'm also working on the next chapter already, if that makes it any better.**

 **And just for the sake of context, I'll be putting the date on this chapter, since it's important for the next chapter as well.**

 **Also, fighting, lots of it, but you all know that already. And potential innuendos, if you squint really hard and don't hate Laxus.**

* * *

December 16th X784 - Tenrou Island

Back at camp, I'm honestly doing no better than I was on the ship. I feel like my insides are rebelling, which is why I stumble off into the woods to be alone while the others are getting treated. After all, Wendy has used up a lot of magic, and it wouldn't be right of me to ask her to cure my nausea when I don't even know if that would work.

My guess, the magic either needs to come out, or settle before the nausea goes away.

Which leaves me here, hiding behind a tree as I puke my guts out, along with a storm's worth of small bolts of lightning. _Never again! I am never eating dragon slayer discharge ever again!_ _Ugh, someone kill me now…_

Throwing up is never pleasant. Throwing up magic is a pain in the ass. Throwing up lightning magic…well, that's in a class unto itself. And Laxus is so in for it when I can actually stand up without bending over again.

"Hey, you alright over here?" Ugh, and it's the last voice that I want to hear right now.

I look back over my shoulder and glare at the head of spiky blond hair. "What do you want, Laxus? I'm a bit busy here…" I struggle to contain another round of sparks from coming up.

"You look terrible." And he looks like he wants a smack to the head.

"And you look like you have a death wish." Being sick makes me very cranky. "Seriously, what do you want."

"To make sure that you're not dyin' over here." He squats down next to me, grimacing at the burnt-smelling acid on the ground. "You're not dyin' right?"

"Feels like it…" I figure that I have full license to complain right now. "You're the one who did this to me, you jerk."

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that." He pats e gingerly on the back, as though trying to offer support, but at the same time, not make me throw up any more. "You almost done? You've been missing for almost an hour."

My head spins a little, and I press my forehead against the cool bark of a tree. "Yeah, almost, just give me another minute or two." I glance at him out of the corner of my eye. "So what's got you o cuddly all of a sudden?"

He glares slightly. "I'm not cuddly."

"Liar." I call him out on that immediately. "For you, this is cuddly. Patting me on the back, worrying about my health…" I laugh derisively. "What happened to Mr. Grumpy?"

He gives me a slight swat to the head. "I'm not Mr. Grumpy."

"You sure? I think you could have held the title of grumpiest member of Fairy Tail back then." I smirk at him weakly. "Or do you really think I'm wrong?"

"Smartass." He grasps my arm and pulls me to my feet, before offering me a canteen. "Here, drink up. You'll get dehydrated if you keep that up."

"Yeah…" I uncap the canteen and tip my head back, gargling a bit of the water and spitting it out to ride myself of the foul taste in my mouth, before drinking down everything else. "So, what's going on?" Might as well get an update before walking into…whatever I'm about to walk into.

"Well, the old man canceled the trial. That didn't go over too well with the guys, but…it was the right call." He fidgets slightly, probably remembering his own exam way back when.

"Yeah, that's a good call." I take a deep breath, feeling a bit better than earlier. "I'm in no condition to administer the last exam anyway."

"You were in charge of the last exam?" He raises an eyebrow at that admission.

"Yep." I glance through the trees, spotting Gramps. "It was going to be a retrieval mission. The goal of the remaining participants by the time the clock was up was supposed to be to chase their target around the island, engage the target, and finally capture the target and bring said target back to base camp."

"Okay…that doesn't sound too hard." Laxus steps through the tree roots, following me as I head for Gramps. "What was the catch?"

I smirk widely. Gramps always puts a catch in place, after all. "I was supposed to be the examiner…and the target."

Laxus pauses, before laughing. It's weird to hear him laugh, it's not something he did often while he was still in the guild, and it's been so long since he left…I actually missed it. "Figures that the old man would think up a test like that. You're almost impossible to catch."

"Well, I mean, I had certain restrictions, but-" I pause as I hear something very…odd off in the distance. "What was that?"

Laxus frowns at me. "What was what?"

"I thought I heard something…" It must have been my imagination, though, if Laxus didn't hear it. "Whatever. Come on, let's go see Gramps."

"Right…" He follows behind me as the two of us creep closer to where Gramps is sitting on a rock, being approached by none other than our favorite redhead.

I lean a hand against a tree, and Laxus stands opposite me, leaning against a tree of his own as Erza walks up to Gramps. "Master. The ship will be ready to take us back to the mainland very shortly. Also…regarding Laxus…"

"I've nothing to discuss with or about that boy." I wince at Gramps tone.

Erza hesitates only a moment. "Yes, I understand."

"Except to say he's got quite a pair on him, daring to set foot on the Fairy Tail guild's most sacred ground. He no longer enjoys that privilege." Well, that's harsh. I mean, he is your grandson, old man…

"But…what he's done for us…" Erza seems to be of a similar mind as me. I guess she's over the festival incident too.

"Yes…I heard all about his heroic fight with Hades. How he saved your lives by putting himself directly into harm's way." Well, at least he heard about that much. "My appreciation for what he did is more than words could convey. But as far as Fairy Tail's concerned, he is still an outsider. Albeit, one to whom we owe our gratitude."

Erza looks rather put out by that proclamation. "So your position is firm, is it?"

"Of course it is." Surprisingly, Laxus interjects. "It's how the guild's stayed strong over the years. You can't buy your way in with a single good deed. It takes a lot more. You guys were in a jam, so I did what any decent passing stranger should do and tried to help out. There wasn't any kind of ulterior motive behind my actions."

"Well, that hardly makes you a stranger, Laxus." I poke my head out and glance at Gramps. "I mean, even if he's not part of the guild, he's still part of the family. And I think…that you know that too, better than anyone. After all, this is coming from the guild that takes in kids off the street and gives them the home they never had. The truth is, it's easy to get in, it's hard to get back in." I smile at Laxus now. "And even if you're not in the guild, you've definitely wormed your way back in somewhere."

Laxus' eyes widen as he takes in my meaning, and he blows out a breath and closes his eyes. "Hey, old man!" He gets Gramps' attention, and opens his eyes to see a stern look on the old man's face. "Yeah, that's the look. Classic." He pauses for a long moment. "Probably the last time I'll see that scowling face for a long while." He scoffs. "Later."

"Hold on." Erza moves to confront him, but…

That sound from earlier comes back. "What…is that?" I turn to Laxus, my eyes wide. "Do you hear it now?" But there's no need to answer that question, because all three of them are just as put off by the sound as I am. "See!? I am not going crazy! I heard it earlier too!"

Then, the sound dies, and Erza looks around nervously. "What was that?"

A roar like deafening thunder shakes the earth, the sky, the very fabric of the world as it blinds me to everything but its presence. Everything within me shivers in fear, all the way to the tips of my hair. "That's…a dragon." There's nothing else it could possibly be. Then, I get ahold of myself and shake my head. "Come on! We have to move, now!" I have no idea if that dragon is friend or foe, but it doesn't sound like Igneel, so I'm going to go with foe.

When we arrive back at base camp, we're greeted with the sight of a gigantic black dragon, marked all over its wings with swirls of blue, and a stomach as pale as a fish's belly. And it does not feel friendly, which is why I immediately go into preparation mode, sucking up the copious amounts of wind that each of its wing beats produces.

Gramps steps forward, a grimace on his face. "I'm afraid that's Acnologia, the black dragon of the apocalypse."

"Yeah, that's definitely him." Then this must be the same dragon Gildarts fought.

Lucy shakes a little at the sight of the dragon, not that I can blame her. "That sounds bad. What do we do?"

Well, I know what I'm doing. Unlike all of the regular people here, I've seen a dragon before, which means that I know what to do when faced with one. Prepare for battle. Not go and get petrified with fear. Which is why I'm gulping down wind like there's no tomorrow, my body pulsing with power.

"Hey dragon!" Natsu is an idiot if he thinks that this dragon, with malice pouring off it, ice going to answer him. "You know where I can find Igneel!? Tell me! Grandina and Metalicana too!"

"Stop it Natsu!" Gildarts grabs hold of him, stopping him manually. "Did you forget what happened to me? How I lost my arm and my leg? Hell, I'm lucky I didn't lose my life that day!"

There's a general panic as Acnologia comes down for another swing, and the gusts raging from that motion are strong and more than a decent meal for me. And when it lands, the winds created by the shockwaves help to recharge everything that I lost while fighting Hades and then come.

"So, are we gonna fight it or what!?" Natsu's voice rises above the chaos, and I latch onto it.

"We can't, Natsu, you don't understand the situation." Gildarts looks…almost nervous. "It's not about winning or losing a fight. This is about getting away with out lives. And I'm not sure that all of us are even gonna be lucky enough to do that."

"Whaddya mean!? Are you tryin' to say that this thing's gonna kill some of us!?" To Natsu, something like that is unfathomable. I'd chalk it up to his protective instincts going bonkers.

When the dragon roars again, Gildarts freaks the hell out. "Come on! Everyone run, now!"

But there's no chance to do that as the dragon gives a sudden roar, a pressure wave shooting through the air. And though I can't handle all of it, I do manage to get in front of everyone and suck up everything that I can. After all, to me, more wind means more fuel. And I'm just about stuffed. The landscape, on the other hand, gets leveled.

The trees are all shoved into a pile on the edge of the blast zone. At least…those trees that weren't disintegrated. _Okay…I can work with those._ With a sweep of my hand, the wind blows the trees over, piling them right in front of me. And apparently, Laxus' magic isn't out of my system yet. Luckily, that plays to my favor, and I light up the huge pile of trees, fanning the flames into a bonfire. "Natsu! Lunch is on me! Eat up!"

"Huh?" He turns to stare at the bonfire, before a grin crosses his face. "Got it!" And with a single deep breath, he pulls the flames towards himself, munching them down like he's been starved for a month.

As we each chow down on our respective elements, Gildarts raises his voice. "Listen up if you wanna stay alive! You can't waste time freakin' out! Pull yourselves together and let's get outta here!" Then, Acnologia takes off into the air. "Hurry! Everyone get to the ship!"

"This way, it's just through those trees!" Erza points the way. "Now get moving!"

Everyone starts the hard sprint towards the beach, where the boat is docked and ready for us. I bring up the rear, since someone has to cover everyone's backs. Besides, I'm the fastest, and if something happens, I can be anywhere I need to be.

Which means when it nearly lands on top of Freed and Bixlow, I race towards them and grab them both, hauling them out of the way of Acnologia's attack in the blink of an eye.

Freed looks up at me as I deposit them near the others. "Thank you…"

"Don't thank me yet." I look up to see Evergreen and Elfman about to get swatted. Which, of course, means that I'm up there in a flash, dragging them out of the way of Acnologia's claws. "And you two really need to have your honeymoon somewhere else!" It's actually impressive that they're too shocked to even contradict my joke. Things are bad.

Things are really, really bad.

"Get to the ship!" Gramps' voice rings out as he grows to a truly monumental size. And despite his injuries, he grabs hold of Acnologia, aiming to stop the dragon in its tracks.

"He's crazy! He can't fight that thing!" It's not often that I see Gray terrified, and honestly, it doesn't suit him at all.

"Master! Please don't play the hero! The guild needs you to stay alive!" Erza is right, we can't lose him now. He's what keeps the guild together.

"Get out of here!" He's struggling to hold the dragon off of us. He's not going to hold out much longer.

The others…are injured, or ill-equipped for this kind of fight. But…I'm not injured, not really. Sure, the fight with Hades was rough, but I didn't take much in the way of direct hits. So I'm fine, just tired. And I can ignore how tired I am for the sake of this.

And it looks like no one else wants to leave him behind.

There's a little silence from the old man, before he totally blows a gasket. "Would you brats just shut up and honor your master's final wish!? Get out of here NOW!"

 _Honor his final wish? Not if I have anything to say about it!_ The wind swirls around me, caressing my skin and pulling at strands of pink hair as they start to turn silver. "You're not dying out here. It's not your time yet!"

"Yeah! We're dragon slayers, Gramps! This is what we were born to do! So let me-" But Natsu doesn't get to finish his sentence.

Laxus grabs Natsu by the collar and drags him away. "Not today, kid."

"Let go! Laxus!" Natsu struggles vigorously, before freezing in his efforts. I turn towards them and notice the tears falling from Laxus' eyes, and I can smell them on the breeze.

But I'm not going to be deterred, and as I launch myself forwards, Gildarts' powerful grip catches me by the waist. "Come on, kid. It's time to go."

"Let go of me!" I scream it to the sky. "I can help him!"

"No, you can't!" He drags me off, slinging me over his shoulder as he turns to race towards the ship. "Not even the way you are now!"

"Says you!" I can't leave him behind, I just can't. "He was the one who took us in after Igneel disappeared. He gave us a home, a family. He's part of my family!"

"I know! And because you're part of his family, he's sacrificing himself to protect you!" We're headed for the ships. Gildarts is making me leave Gramps behind.

That's not going to fly, but I am.

Though it pains me to hurt a member of my family, I have no choice but to do it in order to save another. "You can't stop me, Gildarts! Not now, not ever!" A huge burst of wind erupts around me, sliding me out of Gildarts' grip and sending me rolling across the ground and onto my feet. "Natsu! Come on!"

Asking is just a formality, of course, and not one even needed, because as soon as I'm on the ground, Natsu is chasing after me, playing catch-up. "Okay, what's the plan!?"

"Plan?" I smirk. "The plan is to hit hard, hit fast, and hit this dragon with as much magic as possible. Remember what Igneel taught us? The mouth, the belly, and the neck are the weakest points. The hard scales are on the back, to protect from attacks coming from above!"

"Yeah! I remember!" He taps my hands, grinning widely. "Now come on, let's show em what we've got!"

"On it!" I leap into the air, soaring through the sky as I head straight for Acnologia's face. He's got Gramps pinned down, which means he'll never see this coming. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" I breathe a flurry of wind blades straight into Acnologia's open mouth, targeting one of a dragon's biggest weak spots.

Natsu joins me in an instant, dodging Acnologia's tail and climbing onto the dragon's leg. "We're gettin' Gramps back! Ya hear me!?"

The agitation Natsu causes to Acnologia is enough to have him hurl Gramps away, leaving the dragon wide open to attack. And attack is an understatement.

"Alright you guys! Let's hit this overgrown lizard with everything we've got! If you let loose on him and I blast blast him with a million watts of lightning, he'll lean to never mess with Fairy Tail again!" Coming from Laxus, but spoken like a true Fairy, and even…like a true dragon. "You better get outta the way Natsu! Cause here it comes!"

And as I grab Natsu and fly out of the way, a torrent of magical power shoots straight at Acnologia, slamming into its side like its nobody's business. And the resulting sphere of magic is…impressive, to put it mildly.

But in the end, it's not enough. Which means… "Alright! All Dragon Slayers, take to the sky!" I look down at Mira as I toss Natsu off to Happy. "Get Laxus in the air!" I smirk down at Laxus. "You're a dragon slayer too, you know." Wendy and Gajeel join Natsu and I in the air, and after a few more seconds, Laxus joins us in the air as well. It's rather…exhilarating, actually. "Okay! Roar on three! Ready!"

"Yeah, yeah, ready!" Gajeel takes a deep breath, signalling the rest of us.

So, I start the countdown. "One…two…THREE! Wind Dragon's-"

"Iron Dragon's-"

"Sky Dragon's-"

"Fire Dragon's-"

"Lightning Dragon's-"

"ROAR!" The five streams of magic erupt from our mouths, drowning Acnologia in a blaze of fire, lightning, iron, and air. It's like an uncontrollable swirl of superheated and electrified shrapnel. There's never been anything like it before. And I know that, because we've never pulled this kind of crap before, ever. We weren't dumb enough to.

And the most satisfying part of that attack is that it successfully sends Acnologia flying into a nearby cliff. And then, he slams right into the ocean.

Erza approaches as we touch down. "Did that work?"

"Of course not." Leave it to Gildarts to be the party pooper. "He's not even using half as much power as the time he fought me. He's playing with us." And that would seem to be true, as he emerges once more from the water, flying over our heads like our attacks did nothing to him. Which, apparently, would be the case.

Everyone starts freaking out, but there's a force that pulls me to the back of the crowd and towards a familiar face. "Mavis…"

"Hello Ciara Dragneel." She smiles at me, holding out her hand. "If I give you the power to protect them, will you use it?"

"Of course!" If she's got a way to save everyone, I'd do that without hesitation. "Tell me, how do I protect them!?"

"With this." She glides her fingers along my shoulder, right where my guild emblem is. "It's one of the Great Three Fairy Magics. It can protect you and your friends. I will convert your bonds into magical power. So gather them up and have them funnel all of their magic into you. Act as the vessel for the barrier spell."

"Okay!" If that's what it'll take, then I'll cast the spell. I turn to see the breath attack forming, and I know that it's now or never. "Everyone! Gather around me, quickly! I need all of the power you can give me for the barrier!"

Natsu stares back at me, eyes wide. "You…think you can do it?"

I nod, and my shoulder glows as power flows through me. "Do you trust me?"

There's no hesitation as he wraps me in his arms. "Yeah, always."

"Then everyone needs to gather up into a circle, hold hands, and concentrate all of the power to the center!" I press my hands together, focusing all of the power I have into this new spell.

Natsu grabs Lucy and Happy, Mira grabs her siblings, Gray grabs Juvia, Laxus finds Gramps, and hands come together all around me.

Gray stares at me worriedly. "You sure you can do this?"

"Yeah…" I can already feel their power saturating the air. "It's working! But I need everything you can give me! I don't have the power to cast it on my own! This is the only way we'll make it-"

"Back home to Fairy Tail!" Everyone's voices come crashing down on me as the magic concentrates somewhere near my heart. It's warm and gentle, and it's very comforting. Like the bonds we share.

Then, it intensifies, and it races through my veins as I hold out my hands. "The Second Great Fairy Magic! The light that protects all!" I don't know where the words come from. Probably from Mavis. "Fairy Sphere!"

Everything goes white and disappears around us as the spell and Acnologia's roar collide. And then…nothing.


	91. Searching

**Okay, so since Blue Pegasus was instrumental in this part of the plot (albeit unseen), I'll be doing this from Hibiki's P.O.V. This chapter is going to be a lot shorter, and the one after it is going to be as well, but they're mostly filler, really, so don't mind it too much. Plus, triple update. What's not to like about that?**

 **This chapter is going to to through a lot of different dates, marking the progress (or lack thereof) of the search. Think of this as a diary, Hibiki version.**

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

December 19th X784 - Blue Pegasus Guild

Everything was nice and peaceful until about three days ago, when ethernano levels in the air spiked high above normal levels. I'm still not sure what caused it, but I've been analyzing it ever since, trying to find the answer. Master Bob actually took me off working the front so that I could focus on the results with Archive.

 _If only I could go and analyze it at the source…then I could figure out just what's going on._

"Hibiki?" Eve walks in, accompanied by a guy with sandy hair. "Uh…this is Max. He's from Fairy Tail. And I think you're going to want to hear what he's got to say." I'm not sure whether to consider that a good sign, or an ominous one.

"Sure." I suppose that I can take a break from Archive for a few minutes. "What's going on?"

Max bites his lip, and I notice that he's shaking a bit. Ominous, it is. "The Magic Council came last night and told us that three days ago, Tenrou Island disappeared after being attacked by a dragon called Acnologia. They said that the island was completely annihilated." He gulps. "Our master…and all the S-Class wizards, and all of the candidates for the exam were there as well."

That stops all my thoughts for a moment, before it feels like they start moving at hyper-speed. "Three days ago? You mean when the ethernano levels spiked?" He nods. "Well…that explains the readings." _Wait a minute…_ "You said that all of the strongest members were there?" He nods again. _Then that means…they were there too…Ciara and Natsu._

Eve's eyes widen. "They were on the island when it took the blast?"

Max nods yet again. "I know that you have a magic battleship and sensors that can pick up ethernano levels, so we were wondering if-"

"If we'd use Christina to help search for them?" I'm pretty sure that I'm reading this situation right. "I'll ask Master Bob. But we should be able to get out there and scan for the island." I doubt that we'll get any resistance to the idea, since Master Bob was once a member of Fairy Tail himself.

There's an audible sigh of relief, and it feels like some of the tension leaves the room as Max's shoulders sag. "Thank you. The others are trying to reach out to our friends and allies. There's no way that they could just get blown up. It's not possible."

Well, it is, but it's best not to think that way. "If they're out there, we'll find them."

* * *

December 23rd X784 - Hargeon

It's kind of surprising how many people could be gathered in Hargeon in just a few days. I'm here with Ren Eve, and Ichiya, along with a few of our guild mates to run Christina for us. Lamia Scale has sent some people to help with the search, as well as some organizations from across Fiore that are fond of Fairy Tail. There's got to be dozens of people here, along with a dozen ships.

Most surprising of all is that representatives from the Magic Council are even here to help in the search, even though I'm pretty sure that they hate Fairy Tail with a passion. So their motives, whatever they are, might not just be to recover Fairy Tail's missing members.

Lyon approaches me, his arms crossed and expression a worried one. "So, what's the plan? Just sail out there and hope we find something?"

"Not exactly." I use Archive to bring up a map of the region. "We're going to sail the boats around the area where Tenrou Island is supposed to be, take readings of the ethernano levels, and try to pinpoint the location of the island. Once we figure out exactly where the island is supposed to be, we can start working on a way to find them." Of course, that's easier said than done, seeing as it's a secret island with enchantments around it, designed to keep outsiders from finding it.

"Alright." He looks out at the ocean, probably here for Gray. From what I can tell, they were good friends as kids. "Then we begin."

"Yeah." There's nothing on the horizon, as far as I can see, but my gut tells me that they're out there somewhere. Fairy Tail is nothing if not tenacious.

All of the ships deploy from the harbor, and I stand outside on Christina's main deck, my eyes watching the water for any sign of the island, and my fingers working at Archive's keyboard to register and categorize the increasing number of ethernano readings I'm getting.

"Any luck?" Ren strides over, inspecting the ship for any problems. After our run-in with the Oracion Seis all those months ago, we've become a little paranoid about keeping Christina in shape.

"Not yet. At least, I'm not sure yet." To be fair, I need more readings than this to get a clear picture about what's going on. "I am concerned, though."

"About what?" Ren looks over my shoulder, trying to decipher what's going on with Archive.

"Well, it's about the level of ethernano in the air." The readings are…impossible, to put it one way. "If they're out there, they must be using some kind of barrier spell, because if the degradation of magical particles is following the same rules, then a week ago, this area would have been completely uninhabitable. The ethernano in the air would have made it impossible for anyone to survive."

"So, there's no chance of finding them?" For Ren to be this agitated when he's usually so aloof says a lot.

"Well, they could be using a barrier spell to protect themselves, I guess. Ciara does have a talent for those. Or she and Natsu could be sucking up the ethernano in the air." While she was under my care at Blue Pegasus, there was a day when she told me about the time when Natsu made her eat lacrima charged by an Etherion blast. To be fair, doing that should have killed both of them. But I've stopped assuming that dragon slayers play by the same rules as the rest of us.

"Well, how are we supposed to find them if they're suing a barrier?" And that, Ren, is a good question.

I punch some more numbers into Archive. "I don't know, but we've got to try. We owe it to Fairy Tail to try. We would never have been able to take out the Oracion Seis without them. They need our help, and they'd do the same for us if the situation were reversed." Well, actually, they'd probably do a lot more than just this if it were us who needed help. That's just how they are, always taking things to the extreme, even their help.

* * *

December 30th X784 - Hargeon

They've been missing for a couple of weeks now, and there's still been no sign of them We're still looking, of course, and the reading in the area are slowly starting to show the signs of more advanced ethernano degradation. It's becoming safer to do longer searches, now that the magic particles in the air are no longer toxic to us. Short exposure was fine, but longer exposure could be a problem.

As usual, I'm up on the deck, taking in readings through Archive. I'm getting a good baseline for the fluctuations in the area as the ethernano degrades. And I'm confident that with further degradation, that we'll get closer and closer to finding them.

 _I just hope that they can hold out long enough for us to rescue them…_

Most of the search parties are still ongoing, of course, but the Magic Council's forces have been cut in half, probably because they don't want to spend a lot of resources on what they think is a wild goose chase.

Fairy Tail's remaining members have been persistent in looking for their master and core members, but I've noticed that some of their minor, more flighty members are starting to disappear. I mean, I can hardly blame them for getting spooked and leaving for another guild because they think that the master is never coming back, but it still leaves a bad taste in my mouth to contemplate the possibility.

* * *

February 16th X785 - Near Tenrou Island

It's been two months since the Fairy Tail members disappeared, and slowly but surely, support has been dwindling in the efforts to bring them back safely. Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus are still at it, of course, but the Magic Council, and several organizations who supported the efforts in the beginning have pulled out of the effort.

Of course, it's not like we have anything to show for those efforts yet. This is all I've been working on between jobs, and still, there's nothing pointing towards where they are. We found where Tenrou Island was, but there's nothing more than a hole in the ocean. We've even scanned the seafloor, trying to come up with some kind of clue. But it's like the whole island was just wiped off the face of the earth.

On bad days, I start to think that maybe the Magic Council was right, and that Acnologia really did kill them all.

On good days, though, I prefer to think that there's some kind of magic hiding them away, keeping them safe. It would be just like them to pull off that kind of miracle. So I'm doing my best to keep an open mind so that no matter what happens, I won't be surprised at the end of this endeavor.

Though, on the bright side, our efforts here have gotten us into a new routine, where we fly around, surveying the ethernano levels of all of Fiore, measuring them, and keeping track of their levels so that we have a good baseline for checking for any disturbances. So even if we're not producing results on our main objective, the side-benefits are more than enough to keep us motivated.

The problem is, that there's a lot of Fairy Tail that just aren't motivated anymore, and they're losing members every day. The old members still have the drive to find them, and they're out here with us all the time, searching for their master and friends. But the public knows about everything that's happened. The journalists found the story a long time ago, and it's been plastered all over the papers ever since. I know that eventually they'll get bored of it, but it's doing a lot of damage to the guild's status and reputation.

I can see even more damage being done to their guild, though, and it's not a pleasant thing to watch as their morale goes down. I really don't want to be the one to have to bring them any more bad news. But the longer someone stays missing, the lower the chances of finding them alive. And they've been gone two whole months. _If they haven't found a way to feed themselves and get water…_

I shake my head and focus back on the readings that Archive is showing me. _I can't afford to think like that. We're going to find them, and they're going to be alive when we do. They're Fairy Tail, they can survive anything, even a dragon!_

* * *

December 16th X785 - Blue Pegasus

It's been a year since they disappeared, and though we keep doing our rounds of Fiore, nothing more has turned up. The ethernano levels around Tenrou Island, or at least where it used to be, have calmed, and there's no hint that there was anything there in the first place.

We haven't give up, we're still holding out hope. But it's today, on the anniversary of their disappearance, that we've closed our club and let everyone have the day off.

That said, I'm still in the guild hall, sitting across the bar from Master Bob, who is obsessively cleaning glasses, like he has no idea what to do with himself. "Master…are you alright?"

He stops and puts the glass in his hands down. "…It's been a year since then…" He sighs wistfully. "I do miss Makarov and his munchkins…"

"Yeah…" I swirl my drink around, before downing it in one breath. "We're still looking, but the chances of us finding them are getting smaller by the day." And that's a fact that I really don't like. "I need a hint, a break, some kind of clue. If I had that…" If I had that, I'd definitely be able to track them down.

"Yes…I know." Master Bob pats my cheek, before going back to washing the already clean glasses. It's his coping mechanism. We all have them

Because losing Fairy Tail's strongest has left a hole in a lot of us. And only their return is going to fill it.


	92. Missing Her

**Alright, so for this chapter, I'm bringing back two very special characters. I know you've missed them, and look forward to seeing them a few years old. But, I figure that I might as well go and check on them early. And no, they're not going to be assholes yet. They're still kids (well, fourteen now, but still).**

 **Lets see how Sting and Rogue are doing.**

* * *

August X786 - A year and a half after the disappearance of Tenrou Island.

Rogue's P.O.V.

Since I've already finished my part of the job, I sit in the shade of a tree, Frosch snuggled in my lap for a nap. I met him a couple of years back when I met Sting and Lector, and he's been attached to me ever since. Though I'm still trying to figure out the root of the whole frog thing. A pink frog onesie is all I could come up with to calm him down the first time I called him a cat. Still, I adore the little guy, and I can't imagine not having him around.

 _Speaking of something getting attached…_ A pair of quick footsteps come pounding through the woods towards me, followed by a lighter step. And the two scents are unmistakable. It's my partner and his own pet.

"Hey Rogue!" That familiar shock of blond hair comes bobbing towards me through the trees as he dodges the branches threatening to snap him in the face. "You all done on your end!?"

"Of course I am." Sting is the one who likes to take his time and enjoy a fight, I finished mine hours ago, like usual. "You took too long again, I've been sitting here forever."

"Sorry about that." Sting finishes jogging over, a bright, and only slightly apologetic grin on his face. "Well, should we head back? We finished early, so we could just take a break for a an hour or two."

While it would be good to get moving again, I don't have the heart to disturb Frosch's nap. "I guess we can spare some time." It's not like we're late. And as log as we make it back before we're supposed to return, we'll be fine.

"Alright!" Sting sits down next to me, leaning against the tree as Lector wanders off for a little bit. "By the way…" He looks down at the ground in front of me curiously. "Who's Cia?"

I twitch suddenly, before wiping the name from the dirt, not even remembering how or when I wrote it in the first place. "No one." _I can't believe he saw that… What possessed me to write HER name of all things?_

"No one, huh?" Sting grins and pops right up in my face. "The blush on your face says otherwise. Now come on, fess up. Who is she?" _Ugh, it's just like Sting to get persistent about things he should know to leave well enough alone._

I glare at Sting, not wanting to talk about this. "It's none of your business. Besides, who says it's a she?" Only once it's too late, do I realize how that sounds. I would slap myself, but that would only make Sting even more curious. In fact, I don;t know what would make him less curious about anything. He's just like a cat like that. Though I suppose that explains why he's usually attached at the hip to Lector.

Not that I'm any better with Frosch.

Sting shoots me an unnaturally smug look. "First, it sounds like a girl's name. And second, if you swung for the other team, you'd probably be all over me instead." _Pompous, arrogant little…_ I take a deep breath and stop that train of thought, knowing that in the end, getting angry about it isn't going to do me any good at all.

"Well aren't you full of yourself…" If I'm not careful, Sting really might start to think that I swing the other way. And that would cause a whole new set of problems. _I don't think that's something I want to explore right now…_

"I know!" Sting answers almost gleefully. "So come on, tell me. Where did you meet her? Is she your girlfriend? What does she look like?"

Every question he asks gets on my nerves. "Why does this interest you so much?" _Does he have a book of the most embarrassing and uncomfortable questions to ask me? Or does he just have no filter?_ We've known each other over a year, and I'm still trying to figure him out sometimes. Usually, we're in perfect sync, well, our own version of synchronization, but sometimes, we're completely alien to each other. Like right now, for instance.

"Because you've got a crush!" He points straight into my face, getting uncomfortably close. "And you've never shown any interest in other girls. So I wanna know what makes this Cia so special that you would go and write her name in the dirt. You never write anyone's name down, let alone a girl's."

The heat returns to my cheeks and I stare down at Frosch, using him to ground my thoughts. "It doesn't matter, I haven't seen her in five years."

"Aw…childhood friends, huh?" I know he's teasing me, and I'm trying not to give in to his prodding. "How sweet. So how'd you meet her?" It's getting really hard not to clock him just to teach him a lesson.

That question makes me feel rather uncomfortable. But I guess it doesn't matter, since I don't know if I'll ever see her again anyway. Besides, she's older than me and probably has a boyfriend. Hell, she could be married by now for all I know. "I was nine, and I took a shortcut through a forest full of vulcans. They surrounded me, and just as I was getting ready to fight them and escape, she showed up."

"Oh…?" Now he's looking even more curious. "So a couple of nine year olds fought off a bunch of vulcans? Or were you her knight in shining armor? Girls like the whole knight thing."

I laugh bitterly. "No, I was no help at all." And that's not something I'm particularly proud of. I should have been able to do more, but in the end, I froze up. I was weak, and it nearly got me killed.

Sting stares at me incredulously. "What!? But you're a Dragon Slayer! She couldn't possibly have been more powerful than you!"

I shake my head slowly. "You're wrong. She used wind magic. Dragon Slayer Magic. She drove off all of the vulcans by herself." I shift uncomfortably, because this is the weird part. "And she wasn't nine."

"Wait, she's like us!?" Sting's face brightens, and then suddenly drops. "Don't tell me she's even younger than us… Dude…that's bad…being shown up by a munchkin."

"No." A furious blush creeps across my face. "She wasn't younger than me, she was maybe…fourteen?"

Sting's jaw opens wide. "Fourteen!? She's five years older than us!?" Then he burst out laughing. "I never thought you liked older women! No wonder you don't stare at any of the girls! You chase cougars!"

"I do not!" I suddenly get very defensive, because that's not it at all. And a five year difference doesn't make her a cougar, she's not old enough for that. "It had nothing to do with her age! She just…" I try to come up with the right words. "She was strong, smart, fearless, but also really kind… She took care of me after saving my ass in the forest, even though it set her job back by a day. And then she even brought me along with her to where her client was. She didn't have to do any of that, but…"

Sting's eyes widen. "Wait, was she a member of Phantom Lord?" I'd told him about my idolization of Gajeel a while ago, as well as about following around the Phantom Lord wizards.

But then she left. "No, she wasn't a member of that guild. When a couple of their members showed up, she flew off. I thought it was weird, since she could easily have beaten them. But then I learned about the inter-guild treaties, and it made sense that she didn't try to pick a fight with them."

Sting frowns. "Okay, so then what guild is she part of? You know that much, right?"

I shake my head. "I didn't get a good look at her emblem. The sunlight hit it, making it shine a bright silver, but I couldn't make out the emblem on her shoulder."

"Her shoulder?" Sting's eyes widen. "Was it on her left shoulder?"

"Yeah, why?" I don't see how that's relevant, but apparently Sting thinks it is. "Why does it matter if it as on her left?"

Sting snickers and points at my shoulder. "Is that why you decided to get your guild mark there?"

His point suddenly occurs to me. "What? No! I just thought it would be better than putting it on my face or someplace weird."

"Right…" Sting doesn't sound like he believes me. "So, apart from her emblem being silver, do you know what she looks like?"

I think about it for a minute. But it's hard to forget that face. "Dark eyes, like the night sky. And long, silky, kind of wavy hair that she kept in a couple of ponytails. Her skin was a little tanned, and really soft… And she had a smile that could be fierce and scary one minute, but kind and gentle the next."

"Wow…you've sure got it bad…" Sting shakes his head, a wry smile on his face. "Well, maybe once you're past the zits and voice cracking stage, she might actually give you the time of day."

I flush at his callous prodding of my flaws. _I'm fourteen for crying out loud, puberty is not kind to everyone._ And it is definitely not being kind to me, what with the pimples, oily skin, and greasy quality to my hair, which I've been growing longer to hide the acne. Then there's all the extra sweating, and waking up to growing pains almost every morning, it makes my back, neck, and shoulders ache constantly, though I suck it up, because I still have to go out on jobs. "Quit gloating just because you have the girls in town cooing over you. If I was into that stuff, I'm sure I would care more about how I look. Luckily for me, I'm not blond and stupid." I sure hope that stings him a little.

But he just rolls his eyes. "Don't worry, I've heard that the harder puberty hits, the better the rewards afterward. Though speaking of, when you last saw Cia, did it look like puberty was being kind to her?"

I nearly growl at his insinuation. "I didn't look! All I saw was a teenager with pretty black eyes, soft pink hair, and a smile that could light up a guild hall. I wasn't paying attention to…the rest of her. I was nine!" And to be fair, I hadn't been paying attention to her body…until she crawled into the sleeping bag with me and cradled my head against her chest. But Sting doesn't need to know that part. He really doesn't.

He frowns at me a little, then relaxes and stretches his arms towards the sky. "Well, whatever. You'll get a girlfriend one of these days, then you'll stop being so cold to the girls."

Frankly, I would much rather stay cold to girls. Sting is the one who gets overly attached to them. Sometimes, when we're out on a job, he'll make a point to stare at as many girls' asses as possible, before starting to make commentary on them. That doesn't appeal to me in the slightest. "Whatever."

Sting snickers beside me. "I can't wait to meet her, though. I've never seen you act like this over anyone, let alone a girl, so I gotta meet the girl responsible for making you turn int a tomato."

"I'm not a tomato!" Of all the things Sting could have said, that had to have been the stupidest. I do not in any way resemble a fruit. Not even if my cheeks are burning.

Sting quiets down and hums a little. "So, if she was fourteen back then, how old would she be now? Nineteen?" Sting rocks from side to side. "That all kinda sounds familiar though…where have I seen a pink-haired dragon slayer before…?"

"You've met a pink-haired dragon slayer?" I raise an eyebrow at him, not entirely sure if he's serious or not.

"Yeah, I think so…" He closes his eyes, pressing his face to his knees. "Hm…" Then, he snaps up all of a sudden. "No way! I remember now! I met her like…two years ago! Cia, right? Ciara Dragneel! She's Salamander's sister!"

A little hope bubbles in my chest, before being stamped out by embarrassment, and then, horror. "Wait…if thats true, then she's part of Fairy Tail, right? But I thought that all of their strongest wizards disappeared a couple of years ago."

"Yeah…" Sting looks pretty put out as well. "I guess that means that she's gone…just like Natsu and Gajeel."There's disappointment in his voice, disappointment that I share, because those two are our idols. Which means, of course, that given the opportunity, we want to fight them.

Silence stretches between us as my fingers find something to do in petting Frosch's fur. It's soothing, and I need soothing right now. My memories of her are all bathed in warmth and softness, and a voice singing to me, one that still sings to me sometimes in my dreams. It's gentle, passionate, and comforting.

 _But if she's in Fairy Tail…then that makes her the enemy._ Sting and I joined Sabertooth last year, and the most important rules there are that the weak are crushed, and that all other guilds are our competition. We are the strongest guild, and we will prove that to all of Fiore. And that means beating the other guilds to get there.

After another hour of sitting around, taking a break, Sting gets to his feet with Lector safely back in his arms. "Alright, let's head back to the guild. We'll get in trouble if we take too long getting back."

"Right." Trouble is an understatement, though. If Jiemma sees anything that he considers to be a sign of weakness, even if that just means getting back late from a job he considers easy, the punishment can be brutal. And I don't want to needlessly subject any of us to something like that. There's going to be no fights to the knockout for us, no reason for expulsion from the guild.

But in the end, that's what makes Sabertooth strong. We have no room for the weak, they are weeded out and crushed. Sting and I are not weak. We're going to surpass Natsu and Gajeel, and prove once and for all that we're the strongest dragon slayers alive, that the third generation has surpassed the first.

Because we are the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth.


	93. Once Lost, Now Found

**Wow, I'm really on a roll now. This is the...fifth chapter I've gotten done up in less than 24 hours. I guess being motivated to make up for such a long absence is paying off. I hope you guys are enjoying my wild imagination, because those battle scenes were really hard. Now, we're going to be getting back into the easy stuff. Like the job next chapter where Ciara meets... *drum roll* Rufus!**

 **Now, time for the rescue chapter. And since I need another P.O.V. for a bit, I'll be bringing in one for Bisca just this once. But let's start with someone a little more familiar for a second.**

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

It's been six years two months, and twenty-seven days since Tenrou Island was destroyed by Acnologia. Or so we thought. But the readings I've been getting from the area are changing, fast. There's something going on there, and it's not natural.

Now, I utter the words that I've been waiting over six years to say. "Sir Ichiya. I think I've found them." I've finally got a solid lead on Fairy Tail's missing wizards.

* * *

Bisca's P.O.V.

 _Is it wrong for me to be hopeful that we'll find them alive?_

Well the answer should be no. But after so long without a whisper of them, it might just be too much to hope that we'll find them alive, if at all. I sigh, putting down the binoculars. "Are you sure we're lookin' in the right area?"

Alzack frowns, looking out at the water. "It does seem odd we haven't seen a thing."

Warren is keeping an eye out with his telepathy. "This is where the Pegasus guys told us to go. They said there's something up with the ethernano levels."

"So what is ethernano, anyway?" Max turns the map over, as if trying to read it upside down might give us some kind of clue.

"Heck if I know." Warren frowns. "I'm guessin' it's magic particles or something." If Ciara were here, she would have a whole explanation lined up, and we'd be sitting around for ten minutes, trying to figure out how to translate whatever she said.

What I wouldn't give to have a windstorm breaking up a brawl in the guild hall nowadays…

Max finally unglues his eyes from the map. "Having any luck with your telepathy?"

"I'm not picking up anything at all." Warren shuts his telepathy off, conserving his energy for later, in case we make another pass.

I sigh as well, before turning to Alzack for a little comfort. "Y'know, hon, I feel kinda bad about leavin' Romeo behind." The little guy has been pining after Natsu and the other for years, and it feels kinda cruel to just leave him behind like this.

"Me too. Maybe we should've brought him along after all."Alzack wraps an arm around my waist, leaning his cheek against my head.

"Nah, it's better this way, cause there's no guarantee they're still alive." Max may say what we're all thinking, but it still stings to hear it.

Warren agrees. "That's the grim truth. There's no point in getting everyone's hopes up."

But as soon as Jet and Droy start dancing all over the deck, yelling their excitement at seeing Levy again, I sigh. "Well, so much for not getting our hopes up."

"Can't say that I blame em, though." Alzack's right, and I can't blame em either. Even if they're a couple of dunderheads without their team leader around.

"Would you please shut up!" Warren yells that so loud that he might as well have screamed it with his telepathy turned on high. "It's been seven years since we last heard from them. We gotta consider the worst case scenario."

That sobers everyone up quickly. But then…something feels off to me. "That's weird."

"What is it?" Alzack watches me bemusedly.

"It's like the breeze just stopped." And out here, the breeze stopping makes it hot and miserable. But…this doesn't feel natural at all, not with how suddenly it happened.

He looks up, his senses going on alert. "Now that you mention it, it is strangely quiet." That's also true, there's not even any sea birds around here.

Max looks around, before squinting out at the water. "Anyone else see that?"

I walk to the bow to get a better look, checking through the binoculars just to make sure. "You guys, that is definitely a person." And she really is just standing there on top of the water.

But as for who it is…that's not nearly as important as the fact that as soon as she raises her hands, the ocean goes crazy, and waves rock the boat as a huge dome emerges from the water, inside it…an island. And it's completely whole.

I stare at it, grabbing onto Alzack for balance. "Oh my gosh, is that it!?"

"I think so!" He's just as shocked as I am. And why not? An island just popped out of the ocean after seven years, like it was there the whole time.

The dome dissolves, revealing the island to be completely intact, if not totally pristine. "That girl, she's headed to the shore!" Warren points down towards the rocky beach.

So, since we're left within nothing else to do, we go about getting off the boat and chasing her onto the island. And honestly, none of this makes any sense. "Any idea who that girl is?"

"Nope, I've got no clue. All I know is that she helped us find Tenrou Island. Maybe she's taking us to the others!" Well, I guess that's a possibility. It's good to know that Alzack hasn't lost hope either.

Jet speeds on ahead, racing into the forest, but stopping only a short ways ahead, seemingly in shock. Max raises his voice to get Jet's attention. "What is it!?"

But he doesn't respond, leaving it to us to run over there to find out what he's staring at.

And when we get there, what we see are Natsu and Ciara, half buried under a mountain of rock and dirt. "Oh no!" I cover my mouth, horror shooting through me. _Natsu! Ciara!_

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I feel heavy, like I'm being squished by something. I don't like it. So I force my arms to move, and I groan as I open my eyes and the world spins. My legs are being crushed by…something, so I wait for the colors to stop popping in my eyes, and for things to come into focus, before looking back over my shoulder and noticing the debris piled on my legs. _Well, no wonder it felt like I couldn't move._

So, I rectify the situation by blowing all of the rocks and dirt off. Then, I roll myself over, sitting upright as I look around, following my nose until I see where my brother is buried. "Okay, rise and shine Natsu, it's morning already." Though in all honesty, apart from the fact that it's daytime, I have no idea what time it is. Either way, it's time for him to wake up.

"Ciara!" My name is called by half a dozen voices, so I look back towards the trees, my nose twitching as I pick up several familiar scents.

I blink in confusion as the images in front of me do not match up, and yet…somehow do with the scents. "…Alzack? Bisca? Max? Warren?" And then, the two who look the most different. "Jet? And…Droy?" _Jeez, if that's Droy, then he got seriously fat! He looks like he ate a couple of cows!_

Bisca glomps me in an instant, wrapping her arms around me tightly. "Ciara, you have no idea how good it is to see ya!"

I hug her back, finding her hair to be…a whole lot longer than I remember it. "Bisca…your hair got longer." Much longer than should be possible without magic.

"Huh?" She pulls back for a second, then smiles sadly. "You haven't aged a day…"

"Haven't aged a…" I look around at all of them, and it all clicks together. "How…how long we were in there?" It felt like only a few hours, but…they all look older, a lot older. _What the hell?_

Max grimaces. "It's March fifteenth, year seven hundred and ninety-one."

"Seven ninety…" That hits me like a train going at full speed. "Six years…three months?" He nods in confirmation. My blood goes cold. "No…" _I screwed up. I screwed up so badly…_

Natsu groans slightly next to me, snapping me out of it. "I can't do that now. I have to get them out." I wave my hand, and a gust blows all of the first and rock off of Natsu, unburying him. "Come on, Natsu…" _Get up, lazybones!_ I give him a push over onto his back, and he jolts up into a sitting position, his soft snores stopping abruptly. "What's goin' on!?"

"Just get up, idiot. We need to go and sniff out the others." _Great…I hate dealing with Natsu first thing in the morning._ Luckily, that's largely Happy's job now.

"Aw…but I don't wan-" He freezes when he sees our other guildmates, and completely ignores me in favor of chatting to them instead, like they're the most interesting things he's ever seen.

"Fine…" I roll my eyes and peer into the trees, taking a deep breath before roaring, minus the magic. Not a Wind Dragon's Roar, just me being excessively loud in order to wake up anyone and everyone here on the island. _I guess they can just dig themselves out if they have to._ Then, I look up to the cliff ledge to see Mavis standing there. "Master Mavis…"

Natsu looks over at our First Master and frowns. "Uh…who're you?"

Magic flows around around her as she smiles. "Don't worry, I mean you no harm. I'm the Fairy Tail guild's First Master. My name's Mavis Vermilion."

I bite my lip, feeling rather guilty. "She's the one who gave me the spell to protect us…and I screwed it up." I never meant to trap us in time, and especially not for so long. But there's no time to dwell on it. "Come on, let's round everyone up." I look back at the group who came for us. "I assume that you have a boat."

Max nods. "Yeah, we came here on a boat, looking for the island. We didn't expect…well, we didn't expect to find you guys like this."

"You mean young and confused?" Which about sums up my current state, as far as I can tell. "Yeah…it's a bit of a shock to see you guys like this too." After all, it feels like we were at the guild just a week ago. But that's apparently wrong. "Anyway, if you guys have a boat, then let's split up for now. I'll go back to the boat and get it turned around and ready to leave, and you guys round everybody up."

"Alright!" Natsu jumps to his feet, looking as fired up as usual. "Let's get everyone and go home!"

I smile at his enthusiasm as I turn towards the beach. Well, the one in the direction that Max and the others came from. That's probably where the boat is docked. "I'll see you all in a bit. And don't go forgetting anyone, okay?"

There's various nods, murmurs, and cheers of assent, so I leave them behind and head for the boat, gliding through the air, swerving between trees as the beach comes closer. And soon enough, the forest spits me out right next to the boat. Perfect… It looks pretty sturdy, which is a good thing, considering what I'm planning on putting it through.

It takes me about fifteen minutes to get the boat properly turned around and ready to sail off towards Hargeon. And its just in time too, because that's about when the trees rustle, expelling everyone from them. I breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing them. "Good, you all made it." And I mean that in more ways than one.

"Yes we did, child." Gramps stares at me knowingly. "The spell worked, and we're all here, safe and sound." It's like he's telling me not to blame myself for the spell going wrong.

"Yeah…I'm still not too clear on what happened." Gray rubs his head, shaking it a little like a dog trying to get water out of its ear. "How did you do that, anyway?"

"Uh…well…" It wasn't really me that did it, but how do I explain that a ghost helped me?

"I can explain." Mavis reappears, hovering just above the ground. "When the dragon attacked, I was able to convert the bonds of trust and friendship between your guild mates into pure power. With that power and all of your magic, Ciara agreed to be the vessel for the activation of Fairy Sphere, one of the Three Great Fairy Magics. It I an absolute defense spell, capable of protecting the guild from all manner of evil. Those inside the impenetrable sphere were in a suspended state." As though that's supposed to make us feel better. "It's been seven long years, but the spell has finally been lifted."

"My word. To think we were saved by Fairy Tail's founding master!" Gramps seems overjoyed at this prospect, rather than alarmed by the fact that we've been dead to the world since December of seven years ago.

Mavis shakes her head. "No, no. I am incorporeal. I used what little energy I had left to convert your bonds into magic power. Your unwavering conviction and your love for one another…they are what brought forth this miracle." She starts to rise into the sky, glowing brighter and brighter as she smiles. "You should be proud of the guild you've built! They're wonderful." And then, she disappears in a flash of light, dissolving into mist.

I stare at the place she once was, before lowering my gaze and turning towards the beach. "Come on, let's go. We have a guild to return to."

"Yeah!" Natsu races past me towards the boat, before stopping in his tracks and looking back at Wendy. "Uh…think you could do something about my motion sickness first?"

Wendy giggles. "Of course, Natsu." She jogs after him, using her healing magic as they head for the boat, followed by…how many of us are there anyway? Two dozen? It's definitely not a small group.

In any case, I make sure to quickly take my place on the boat, standing at the helm so that I can blow wind into the sail and speed our journey home. Home, a place that we haven't seen in seven years, even if it only feels like a week to us. It's going to be a horrible disconnect.

* * *

Hours later, and after a long boat ride, and an even longer train ride, we get off at the station in Magnolia, drawing more than a few stares from onlookers, some of whom I'm fairly certain recognize us. Not that it's really that surprising, after all, we were pretty famous for a long time, even if they haven't seen us in over half a decade.

And part of the download that we got on the way here was the…relocation of the guild to a little pub outside of the city. While that's not really what I was hoping to have happen, at least it means that the guild didn't collapse completely in our absence. If it had, I couldn't blame them, after all, the entire core of the guild was just gone. That would cripple anyone.

As we walk up the front path of the humble establishment, I see the commotion at the entrance to the guild and frown. "Looks like we've got trouble."

"Again!?" Max looks unduly worried, which makes me wonder just what's happened the last few years. "Twlight Ogre is back already!?"

Natsu cracks his knuckles eagerly. "Feel like a bit of exercise, Sis?"

I smirk. "I think that would be kind of nice. Do you want the first punch? Or should I knock them all to the floor first?"

"Let me get in a good kick, then you can have your way with them." Natsu grins as he barrels forward, sliding up behind the guy in the middle, before kicking him in the ass, sending him flying across the tiny guild hall.

And instant later, my hands bring on a powerful gust of wind, flattening his four friends like pancakes. I scoff at them. "Looks like you bozos aren't too smart. So with that in mind, take this as a warning." I stand tall and proud, glaring down at them. "Pick on our guild again, and you're going to be in a world of pain, courtesy of Fairy Tail's dragon slayers!"

Natsu laughs at my proclamation, before grinning at the familiar faces before us. "Look who's back!"

"Sorry to keep you waiting for so long!" Happy jumps high into the air, flying circles around everyone's heads.

The outpouring of affection from the guild mates we accidentally left behind is astonishing and heartwarming, but also very sad. After all, they should never have been reduced to something like this. Nevertheless, it's the welcome back home that counts the most. And if we have our way, this situation is going to be rectified soon enough.

And part of rectifying that is the party we hold now that we're all back. And luckily, everyone is way too busy singing and dancing and hugging each other to start brawling. Which means that for once, I can have the night off to relax and not be on brawl duty.

* * *

When the party finally starts to die down, I head home for the first time in seven years. _Man, the dust buildup is going to be horrible._ On the bright side, at least I own my house, and no one is going to come collecting rent. Not to mention that since I wasn't dead, the barrier spells around it should still be up. So the place should be untouched.

My assumptions prove correct when I glide up to the front door with ease, passing through the barriers still there, and unlock the door with a little magic. I push the door open, and another assumption is proven correct. There's dust everywhere.

I sigh, heading for a cupboard and pulling a clean cloth from it. "Well, might as well get started on the cleaning." After all, I have to make this place habitable again. And the first thing to do is put the blankets and sheets of my bed in the wash. The machines can take care of that while I dust everything until it shines.

This is going to be a long night. And then I have a visit to make to Blue Pegasus.


	94. Fairy Lights

**The homework mountain is now only a small pile, and my stress levels have finally dropped back down to acceptable levels. With that in mind, I'm ready to write some fun stuff. A sudden burst of inspiration is how I came up with this little adventure. It turned out very differently than I originally imagined it, but I hope that you like how it turned out.**

 **Well, it's finally time to meet Rufus (who I figure is less of an ass when no one from Sabertooth is around to watch him). And since the only part of the Key of the Starry Skies arc that I like are the opening and ending theme songs, This is what Ciara is going to be doing while that's going down. So please, enjoy the distraction.**

* * *

After a long night of cleaning my house top to bottom, and hating every minute of it, I sleep until noon, before heading to the guild hall. On the bright side, I didn't have any fresh food in my house to go bad while I was away. On the other hand, I still threw out all of the canned stuff, since most of it was well past the expiration date.

That leaves me with heading to the guild for some food. I would check the job board while I'm there, but I'll leave the jobs for everyone else. They need the money, I don't.I've got plenty of savings stashed under my bed, and everything I've got stored at the bank has probably been compiling interest like crazy, so I won't have to worry about that for a while. The letter I wrote them this morning should handle whatever issues they might have.

I walk into the small guild hall, smiling at Mira and Kinana at the bar. I'd almost forgotten about Kinana joining the guild while I was out of commission and stay at Blue Pegasus. But it's good to see that our most dedicated members stayed, even if maybe that wasn't the best thing for them. After all, they had no idea if we were ever coming back.

As I sit down at the bar, Mira smiles ad puts a plate in front of me. "The usual, right?"

I glance at the mouthwatering sight, then smirk. "You know me well." I slide her and Kinana the money, along with a sizable tip. "Anything interesting going on?" I dig into my food, just waiting for Mira to start updating me on all the gossip she's no doubt heard in spades this morning.

"Actually…" She pulls out an envelope and hands it to me. "This arrived about an hour ago for you."

I raise an eyebrow, but take the letter and flick it open with my left hand, my right hand busy with my fork. My eyes scan the letter once I have it unfolded, and the contents are a surprise. _I guess our return made the morning papers, or maybe the gossip mill is just turning extra quickly._ I wasn't expecting one of my old clients to get in touch so quickly. The mayor must have been waiting eagerly for my return

Inhaling my food as quickly as I can, I read through the details of the request, what few there are, and take a deep breath as I finish the plate and letter. "Alright. It looks like I'm off to Thyme to meet with Mayor Romano." Jeez, that's a blast to the past. And it's a wonder that the man is still mayor after all this time. He must have gotten elected for a couple extra terms.

"Alright, I'll tell Master that you're going!" Mira sweeps away my plate with a smile. "Have fun!"

"Got it!" I take the letter with me and pick my bag up on the way out of town. But before I get on with my job, there's someone that I should probably pay a visit to first.

* * *

I sneak inside after an hour-long trip through the sky, making my way to the bar without drawing any attention to myself. Though I'm pretty sure that the change from a red hooded vest to a silver vest with a high, wide collar, and a blue off the shoulder shirt with silver embroidery might be enough to throw some people off.

Though I doubt that my long pink hair tied up in my usual two ponytails are going to throw anyone off.

Placing some money on the bar, I smile at Master Bob's back. "I'll take the strongest you've got as long as it's sweet and sour."

Our favorite cross-dressing guild master turns around with a smile. "Why of course, dearie!" Then he freezes, before the glass in his hand goes flying. "Oh! Ciara, honey! You're back!"

Luckily, my wind magic catches the glass before it hits the floor. "Yeah, and I dropped in for a visit on my way to meet with an old client. So…can I get that drink?" I place the glass back on the counter, still smiling brightly. "After all, it's been a while since I've had a drink here."

The guild master beams. "Of course you can. Just give me a minute to make you something extra special."

"Sure." I lean my elbow on the bar and look around the room, only t see a very familiar face approaching, looking several yeas older, as expected. "Well…it's been a while, hasn't it, Hibiki?"

He smirks invitingly, though don't ask me how. "It's good to see you, Ciara. For a while there, I didn't expect to see you back in one piece. Or…" He looks me up and down. "So young. It's like you haven't age a day. You're as beautiful now as you were then."

"That would be because I haven't." I figure that something like that should be obvious. "And don't flirt with me, Hibiki, you're too old for me." A ten year age gap? No thank you.

He chuckles. "What, I can't compliment a lady when she deserves to be complimented?" As if he isn't pulling out lines like that all the time anyway…

I roll my eyes. "Fine, you may compliment me, it strokes my ego." After all, any dragon would love to have their ego stroked like that. I've definitely noticed that we're a very prideful lot.

"Here you are, Dearie." Bob pushes a colorful drink towards me, and the bright yellow and red kind of remind me of a venomous snake, or maybe a fire. _Oh…this is gonna be good._

Hibiki smirks. "Going for the hard stuff right off the bat, huh? Just my kind of girl."

"You can't handle me, and you know it." I take a sip of the drink and grin as it burns a track down my throat. "Seriously, though, thanks for your help. You're the one who found us, weren't you?"

That calms him down fast, and he sits on the stool next to me, his hand on my shoulder. "Yeah, I did. I had a lot of help, though, and some of us were more invested in seeing you guys come home."

"Yeah, I'll bet." The Magic Council probably isn't too happy to see us back. Not that any of us care what they think in the first place. "Still, thanks. You didn't have to look as long as you did. Most people would have reasonably given up by now."

"Well, you've got a very stubborn family at Fairy Tail." Well, he's got a point there. I doubt there's any guild out there as stubborn as ours. Even if most of the members left, the core of our family is stubborn to a fault. "So, what are you doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be at Fairy Tail right now?"

I shake my head and nearly finish the drink. "An old client sent a request to Fairy Tail to have me go to Thyme to check out their public library Apparently, there's been strange things happening at night, and they think that there might be a curse involved. The mayor is an old client of mine, and since I can function as a cursebreaker, he sent a message and offered a lot of money for having this problem cleaned up. You guys are on the way there, so I thought I'd drop in and say hi, have a drink, and socialize a bit before heading off to work."

"Good to know that we're important enough for you to take a detour." He slides the glass away once I've emptied it. "And it's good to see that you're back safe and sound, and with your work ethic intact."

"Yeah, it's good to be back." Though it still hurts that we lost so much time. Everyone else grew up around us…and we've stayed still. It's a bit disorienting, actually. "Anyway, I'd enjoy staying longer but-"

"But the world doesn't stop spinning for us wizards." He gets to his feet and pulls me up as well, pressing a kiss to my fingers. The damn flirt. "Would you like to dance before you leave?"

"I think I'm good." Hibiki probably just wants an excuse to get his hands all over me. It seems that his playboy tendencies haven't faded in the slightest while we've all been away. "Anyway, I have to go. A cursed library is not something that I want to leave around as a surprise for unsuspecting citizens."

"Right…" His playboy smile fades, turning into that real smile that I much prefer. "It really is good to have you back. Fiore has been too quiet without you guys."

"I'll bet." I slip my hand from his and grin. "Well, I guess that won't be a problem much longer. We're back and ready to cause as much noise as ever!" I walk towards the door, waving to Eve and Ren on my way out. "See you later!"

Blue Pegasus is a breath of fresh air, but familiar as well. Very little has changed here. There are new faces, and the faces I know are older, more mature, for the most part, but it's still very familiar and comfortable. And that's really what I needed.

* * *

The approach to Thyme is uneventful an peaceful, and the landscape hasn't changed in the years I was asleep. That's another comfort as I soar over the city and land lightly in front of Town Hall.

One of the guards approaches and stops me. "Hold, who are you and what is your business here?"

"I'm a wizard of Fairy Tail, here by the request of Mayor Romano." I show them the guild emblem on my shoulder. "Now, he's expecting me, so I'll be going."

"Why would he send for a wizard from the weakest guild in the kingdom?" The guard doesn't seem to believe my story. "What are you going to do?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Weakest guild in Fiore? Right, I suppose that word hasn't spread yet." I stride right past him, not caring for his attempts to stop me. "Those of us who were said to have died seven years ago…we're not dead." I glare back at him. "We're back."

That stops him in his tracks, and gives me the freedom to move ahead without obstruction, blowing open the doors in front of me and making my way inside. It's been a long time since I last set foot in this place, and the decor has changed, but the feeling is the same.

A figure strides out of an office on the second floor, stopping, and looking down at me. "Well, well…" He smiles. "It's good to see that you're alive and well, Dragon Wing."

"Yeah, so I've been told." I pull the letter out of my bag and hold it up. "You asked for me, so I think it's time that you tell me what the situation is. That way, I can get to work sooner rather than later." Be cause I know from experience that the longer you leave a curse in place, the worse the effects get, and the harder it is to deal with it.

"Yes, come with me." He beckons me into his office, and I follow dutifully, closing the door behind me as he sits at his desk. "The problem began approximately three months ago, and we have sought the help of several guilds, trying to solve the problem. However, not a single effort has proven to be fruitful. When I heard of your miraculous return, I though that appealing to you for help might solve our problem."

I sit in the chair in front of his desk and return the letter to my bag. "Well, I can't guarantee anything, but I'll do what I can to solve your problem as quickly as I can."

"Thank you." He laces his fingers together. "Now, the problem is fairly simple. The public library has incidents occurring after dark. Books are dropped from shelves, ladders are pushed over, and no one can pinpoint the cause. The townspeople believe that the library is cursed, and the librarians are too afraid to stay after the sun goes down."

"I see…" Well, that does sound a bit like what was happening the last time I dealt with a curse. "Would it be possible to close the library for a week or so, while I figure out the root of the problem?" I'm giving myself that long, just in case the cause proves to be hard to find. "I may be able to complete the task faster, or it might take longer, but a week sounds like a reasonable time-frame to me, if you're agreeable to it."

He nods. "A week it is. Very few still frequent the library, so I doubt that anyone will notice if we close it for a few days." Then, he seems to get an idea. "Also, one of the wizards who came to attempt to solve the problem is still in the city. Perhaps if you speak to him, it might be helpful."

"It might…" I definitely won't turn down information that could help me to help these people. I just hope that the other wizard is friendly.

* * *

The guards close the library doors behind me as the last stragglers walk down the front steps and away from the library. The guards have been ordered not to allow any civilians inside until I've finished here. At least that way, I'll have peace and quiet while I work.

I walk through the library, up and down every row of shelves. There's definitely something funny in the air here, and the very faint signs of dark magic. Though I only know that because I've been exposed to it before. I doubt that many other wizards would be ale to pick up on it at all. _No wonder they still have this problem. This might take me more than just a week…_

But a Fairy Tail wizard never goes back on their word. And I gave mine by accepting this request. Which means that I'm honor-bound to get to the bottom of this mystery, no matter what.

And the first step in doing that is the find the source of the faint magic that's trickling out into the library. Once I find that, I can examine it and get to work. It's just that finding it is the real issue.

I patrol the aisles for hours, searching and trying to home in on the magic. Well, until another magical presence enters the library. _I…don't recognize this signature._ Is it the wizard that the mayor told me about? Or is it an enemy? Not only that, but I can smell him. Definitely a him, but a very…flowery kind of man.

To be safe, wind swirls around my hand, ready for me, just in case this turns into a battle. "Show yourself."

"So, you detected by presence." The voice is definitely that of a man as he turns the corner, revealing a young man, probably nineteen, with long blond hair and a very dramatic red outfit, topped off with a wide-brimmed hat adorned with a sweeping pink feather. "Impressive."

"And you are?" I keep my voice light and polite, but leave no room for him to assume that it's not a question that he'd better answer fast.

He sweeps the hat from his head and bow slightly. "Rufus Lore, a wizard of Sabertooth. And yourself?"

 _Sabertooth? I've never heard of that guild…_ "My name is Ciara. I've been hired by the mayor to lift the curse on the library."

"I see." He places the hat back on his head and watches me almost…calculatingly. "And how do you propose on doing that?"

Not that it's any of his business what I plan to do, there's not much point in hiding it. "I plan to track down the source of the sinister magic and take a look at what I'm dealing with, before deciding on which procedures to take to break whatever spell is causing the problems here."

"And if there is no such object?" His eyes are cold, despite the friendly tone to his voice.

"There is." That much, I know for sure. "I just need time to follow the trail of magic." Then, I decide to take the mayor's advice. "Is there anything that you can tell me that will help me to lift the spell on the library?"

"Only that the spell you speak of is not found among the books." He picks one of the books off the closest shelf, his eyes sweeping back and forth across the pages behind the mask that matches his hat. "I have been searching for four days and have found nothing. It is quite vexing."

Well that's only slightly helpful. It at least gives me a place not to look. "In that case, I guess that I should just follow my nose." Well, figuratively. Unless the curse has a particular scent, in which case, I'll be very happy.

I can feel him eyeing me as I wander through the library, letting my senses guide me as I stroll through without a care. If I'm going to find this curse, I'll probably end up stumbling across it sooner or later. We have a bad habit of doing that, and it doesn't always work out very well.

While I hunt around the library, that Rufus guy just peruses the books. If that's what he was doing the whole time on this job, then I can see how he failed to get anything substantial done. Then again, he might actually have tried. Even I trying, and so far, nothing is happening.

On the other hand, it was said that most of the incidents were happening at night. So, chances are good that if I stick around after it gets dark, I might get more of a lead on what to do. That means that I probably won't be getting much sleep tonight.

So, I keep wandering around, looking at various books as I make my rounds. Some of them are moderately interesting, some of them less so. But then again, I'm biased in favor of older books, especially those that consider old forms of magic. Very few public libraries are going to have such valuable books as part of their collection.

Making another round, I look out a window and notice the sun going down. _Looks like I'll be seeing what's going on here soon._ And for some reason, Rufus is still hanging around. Not entirely sure why, since I'm taking over this job. But maybe he's just paranoid about it and wants to make sure that it gets done. Or…he wants to get it done before I do. The latter is what worries me most.

I start humming to myself to pass the time, and every minute that ticks by sends shivers up and down my spine. _There's something here…there's something else in the library with us._ That's what my instincts are screaming at me now. And I know well to trust that instinct. Besides, better safe than sorry.

"Rufus!?" I call out to him in the darkness. "Are you still in here!?"

There's silence, before he strides around the corner with a ball of light in hand. "What's this…are you frightened?"

I really don't like his tone, but I can complain about that later. "No, but I thought that you should know that there's something here with us."

"Is there…?" He narrows his eyes at me for a moment, before looking around the room, searching for whatever it is that I' sensing.

It's weird…I can feel them…and I could swear that I hear something, but I can't smell anything other than us and the books. And that really puts me off, since no matter what's around me, I can usually pick out a scent. Which means that either my nose is going haywire, my hearing and sense of magic are screwy, or…whatever I'm feeling and hearing has no smell to it at all.

That's a frightening thought, because everything alive has a smell.

Then, Rufus disappears down one of the rows of books, leaving me alone near the reference desk. I can hear them, but it seems that Rufus can't. And if that's the case, then it's because my senses are enhanced to the point that I'm the only one who can tell that we're not alone. Normally, that would be a bit of an ego boost. But this…this makes me feel uneasy.

Sighing, I place my hands ac on the desk, hoisting myself up to sit on the wooden surface. "Come on…where are you…?" Maybe it really is some kind of haunting, and I'm actually dealing with some kind of specter. If that's the case, well…I'm woefully unprepared for that.

Still, the silence is deafening, and the whispers in the dark are freaking me out a little. So, I go to my natural recourse in this kind of situation. I sing.

 _ **"Hey Fairy, where are you going?**_

 _ **I'm trying to assemble all this light…**_

 _ **I'll shine it down and make tomorrow bright!**_

 _ **Now do you hear the voices calling out your name?**_

 _ **Because I lost my voice while doing the same!**_

 _ **I'll never quit until I feel your beating heart!**_

 _ **The sun and moon have joined in celebration!**_

 _ **Have you forgotten their affiliation?**_

 _ **When you're not here to share your laughter with me…**_

 _ **I just can't find my inspiration!**_

 _ **Now it's snowing, keep going, be honest, keep smiling…**_

 _ **Cause we're approaching, the clock keeps on ticking…**_

 _ **And it never stops!**_

 _ **Hey Fairy, where are you going?**_

 _ **I'm trying to assemble all this light…**_

 _ **I'll shine it down and make tomorrow bright!**_

 _ **Don't say goodbye…"**_

Natsu comes to mind as the notes fade into the air. And as I open my eyes, having closed them as I began to sing, something very odd occurs. Small balls of light emerge from the darkened corners of the room, floating towards me like little lanterns in the darkness.

It's odd enough that I hold a hand out to touch them, and even as they continue to approach, I can feel…something from them. And the whispers are growing louder, coming from these little balls of light. _But…where have I seen these before?_

One of them settles in my outstretched hand. It's warm, soft, and pleasant to the touch. But it's also…sad? It's like it has feelings emanating from it. Like…it's a person, instead of a ball of light.

 _Wait a minute…_

"Ah!" I have seen them before, in a book. "You're…will o' the wisps! Magical spirits!" In response, one of them lands next to me and pushes a book off the counter. They can touch things, which means that they must be responsible for the falling things. But that begs one question. "What are you all doing here?" They hang out in old places, secluded places, where they can be away from the negative energies of bad people. They're very sensitive to that sort of thing.

"Have you discovered something?" Rufus comes around the corner and pauses. "I see that you have found the specters. Now they can be eradicated."

 _Ah…I knew that there was something I didn't like about this guy._ "No one is eradicating them. I'm going to find whatever is holding them here, and then set them free. They're not supposed to be in a place like this." I gently pat the one in my hand, the poor thing trembling, as though understanding what the other wizard said. "Don't worry, I'll lift whatever magic is trapping you, and then you and your friends can go home. Okay?"

That seems to perk it up a bit, and it floats out of my hand to nuzzle its warm feeling against my chest. And just like that, many more of the wisps emerge from the shadows, dancing around me like a swarm of…dare I say it…fairies. Some of them break away, dancing off in a different direction.

The one cuddled up to me presses against my shoulder, before drifting towards the others, all forming almost a line off towards the back of the library. "Do you want me to follow you?" If that's the case, then maybe they can lead me to whatever has trapped them. It would certainly be in their best interest to do something like that.

Sliding myself off the counter, I follow along behind them, while some of them swoop back around to push at my back, their tiny forms of light surprisingly substantial. It's the oddest sensation, especially since they feel warm. It's definitely not what I was expecting when I took the job.

Unfortunately, Rufus is following behind me, and the wisps seem to be agitated by his presence. So I throw a look back over my shoulder. "Why are you coming down here?" After his earlier comment, I figure that it's only reasonable for me to be suspicious of his motives.

His gaze holds steady, and he looks distinctly unperturbed. "I wish to see what it is that they're leading you to. I have never witnessed such a phenomenon before, and I am curious."

"I see…" That doesn't make me feel much better, but I figure that if he tries to pull anything, I can take him. "Well, whatever you do, don't so anything stupid like trying to hurt these wisps. It's not their fault that they're stuck here, and if I were stuck as a wisp in an old library, I would probably make noise to try and get someone's attention too." At least, that's my theory for why they've been making such a racket for the last few months. They're in a cage, and they want out. That's more than reasonable.

There's nothing more from Rufus as we descend a hidden set of stairs tucked away behind a tapestry. I hadn't found it earlier because there's no particular scent coming from down here. But…I can definitely feel the sinister magic growing stronger.

The mossy statue sitting in a hidden room at the bottom of the staircase would explain a few things. "An idol, huh?" That's definitely an easy kind of object to attach a curse to. And who nows how long it's had to stew. I can feel the curse's power starting to grow, as if angry with our presence.

The wisps don't seem to like it either, because they start zipping around in a frenzy, clearly agitated. So, I pull my best curse-breaking book out of my bag, looking for an appropriate spell to deal with this. "Let's see…animation curses…death curses…pain curses…transformation curses…" I keep turning pages. "Ah, boundary curses!" I put the book down and rummage around for my light pens.

"A boundary curse?" Rufus approaches, looking over my shoulder at the book. "I see…that's very interesting." I watch him as he stares at the pages. "Memorized."

"Really?" I pick the book back up and settle it on my lap. "Memorized enough to help draw the diagram?"

He smirks. "I no longer require your assistance. You may go now."

I stare at him flatly. "Excuse me? I may what now?" Who does this guy think he is? "I'm here on a job, if you haven't noticed. So either help out or butt out. I'm willing to share the pay if you help me, otherwise, just leave this to me, because I highly doubt that you actually know how to apply the magic I'm about to use. It' a lot more complicated than other forms of magic. One wavering fluctuation, and this whole place goes up." And I'm seriously willing to share the money, after all, two million jewel is not an insubstantial reward.

He stares at me unflinchingly. "I see." Then, he swipes one of the light pens from my grip and turns to one of the walls. "Very well, just this once, I will…collaborate with you."

"Thank you." Jeez that guy is difficult to understand. And I don;t appreciate him looking down on me like that either. Nevertheless, I have a job to do, and if that means he's sticking around for it, so be it. I take my own light pen and start drawing in the opposite direction, copying out the diagram perfectly. One mistake, and it'll be bad.

The wisps float around the room, much calmer now than they were before, but still showing signs of obvious agitation. They don't like it in here, and I don't blame him. The air is getting heavier and more stifling by the second.

Fifteen minutes later, the extremely complex diagram is completed as Rufus and I swirl our way to the center of the room. He stands first, taking a step back as he tosses the pen in his hand to me. "It is done."

"Yeah, finally." I sigh and stuff the book and pens back into my bag. "Now…for the hard part." I toss my bag into one corner, humming again to try and calm the wisps further. "Stand back, this is going to be…intense."

"Very well." He takes several steps back, just out of the room and onto the bottom steps of the stairs.

I, on the other hand, sit in the circle of unmarked space opposite him, on the other side of the statue. It's there for the wizard performing the spell, part of a runic conducting array to concentrate the magic into a usable form for the counter-curse.

The wisps zoom down towards me, flying around me as my magic flows out. I'm not sure if they're excited and trying to urge me on, or scared and wanting to stay as close to my magic as possible. Either way, it's best for them to be right where they are as my magic flows into the diagram, lighting up the green markings and making them glow three times as bright as before. It's almost blinding, but honestly, the Tower of Heaven being hit by Etherion was so much worse than this.

However, it looks like the curse isn't going to go quietly. The statue floats into the air and turns towards me, before racing at me, its gaping maw looking like it plans to swallow me whole. So, I increase the amount of magic that I'm pouring into the spell, hoping to immobilize it before it can smash itself into my head.

Rufus beats me to it with some kind of freezing spell. His hand is in the air as the statue stops dead in its tracks, hanging perfectly still in the air. "I suggest that you hurry. It seems that this curse is not going to surrender without a fight."

"Yeah…" I bite my lip, concentrating, only for that same wisp from earlier to come and sit itself on top of my head. "Huh?" I'm not entirely sure what it wants, but…it's warm against my hair. It's nice, reassuring. And maybe that's the point. "Thank you." And I'm not sure who I'm saying that to.

I take a deep breath,the magic flowing even faster now, the room growing brighter and brighter as runic markings appear on the statue, further immobilizing it. It fights me, the dark magic within it trying to overwhelm the light that I'm pouring into it. But ultimately, it's futile, and after nearly forty minutes of clashing magics, the curse sputters and gives out, the statue falling into my arms.

It's kind of heavy, but I work to brush off some of the moss, revealing…a dragon? "Weird…" I've never seen a statue like this before. But…there's no writing on it of any kind, nothing to identify it. And it definitely looks nothing like either Igneel or Acnologia. So it's probably just a human rendering of what they consider to be a myth.

Placing it safely back on its pedestal, I sigh and look around at the wisps. "You're free now. So go. Return to whatever place you call home."

They dance around at my suggestion, some of them shooting straight up through the floor, while others twirl around me, giving me…almost what I would call kisses. Excepts that they have no lips. They brush against my cheeks and forehead, and some of them nearly tangle themselves in my hair before zooming off. The last to leave is that persistent little wisp that I almost think wants to be my own personal stalker. It cuddles against my chest once more, before whirling around me, lightning me up in a gentle glow, and disappearing with the others.

Rufus eyes me as I pick up my bag and approach the stairs. "That was quite illuminating. Are you always so attuned to spirits?"

"Dunno, haven't really met any." At least, I don't think I have. "Anyway, it looks like things are dealt with here.I'm going to report in to the mayor and tell him that he can reopen the library. You can come with me if you want." I know that it's pretty late, but I' pretty damn sure that this is going to be news that he wants to get, no matter how obscene an hour it is.

"Very well." He crosses his arms and walks beside me as we climb the rather wide staircase back up to the top ad through the tapestry.

If the guards are surprised to see the two of us walking out, they don't show it, and the trip to the mayor's office is even less eventful than the trip in the first time.

Though it does worry me to see that the mayor is still at his desk. "You're not becoming an insomniac, are you?"

He looks up, his eyes tired and showing great strain. "You're back already?"

"Mm-hm." I nod and give him a smile. "We found the cursed object in the basement, a statue of a dragon. It was a boundary curse that was keeping a whole colony of will o' the wisps trapped in the library. It looks like all of their mischief in knocking things over was their way of calling for help."

"I see." He nods eagerly, some of the strain disappearing. "And what of the wisps?"

"Gone, returned to whence they came." Rufus certainly has a way of summing things up. "I believe that business is concluded."

"Ah, so you completed the job together, then?" He looks to me for the confirmation, found in the nodding of my head. "Very well, then here are your payments." He takes the money from the top drawer of his desk, not really a safe place to put it, unless he's here at all hours of the night. Which, unfortunately, he might be. He divides it carefully in two, checking the amounts three ties before handing them to us. "And on behalf of the city of Thyme, I thank Fairy Tail and Sabertooth for their help in ridding one of our beloved public buildings of such a wretched curse."

"You're welcome." I smile as I carefully secure my payment in my belongings.

Rufus, on the other hand, goes back to watching me as I leave the room, following behind me like he wants something. "Fairy Tail, hm? I wasn't aware that the weakest guild in the kingdom had a wizard such as you."

"You weren't, huh?" I glare at him, not liking his tone, or the insult directed at my family. "Well, I first joined the guild in the year seven hundred seventy-seven. Though I've been gone a while, so I guess it's understandable that you wouldn't know who I am. And I'm not really one for magazine covers either." I step outside into the crisp night air. "I am Ciara Dragneel, a proud Fairy Tail wizard."

And those are the words I leave him with, glowing as I leap into the sky, streaking through it like a shooting star.


	95. A Dragon and a Fairy

**Okay, so I have no clue where I actually got this idea, but somehow…it just kinda fits. After all, Mavis kinda tags along to the Grand Magic Game with no explanation as to why. So, let's give her the means to do that, shall we? And let's get some training in at the same time.**

 **I'm also glad that the mission chapter went over well. I tried to make the wisps as fairy-like as possible, while not actually making them fairies. I wanted the parallel there, but not. And now, she knows half of the Sabertooth team in advance. That's going to make things…interesting.**

* * *

After spending an extra week dawdling around Thyme and the surrounding towns, looking for books to spend my million jewel reward on, and finding nothing, I finally head back to Fairy Tail. Walking back into the guild hall after a job as…interesting as the one I just had should be a return to normalcy. Which means…Gramps yelling. "Fairy Tail is entering the Grand Magic Games and aiming for the top!"

I freeze on the steps, before grabbing the door handle and pushing it open. "Uh…it sounds like I missed something…"

"Sis!" Natsu grins at me. "We're gonna win the Grand Magic Games this year!"

"Okay…?" I'm still confused though. "I'm guessing…it's some kind of magical competition, then." That should be obvious enough from the name alone.

Romeo bounds towards me, excitement painted all over his face. "It's a competition to rank all the guilds of Fiore! It's the fastest way to put Fairy Tail back on top!"

"Ah…that makes sense." Of course there would be a magical competition springing up in our absence. And judging by what I hear out on my job, it looks like we've seriously fallen in the rankings. "So when's the competition?"

"In three months! And if we win, we get thirty million jewel in prize money!" Romeo's eyes just get brighter and brighter. He's really sold on this idea. And knowing my brother…Romeo probably managed to sell the idea to him pretty fast.

I pat Romeo on the head and smile. "I see. So we're entering, then?"

Gramps cough loudly. "Yes, Fairy Tail will be entering the games this year."

"Yes, but we still have seven years of inactivity to make up for." Somehow, Erza's point concerns me far less than the fact that we're suddenly getting into a competition that I knew nothing about. "We have a lot of training to do in the next three months."

"Right…" I watch as the meeting starts breaking up a bit. "So basically…I should just hole myself up somewhere for three months and study all of my magic books." I mean, I'm not really lacking magic anymore, so the best way to improve my skills is to continue to diversify them. The more spells I know, the better.

Natsu stats pouting in an instant. "Aw…come on…you should come train with the rest of us!"

I shoot him a pointed look. "You really want to be on the receiving end of magic that I'm trying out for the first time? I thought that you got your fill of that when we were kids."

That's just enough to get him looking sick. "…Okay, I get it."

"Good." I walk over to the bar and plant myself next to the old man. "So, anything else interesting happen while I was away?"

He grumbles quietly as he throws back a mug of alcohol. "I tried to make Gildarts the master, but he reinstated me. He let Laxus back in too, the nerve…"

Well, I can't really bring myself to complain about either of those developments. No one can control this mob like Gramps can, and frankly, we're stronger with Laxus here than with him wandering the world. "That's okay, then."

"There was also that business with the Infinity Clock…" He hums thoughtfully.

My blood runs cold. "Oh no…not again… Did you guys have to go and save the world from some big bad guy again?"

He nods. "The Neo-Oracion Seis and a cardinal of Zentopia. Then there was the Legion-Platoon…and Lucy merging with the Infinity Castle…"

I sweatdrop at the recounting of events. "Jeez…I'm gone for a week, and this is what happens." Though to be fair, I think I preferred dealing with the will o' the wisps.

"So…" He takes another swig. "Did you have fun while you were gone?"

"Kinda…" I mean, the wisps were playful and fun, for a little while. "The library turned out to have a cursed statue in it, and it was keeping some wisps imprisoned there. They were causing trouble to try and get attention so that someone would free them. Mission accomplished. The curse is gone, and the wisps are too." I grab the drink that Mira passes me. "And you know…for a while there, they looked almost like fairies to me."

"Really…?" Gramps puts down his drink, probably pondering my words. "Perhaps they were…"

Though it's not like I checked to see if they had tails.

* * *

Two days and one ten minute argument that ended with Natsu face down in the dirt later…well, I assume that my brother and his team are at the beach, as planned.

I, on the other hand, have gone back to Tenrou Island to train and study. It's peaceful and quiet as I set foot on the island, and I feel stronger here. This s where it will be safest for me to train, because here…I don't feel like anything can happen to me. Well, unless another dark guild attacks, or Zeref and Acnologia come back for an encore.

Trekking through the forest, I find one of the many ruins that dot the island. I'd practice at Mavis' grave, but I'd probably end up wrecking it by accident, and that would just be rude. So, the ruins are a much better choice. Plenty of things to cast spells on there.

"Alright…let's get started." I put my travel pack down and rummage through it, pulling several books out of the magically expanded space within. I made sure to pack liberally. I have enough food to last me a couple of weeks, and the means to catch myself more food later. Not to mention all of the books I brought with me.

I spread them out in a circle around me and take out a pair of Windreader Glasses. My first priority now is to take in as much of the information in them as possible, before getting into practicing the spells. Slipping the glasses onto my face, I use the wind to flip the books open and through the pages, the first intense burst of my training beginning.

As I read for hours on end, my brain is full to bursting with new information. There's just so much to learn, and I know that I can't possibly master all of it by the time three months are up. But, at the very least, I can make a dent in it.

In the middle of a chapter on cross-dimensional magic, a presence approaches me, one without a scent. And I smile as I realize who it is. "Are you here to help me with my training, Master Mavis?"

She touches down next to me, smiling brightly. "I saw you studying, and I thought I'd come over to see if I could offer any advice. I love books."

"Well, then come and read to your heart's content." I shift away from the book, making room for her to look at it. "I'm working on reading about high level barrier magic right now."

"More protective spells…" She nods as she reads the page, obviously approving of the subject matter. "I see, that's good."

"Yeah, I figure that if I can master barriers, it'll save a lot of grief later." After all, I can't heal others like Wendy can, let alone myself, so it's best that I avoid injuries if at all possible. I can always replenish magic, but my body is very vulnerable, no matter how strong I make it.

"Hmm…" She looks like her brain is whirring into motion. "I think that you should practice making this barrier, but small, and in a lot of different places, before attacking them with your wind magic."

I blink in confusion. "Uh…why?" I can't really see a benefit to doing that.

She smiles and points to the bottom of the page. "Because that way, you can practice making barriers that are strong enough to stand up to elemental magic, practice making and growing barriers to protect others, and learn how to attack and defend at the same time."

Well, I have to admit that I hadn't considered that approach. Mostly because I'm not sure if I have the magic reserves for it without taking off my seals. "Are you…sure?"

"Of course!" She looks up to the ribbons in my hair. "And you don't have to use those here, you're not going to hurt anyone. This can help you get more control over your wind magic!"

All good points, but I'm still worried. "But…I could cause a hurricane." It wouldn't be the first time, and I really don't want to go through that again unless I have to.

She pats me shoulder, sort of, I mean, I can't feel it, but it's where her hand is. "It's alright…I'll watch over you. You'll be safe here with me."

Taking in her words, as well as her earnest expression, I nod. "Okay." And I reach up to my hair, pulling out the ribbons and getting to my feet, letting the pink waterfall cascade down almost to my knees. _It's grown a lot…since Igneel left. We'd better find him soon, or I'll be tripping over it._

Magic thrums through my veins as I feel the caress of the wind and let it almost sweep my consciousness away. I've always had an easy time connecting with nature. Easier than Natsu, at least. And today is no different. I feel like I could just be whisked away by the wind, flying free through the sky.

"Good! Now, try and cast barriers around as many f the rocks as you can." Mavis points around to the stones littering this part of the ruin. "And then hit them as hard as you can with your wind magic. This way, you'll be able to protect your allies from your own magic."

That's…a good application, I suppose. "Alright." I take a deep breath, keeping the incantation clear in my head, and flicking my fingers, letting my instincts guide me as I raise barriers around one, two, three, four, five…six…seven… I wince slightly. Eight. Nine… Ten. It's all I can manage, and it's a strain, to put it mildly. "Okay…I've got them…" Not that they're going to hold well, but I can at least try.

"Now, breathe in, then out, and let your magic flow out, let it attack everything around you." Her voice is calm, much calmer than my own mind right now. So I latch onto it, using it to anchor myself.

Instinct, it's a wonderful thing. Because while my conscious mind can keep focused on the barriers, I can expel the wind blades in all directions on instinct alone. They race outward, slamming into everything within thirty feet of me, including the barriers. I try my best to keep the barriers up, struggling against the natural forces at my command.

My arms shake with the effort of keeping up both spells at once, but I hold onto them for as long as I can, pumping as much magic into both the attack and defense. But after ten minutes…a long time for barrier magic under this kind of assault, the shields begin to fail, and my wind blades slice through six of the shields, leaving only four still intact. "I-I can't keep this up!" It's too much. It's like I'm trying to protect bricks from being sucked up by a tornado, which I suppose isn't actually that far off.

"You can do it. You're close…very close to having an even greater store of magic power." Mavis urges me on, her voice regaining its calming influence. "Just keep it up a little while longer." Her presence engulfs me, and it feels like I'm an infant being cradled in her arms. "You've worked hard…haven't you? To build up such a huge store of magic power. And you're so close to opening another."

"Another?" I have no idea what she's getting at, but if she's happy about it, then it must be a good thing. "What do you mean?"

"It's a second store of magic within you. Your studies, your training, your battles…all of them have come together and stretched your magic container to the limit. Fairy Sphere pushed it past the limit, growing it almost to the point of bursting. Now…just push a little harder, and it will spill over into the second container hidden within you. When that happens…you'll have twice the magical power that you did before." Her voice is soft, firm, and encouraging all at the same time. "Just a little more…"

I clench my fists tightly, doing as she says and pushing out even more power, shaking the ground with the amount pouring out of me. And it's all coming so fast that I'll be drained dry in less than five minutes like this. "I can't-"

"You can!" Her voice echoes through my head, and I scream as the magic shoots into the sky, a pillar of silver light, neither offensive or defensive, just pure magic power spiraling out of control.

Then, it feels like something inside me breaks, a dam, and the flood that comes in another burst of magical power that washes through me, racing through my veins and into every cell of my body as my barrier spells return to life, and the blades of wind swirl in a furious flurry.

"Alright, that's enough." And at the sound of her voice, I lower my arms and fall to my knees, panting with the effort of having maintained both fronts for so long.

My head spins a little. "What…what was that?"

"Your magic evolved, grew stronger." She crouches in front of me, her smile just as bright as ever. "And every day, you'll keep growing stronger. Your store of magic is getting bigger, and soon, you'll be able to go whole battles without recharging."

 _Ah…now that she mentions it…_ "Right…recharging…" I take a deep breath, the exhale, before sucking up the breezes created as a result of my magic. Not my magic itself, of course, but using wind magic stirs the air more than enough to start the natural winds on their way.

As my magic power starts to rebuild itself, Mavis goes looking through my books again, examining the spells that I've been compiling into a list in my head. "Let's see…what spells would be good for you to learn?" Then, she pauses. "Why are you trying to learn so much anyway? It's very admirable, but also very sudden."

I glance at her, sucking up a few more breezes before answering. "Fairy Tail has fallen to the bottom of the guild list, we're the weakest guild in Fiore, according to the rumors. So we're entering the Grand Magic Games in three months to win back the title of Strongest Guild. If we're going to do that, I need to be ready in case I'm picked to compete." Because I highly doubt that every single member of a guild is allowed to participate. That would get almost every legal wizard in Fiore into the fray, and that's just way too many.

"Oh, I see, that sounds exciting!" She takes that revelation in stride. And actually, I can see how that would be a good quality for a guild master to have. Bit by bit, I can really see her as the founding master of Fairy Tail. Enthusiastic, intelligent, patient. And with an energy that seems to know no bounds.

"Yeah." I suck up a few more breezes, restoring yet another portion of my magic. "So, are you planning on watching me train the whole time?"

She shakes her head. "No, I was thinking I would help you, not just watch you. And when we're done, I'll follow you back to Fairy Tail so that I can watch the Games!"

That's…an unexpected response, especially from the ghost of an old guild master. "You want to be my trainer for the next three months in exchange for letting you haunt me?" I mean, I guess that she hasn't really got anything else to do, except for whatever she's been doing here on this island for the last hundred years. I'm probably the most entertainment she's had in a while. "Well…that's your prerogative. If you want to help me train, that's fine by me, I won't turn down help. Not if your only price is some magical hitch-hiking."

"Good!" She goes back to the books, before pointing to a particularly old one. "That spell is dangerous, but it's a good attack spell for using against monsters."

"Let's see." I sidle over and take a look at the sell. It's meant for vaporizing enemies, and it looks pretty powerful, if long and tedious to cast. "Well, I guess I can memorize it in case I'm ever fighting a monster with Natsu. He can keep it busy while I get the spell ready."

"My thoughts exactly." She straightens up and stands over me. "Now, get those barriers back up! Once you get the hang of those, it'll be safer to move onto offensive spells."

I fight the urge to groan, seeing as I really don't want to go through that exercise again. However, I do see her point. "Alright…" I take another deep breath, sucking in as much wind as I can, filling myself to the brim with it until I'm almost overflowing with magical power.

Raising the shields again, the wind swirls around me, bombarding them with silver light hurled at incredible speeds. I slam as much force as I can into them while still maintaining the integrity of the shields. After all, it makes sense that I should figure out how much punishment I can put them through before they fail, and work to improve that. Otherwise I'd just be putting anyone I was trying to protect at an even greater risk.

And so begins my three month training stint on Tenrou Island, accompanied by our guild's founding master, Mavis Vermilion. All for the sake of winning the Grand Magic Games.


	96. Trouble in Crocus

**Okay, I know that you've all been waiting eagerly for this. The official start of the Grand Magic Games arc. I mean, I know that we've been passing into it with the last couple of chapters, but here's where it really takes off. Here comes the team, and then they head off to Crocus!**

 **Where…Ciara meets some old "friends". Seriously,I think that this is THE most requested and anticipated chapter of the whole story. And I'm going to be doing it from multiple points of view (short chunks from Sting and Rogue, just so that we can take a look at what's going on inside their heads. Because dammit, this is going to be...unpleasant, at least on the inside.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Three months…three long months of training everything from barriers and basic wind magic, to complex incantations and runic magic, to simply going into Dragon Force and training my Dragon Slayer Magic until my body gives out. That is what I endured under Master Mavis.

Which is why I've been back at the guild for two days, and am currently eating my weight in food. I never denied having the appetite of a dragon slayer, but I'm pretty sure that I've managed to shock even Kinana with how much I've been eating the past couple of days.

Without gaining a pound, no less. Models everywhere would love to learn my secret. Dragon Slayer Magic. That's the secret.

I stretch my arms over my head, tilting my head towards the sound of a commotion outside. "Well, sounds like everyone is finally back."

"Really?" Kinana looks towards the doors, waiting for a few long seconds, before the doors bang open, revealing most of the teams that went out to train. "Looks like you're right!"

"Never underestimate the senses of a dragon slayer…" I gulp down the last of my food and push the plate away. "Thanks for the meal, but it looks like Gramps is going to start with the announcing.

At least, that's what it looks like as he hops up onto the dais of the bar."Alright, listen up kids! It's time to announce the five who'll be representing Fairy Tail in the Grand Magic Games." He takes a deep breath and starts the count. "Natsu!" My brother pumps his fists at the calling of his name. "Gray!" There's a smirk there, of course. "Erza!" She seems pleased to be selected, though as an S-Class, she was a shoo-in. "Ciara!" I glance sideways at him and nod. "And finally, Lucy!" A surprise, and yet, not. We always seem to get picked for this kind of stuff.

I chuckle quietly. "Looks like it's us again, huh?"

"Looks like." Gray catches my eye and grins. "Ready to show em who's boss?"

"You know it." Because we're not looking to lose this competition. "Better bring our A-game, and try not to wreck the place in the process." Knowing us, that's a serious risk.

"Alright, team, the Grand Magic Games present a perfect opportunity for us to reclaim the prominence that we once held!" Erza is sure fired up about all of this. "Today, Sabertooth is regarded as Fiore's number one guild. Let us take that title! Fairy Tail will be the top guild again!"

Cheers ring out across the room, and our team looks pretty damn ready for this. Well…except for maybe the fact that we're going to be getting there by train. We're heading all the way to Crocus, the capital of Fiore. And that doesn't look like it's going to agree with Natsu's stomach.

Luckily, we have sleep magic.

* * *

Of course, even with me and Erza shepherding the team from the train, they still all collapse after about ten minutes of trudging through the city. So, while they moan and groan, I take in the sight of the capital, adorned with a profusion of flowers that…honestly looks like they've cleaned out every flower shop in the kingdom.

Gray recovers first. "I sure hope that whole Secon-Origin unleashing spell wasn't just some kind of sick joke to make us lose the contest."

"I do sorta feel like I've got more magic power." Lucy groans as she sits up. "Everything else in my body feels like I got hit by a train."

"Yeah…I felt that way after Mavis pushed me far enough for me to force mine open." I shudder slightly. "I swear, I squeezed two decades worth of training into the past three months…"

Lucy looks up at me quizzically. "Master Mavis? When did you see her?"

"When I went to Tenrou Island for training." I hadn't told anyone where I was going, since I wanted some peace and quiet, and figured that no one would interrupt my training there. "She pushed me to my limits every single day. It was brutal at times, but effective." Though she was so nice about it that it's impossible to be mad at her for any of the pain it caused.

Finally, Natsu gets over his own bout of illness and looks around. "I don't think I've ever been in such a humongous city in my life."

"I see you kids finally made it." Gramps walks over with some of our other guildmates, along with Bisca and Alzack's daughter Asuka riding on his shoulders.

"Master." Erza, who is totally fine, unlike the rest of our team, is the first to react to the old man's presence.

"We've just now finished with the registration process." He grins widely. "So lets show everyone why Fairy Tail is the number one guild in Fiore."

I overhear a few nasty comments, along with some rather irritating laughter. But Natsu beats me to the punch. "Hey, are those jerks laughing at us?"

"Easy…" Erza tries to calm him before he causes a scene.

The onlookers aren't making it easy. "Com on, you guys finish in last place every single year. Everyone knows Sabertooth is taking the top spot."

"Natsu, stop it." I grab hold of him, holding him back by the shoulder as I shoot a look of utter disdain at the idiots who thought that riling my brother up was a good idea.

Gramps sighs. "If anyone wants to laugh, they can do it all they want."

"After all…we're going to win, right Natsu?" I squeeze his shoulder and smile, focusing only on him. "We're gonna be number one again."

"Don't forget, we're doing this for the thirty mil-" Grams coughs. "I mean, we're doing this for the honor of being Fiore's top-ranked guild, of course." Smooth… "Our founding master rose from her eternal slumber to save our lives, so let's make her proud!"

 _Speaking of Mavis…_ I look around, sensing her, but not seeing her anywhere. I mean, I did agree to let her hitch-hike on my magical power, but I thought that she'd at least be roaming the streets with us.

"Now then…" Gramps calls or attention to him again. "We know that the games will begin tomorrow. But unfortunately, we don't know what they'll be."

"What?" Natsu frowns. "I thought you guys did this every year."

"Yeah, but the games change every years." Alzack, being the good daddy he is, picks up his little girl and swings her around.

With her husband occupied, Bisca takes over. "The year my sugar-pistol and I didn't participate, they had a big ol' target shooting game."

"And the year I decided to sit out, there was a foot race." Jets runs in place to make his pint. Unnecessary, but no one says anything about it.

Droy stops eating for just a second. "They take the team scores over a bunch of different contests to determine the winner."

"They like to mix it up." Levy just confirms everything already said. "I looked through records from the previous games, and there's no real consistency to them."

"Well, then we'll just have t play it by ear." Natsu grins, eager to get this party started. "But I hope there's some kinda fight!"

I look over the team and nod. "Yeah, we're all pretty well-rounded in our skills. I mean, if it's targets, we're all pretty good at that, Erza and I would be best for a race, Natsu and Gray would probably do well in contests of strength, Lucy's spirits are pretty versatile, so I could see her doing well in anything involving obstacles. So it's not like we're hurting for people to do things. And if there's any fighting…" Well, any member of the team could hold their own in battle.

"Erza!" Gramps pulls out a very thick-looking book. "I'd like you to read through the official rulebook for tomorrow.

She blinks. "I'm to read all of this?"

"Aw, don't worry, I have my Windreader Glasses with me." Levy whips out a pair of winged glasses and snatches the book from Erza, starting her reading in seconds, flipping pages like a storm. "Hm…okay…to sum it all up, I would say there are three major rules. The first is that the master of each guild isn't allowed to participate." Okay, that makes sense. "A guild can't have anyone who doesn't bear their respective emblem take part on its behalf." Again, that's pretty obvious. "And…every game will remain a mystery until the very moment it is announced, and only then will the game's rules be explained in detail." Okay, and that ensures a level playing field in terms of prep time. "Oh, this one could be important too." She flips another page, as though making sure. "All participants must return to their designated inn by twelve o'clock."

Erza frowns. "There's a curfew?"

"So…what? In bed by midnight?" Sounds a bit strange, but I was planning on being in bed by then anyway. Need to rest up for tomorrow.

"Or what, we all turn into pumpkins?" Does Gray think this is some kind of fairy tale?"That reminds me of the story about the princess and the glass slipper."

Natsu looks up at the closest clock tower and grins. "Cool! We've got tons of time until midnight!" And he's right, it's only one in the afternoon, that gives us eleven hours to do whatever we like. "And, since this is everyone's first time in the capital, let's go check it out!" He takes off in a flash, racing down the street.

I roll my eyes as Lucy and Happy go after him. "Don't worry, we'll meet you guys at the Honey Bone Inn later." I grin at Erza. "Try to de-stress in the meantime." And with that, I zoom down the street after Natsu, Lucy, and Happy.

We run around for hours, seeing the sights and collecting souvenirs, eating all the exotic treats we can set our eyes on. I've never been to the capital before, and now, I'm thinking that maybe I should plan on making a return trip. This place is awesome. Even once it gets dark, the whole place is lit up as brightly as the capital of Edolas.

Lucy laughs as she spins around. "It's really amazing how many flowers there are in this city, dontcha think?"

"Well, they don't call Crocus the 'Flower -Blooming Capital for nothin'." Happy whirls around, just as excited. And it's nice to see our little buddy so excited. At least this time, he's got a reason to be.

"A fight!" The death sentence is uttered by an unsuspecting citizen who has no clue that Natsu is within earshot.

And of course, he hears it. "I guess fights are part of this festival after all! Let's check it out!" He races off with Happy in tow.

I sigh and glance at Lucy. "Well, this was unavoidable."

"Yeah, no kidding." She sweatdrops at my big brother's antics. "He'll never give it up, will he?"

"Nope, and that's what makes him Natsu." He disappears into the crowd, so I motion to Lucy. "Shall we?"

"Guess we'd better." She strolls over with me, both of us taking our sweet time getting over there.

That's when I catch the scents on the breeze, and I know something is wrong. "Wait…it smells like…dragons?"

"What?" Lucy frowns at me. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah…" And they seem…familiar to me somehow. Which is weird, because they definitely don't smell like Igneel. They smell like… Light and darkness… "Oh no…" I grab Lucy by the hand and pull her along. "Come on, we have to go!"

We push through the crowd to hear some guy talking."Has this guy seriously never heard of Sting and Rogue, the Twin Dragons of the Sabertooth guild before?"

"They're the main force behind the strongest guild in Fiore." Well, that's good information to know.

Lucy looks at them in a combination of caution and awe. "These two are member of Sabertooth?"

Natsu growls quietly. "You think you're hot stuff?"

"So the rumors about you entering the Grand Magic Games this year were true after all." The blond one smirks down at my brother in a way that I really don't like.

"How do you know who I am?" I really wish that Natsu would stand up and say that, instead of still being on his knees from crawling through the crowd.

"Everybody knows." Sting leans down, his smirk becoming even more despicable. "You're the so-called dragon slayer who couldn't actually slay a dragon. Doesn't sound like much of a dragon slayer to me." He straightens up, still grinning. "The sad part of it is…I actually used to look up to you. And my friend was a big fan of Gajeel's."

"It was more of a curiosity, as he was known as a fellow dragon slayer." His voice is deeper, but…those ruby eyes are unmistakable. Ryos.

"You're kiddin' me, you're both dragon slayers?" Natsu must not be trusting his nose, because if he was, he wouldn't need to ask that question. Each of us dragon slayers carries on the scent of our parent. And these two…are definitely the kids I met back then.

And they've grown, in a lot of ways…

"They are. And it's been a long time since I've seen either of them." I step out from behind Lucy, watching as ruby and sapphire eyes lock on me and widen. "I never expected to see you two here…" My fingers twiddle with the crystal earring handing from my right ear, its twin hanging from Sting's left. And I can still sense my magical power clinging to…Rogue, is what he's called now, it seems. He must still wear the pendant I gave him. "It's been a while, hasn't it?" Then, I look down at Natsu and a gust of wind wraps around him, pulling him onto his feet. "I know you're shocked, but there's no need to sit down there."

"Ciara…" Natsu stares at me as well. "What do you mean you know these guys?"

I don't get the chance to answer, as Sting interrupts, his spell of shock finally over. "It doesn't matter, that was a long time ago, and we're not the same as we were back then."

"I can see that…" Judging by the injured lying around them, I can guess pretty well what they've been up to. "It seems you've been up to a lot of things in the last…well, almost a decade…" At least it's getting easier to do the conversions in my head.

There's whispers all around the gathered crowd.

"Who is she?"

"She knows them like that?"

"Is she a friend of theirs?"

"But she's with the other guy, isn't she?"

"Cia…" The whisper escapes Ryos, Rogue's, mouth.

A sigh escapes me, and there's a pang in my heart for that nine year-old so long ago. "I guess I didn't really introduce myself properly back then, did I? To either of you…" I bare my guild emblem and let it shine in the darkness. "I am Ciara 'Dragon Wing' Dragneel, Wind Dragon Slayer, and S-Class wizard of Fairy Tail. And the one you're talking down to is my big brother. So…" I turn my gaze solely on Sting. "Why don't you enlighten us about what you were going to say earlier, about being a dragon slayer? Hm?" Because he looked like he was just itching to say something before I threw those two for a loop.

* * *

Sting's P.O.V.

 _It can't be…it can't possibly be her._ Okay, well my brain knows that it can, and my nose definitely knows that it's her, but it's just so improbable that we would run into her before the games even started…

And here I've been…running my mouth like some kind of idiot right in front of her. _Oh well, nothing to do about it now. Not like I'm fishing for her approval anyway._

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

His eyes narrow, and he takes a step back, settling into a confident, and far more comfortable stance. "Hmph, I heard about you too. You couldn't kill that dragon either. That's why we would prefer that you call us true dragon slayers instead. Because unlike you, we could've easily slain Acnologia."

"Well, you would be telling a different story if you'd actually gone up against that monster like we did." Lucy jumps to our defense in an instant.

"It doesn't matter if we were there or not." Rogue's eyes have finally turned away from me for the most part, but I can still see him glancing at me out of the corner of those ruby eyes.

Sting chuckles. "What is all boils down to is we're far superior."

Then, the little red cat hops over, strutting like he's something else. "Let me explain a little somthin' to ya. You two are what's known as First Generation dragon slayers, cause you all got your magic from dragons firsthand. You old buddy Laxus and that guy Cobra from the Oracion Seis got their magic from dragon lacrimas that were implanted inside their bodies. We call em Second Generation dragon slayers. But Sting and Rogue here are way more powerful, cause not only do they have dragon lacrimas inside em, they were also raised by actual dragons who taught them how to use their magic. So they're Third Generation hybrids!"

"Third Generation!?" Natsu looks at me worriedly. _But you have one…_

 _Yeah…_ I hadn't realized that they'd started putting us into categories like that. I'd always just divided us up by whether we had a dragon parent or not. And maybe age as well. Never…all this convoluted stuff.

The little cat waves his paw in the air. "In other words, they're the ultimate dragon slayers!"

Natsu grits his teeth. "You guys think you're so much better than everybody else?"

"They don't just think they are, there's a huge difference in skill between first and third gen dragon slayers. You wish you were half as strong as they are." This cat had better stop talking soon, or I'm going to be tempted to strangle it. And I'm not into hurting animals.

"Tell me somethin'." Natsu takes control of the flow of the conversation. "Did you guys' dragons disappear in the year seven seventy seven too?"

"Yeah, you could say that." And something about the way Sting says that sends shivers up my spine.

"More to the point, they died." Rogue's declaration is like a shot to the heart, because the last thing I want to think about is a dragon slayer's parent dying. That's just a bad omen. Then, it only gets worse. "The dragons who passed down their dragon slayer techniques to us, we eliminated them with our own hands. So that we could earn the title of True Dragon Slayers."

 _Eliminated…? They…murdered their own…?_ My brain starts going into shock at the confession, no…proclamation. _How could they…? Their parents…? How…?_

"You scum!" Natsu's voice rings loud over my thoughts. "Those were your parents!"

My hands shake, though with fear, disgust, sadness, shock, or fury, I'm not sure. But… "Natsu…I'm going back to the inn. I think…I'm going to be sick." Seriously, I feel nauseous, like the whole world is spinning, even worse than on the boat after Mira took my ribbons out. "I-I'm leaving now."

And I turn on tail and disappear into the air, not stopping until I collapse on the balcony and knock on the window, letting Erza know that I'm back.

She comes to the window and opens it, pulling me inside as her eyes widen in alarm. "Ciara, what happened!?"

"Nothing good…" I really don't want to talk right now. "I…need a bath…to relax my nerves…"

Erza looks at the clock, then nods. "We have an hour before midnight. Will you be alright to compete?"

"Yeah…" There's no way I'm backing out now, not even after…all that. "I'll just soak a bit and be ready…I can deal with the rest another day."

"Okay…" Erza escorts me to the bathroom, only leaving me alone once the water is running and I start to undress.

This is going to be a rough night.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

She was here…and then she disappeared. Just like back then. But this time…I drove her off myself. It was my words that put that look of fear, horror, disgust in her eyes. After ten years…the first thing I do when we meet again for the first time in so long…is hate me. No, not even hate. She's…disgusted by me. And I have no one to blame but myself, because the memory disgusts me as well. _Damn it!_

The crowd is gone now, along with Natsu, his friend, and his cat. And his sister…

Well, she'll probably never want to look at us again.

"That was fun." Beside me, Sting looks like hes in a sour mood as we walk back towards he Crocus Gardens. "Didn't expect to see her here…guess we should have seen it coming." He fiddles with his earring, and now…I know why. Because the same earring was hanging from her ear as well.

I'm not the only one with a memento from an older dragon slayer. Who…is no longer older than me. That's confusing. Maybe once this competition starts, there'll be other things to focus my attention on. Because there's going t be a need for distraction.


	97. Sky Labyrinth

**So…yeah. Well, they've met again. I hope it was just as exciting and painful and awkward and unpleasant as you all expected. I mean…could it really have gone any other way? They're still a couple of arrogant pricks at this point…**

 **Now, onto the Sky Labyrinth!**

* * *

Ah…a bath can do absolute wonders for making you feel better after finding out that all the hopes that you had for a couple of kids backfired spectacularly. On the bright side, I no longer feel like I'm going to throw up. And that clears up my brain's focus for more important matters.

Now that I'm calm, though, I find myself dwelling on it all, and something…feels off to me. I know that it's been a long time, but their personalities were…warmer when I met them, they didn't seem nearly so weighed down, were prideful, sure, but not so…arrogant, and most of all…they hadn't flaunted the fact that they'd killed their dragons. In fact, Rogue in particular just seemed…lonely and sad.

Yeah, something feels off. But there's nothing I can do about it now. I have to focus on winning the games for my family. We'll raise them up in order to start paying them back everything we owe them after seven years of being gone. The pain and humiliation ends here.

I walk out into the bedroom, where there are six beds ready for us. Erza is sitting there with three very guilty looking teammates. And I am so confused. "Uh…what's going on here?"

"They were almost late." Erza's expression…yeah enough said, they're in big trouble. If they set another toe out f line, Erza's gonna let them have it.

I look at the clock and sigh. "Well, we have five minutes until midnight. Any idea what they imposed the curfew for?"

"Not a clue…" Gray leas back, his own eyes drifting to the clock. "But it's suspicious, isn't it? I mean, why just us? Why not a general curfew?"

"Oh man…" Natsu lies on the floor, whining. "I just wanna get to the fighting already!"

"Yeah, yeah, we all know that." I finish drying off my hair and start pulling it up into ponytails, wrapping them around a few times before securing them, that way, they fall to my waist and won't drag. Though woe unto anyone who gets the bright idea to try and pull on my hair in the middle of a fight. I'm getting pretty good at wielding the lightning Laxus tossed us.

Natsu does make a good point though, it's weird having to sit around and wait. I'd rather just plunge into the games, rather than waiting around for them to start. I mean, of course I understand why, but understanding isn't going to make me feel any less restless.

"Well, waiting is all we can do, for now." Erza relaxes somewhat, not much, but at least a little bit. Then again, she's the type of person who is always on alert, so the fact that the clock hits midnight probably doesn't escape her.

And what definitely doesn't escape anyone is when a bell tolls throughout the entire city. Some kind of signal, obviously.

"Attention all contestants participating in this year's Grand Magic Games!" I look out the window to see…a giant pumpkin talking to us? "Good morning!"

We race out onto the balcony, and Natsu's eyes bug out. "Whoa! What in the heck is that thing!?"

"Is it some kinda hologram?" Lucy's assumption strikes me as correct, based on the wispy nature of the projection, but also its luminous properties against the night sky.

"To narrow down the one hundred and thirteen teams in this year's competition to a more manageable eight, let's begin the preliminary round!" Well, that explains why they wanted us all back in our inns by midnight. They're starting the preliminaries in the middle of the night. "Although the number of guilds increase and multiply each year, "The Games have gotten boring now," is all I ever hear! "Let's whittle them down" I say to you! And give just eight a cheer! The rules for this prelimnary round are simple!"

Under our feet, the inn starts to rumble, and I swirl wind around us to keep anyone from falling. Erza looks around, confusion apparent in her eyes. "What's going on? The inn is rising up!"

"Look, the others are doing it too!" Gray points out across the city at the other inns, all rising from the ground on big amalgamations of levers and gears.

"Now, you will all be participating in a race." The pumpkin man is starting to get on my nerves with his squeaky voice. " The finish line is at the Domus Flau coliseum! Only the first eight teams to reach it will move on the the Grand Magic Games!" A path extends out in front of us, leading up to a huge…maze? "You're free to use magic in any way you see fit! There are no restrictions! But remember, only the first right teams to reach the finish line will clear this round! However, all five team members must cross the goal for it to count! One more thing…" This can't be good. "We are not responsible for any loss of life that may occur in the labyrinth. So, without further ado, let the Grand Magic Games' preliminary round, Sky Labyrinth, begin!"

"Well, looks like this is pretty self explanatory…" I look up at the path, before hopping over the railing to get to it. And just for good measure, I whip up gusts of wind on either side of it. "Come on! If we run, we won't fall! I'll keep us in the air!" I take the first step, and it's sturdy as the platforms don't budge an inch under my weight.

"Right!" Natsu races after me, hot on my heels as the rest of the team follows.

I can see the other teams racing similarly towards the labyrinth, all of us heading into the sky for a no-holds-barred magical marathon. Though that part kind of worries me. It means that they don't care if someone gets hurt. It's a rather sadistic approach, in my opinion. I mean, wizards can get pretty vicious. So the risk of casualties is not low…

I'm the first to pass into the maze, and with every step I take, something feels wrong. Something feels very wrong. So, about a hundred meters in, I come to a stop, looking around in confusion. "What's with this place…?"

"Whoa, it's some kind of crazy, three-dimensional maze!" Gray's observation is astute, if nothing else.

"Aw…I really suck at stuff like this." Natsu groans as he looks around at the various staircases and platforms, all twisted and tangled, and not making any sense at all.

Lucy stamps her foot. "You can't give up already, we have to finish in the top eight! Otherwise, we can kiss the title of number one in Fiore goodbye."

"Yeah, you're right!" Natsu racks his knuckles. "We gotta get through this if we wanna get the chance to kick Sabertooth's butt!"

Gray nods. "Let's make sure we reach the goal before they do."

"That's probably a good goal to have, but for a start, I think we should just focus on getting there within the top eight." I honestly don't care if we get there first or eighth, I just want to move on to the next round.

Erza crosses her arms. "When we were on the ground, the coliseum was to the east. I think we should head in that direction." And somehow, I doubt that it's going to be nearly that simple, judging by the way that this maze is set up.

"I've got just the thing to help us out!" Lucy whips out one of her keys, one that I haven't seen her use before. "Open, Gate of the Compass! Pyxis!" What appears is a weird, bird-like creature with a compass on its head. I'm not even really sure what to call it. "We need your help, Pyxis, can you please show us which way is east?"

I glance over at Erza, who has a small compass in hand. _Jeez…you could have said something before she summoned her spirit. Just don't say anything now…_

"East is thataway!" Lucy points off ahead of us, both her and her spirit looking rather proud of themselves.

"Yes, I'm well aware." Erza holds up the compass as I smack my face. "Because I brought along a regular compass."

That puts both of them out in a flash. "Thanks for the help anyway, Pyxis…"

I sigh and shake my head. "Nice, Erza, way to bolster team morale…" I though she'd be a bit wiser in this situation. But, I suppose it's up to me. "Alright, in any case, Pyxis and the regular compass agree, which means that there's probably nothing messing with the magnetic field right now. It's good to have that confirmation. Which means that since we've proven as much, Lucy can go ahead and conserve her magic power while we follow the regular compass."

That seems to boost Lucy's mood a bit, and her spirit coos softly, before disappearing in a puff of smoke. "Thanks…"

"It's fine, I wasn't saying anything that isn't true." I look up at the giant staircase to the east. "Well, I hope you guys are ready for a climb." Because I honestly have no idea how this place will react to wind magic, and I would rather not spring a trap on us. "Come on!" I head for the stairs, following Natsu, who is eagerly sprinting ahead.

He races up the stairs, not tiring in the slightest. "Alright east! Here we come!"

"Not to be a downer, but with the way this place is laid out, I don't think we're gonna e able to go straight east." Lucy's note is nothing I haven't considered myself.

Gray groans. "We're gonna have a hard enough time tryin' to figure out which way is up!"

When we finally reach another platform, Erza turns to Natsu. "You're not feeling sick?"

"Nuh-uh, you'd think I'd be pukin' my guts out, but I feel just fine." Which really is weird, because normally, Natsu would be dumb enough to consider this a vehicle, and he'd be puking over the side in seconds.

"Allow me to explain!" That damn pumpkin shows up in the air, his high pitched voice irritating my ears. "Magic was cast on the Sky Labyrinth, allowing participants with weaknesses such as motion sickness and fear of heights to be able to compete on equal terms in the preliminary round!"

"I see…" I guess that answers Erza's question.

But…that does make me a little nervous, because I've always had a pretty good sense of direction, and my nose is as good as Natsu's, but somehow… "Hey guys…I think it might be the same magic doing it, but my perception of space is…normal now, and my nose isn't really picking up anything. I think it's nullifying my enhanced senses."

"Really?" Natsu sniffs the air as well, and he frowns. "Whoa…no way…that's so weird…"

"Yeah…" Looks like I'm not the only one who's had their nose dulled. "That means that they've taken away a huge part of our navigational abilities." Though I'm not sure if that's a side effect, or an intentional part of the spell. And I don't know which possibility worries me more.

"Well, we shouldn't waste time here." Erza turns towards the east again, opening a door to reveal…the strangest room I've ever seen.

It's making me a little sick, actually, with the way it seems to twist itself into a spiral. "Ugh…talk about a motion sickness roller-coaster…"

"Yeah, I feel like I'm gonna fall right in." Lucy's sentiment is an easy one to echo, especially with the relatively uniform decorating.

"We're wasting time, let's go!" Erza runs on ahead, and after a moment's hesitation, I catch up to her.

Lucy groans. "How long is this creepy tunnel!?"

"Too long…" It seems like the world is spinning, even though we're all racing across flat ground.

"Who cares!" Natsu is doing surprisingly well, considering that even with the spells in place, I wouldn't put it past him to get motion sick here. "Our goal's at the end of it!"

Which means, of course, that with his enthusiasm pushing him on, he races right through a door and off the edge. I barely catch hold of him in time to stop him from plummeting into the city below us. "Natsu! Be careful to look where you're going, dummy!" I use the wind to pull him back up and settle him next to me. "Seriously, you could have died!" Well, maybe that's exaggerating a little. Nothing seems to be able to kill my brother.

"Thanks sis." Natsu breathes a sigh of relief. "Nice catch."

Gray walks up behind us and peers over the edge. "Watch your step, cause I don't think anybody would survive fallin' headfirst into the city from this thing." He glances at me. "Well, except maybe you, but you can fly."

"Guys, we're never gonna reach the goal if we keep lookin' down!" Natsu gets back on his feet, this time being a bit more careful about not falling over the edge. "C'mon, we need to keep headin' eastward!"

Erza frowns from her perch a little higher up. "I think it would be prudent to take notes as we move along. We should write down the path we've taken from our starting point, and the locations we've passed. We need to know precisely where we are in order to make progress."

"That sure would help us stop running around in circles." While I don't doubt that Lucy has a point, I'm not sure how helpful a simple map is going to be in a three-dimensional maze.

Still, I make no fuss over it as they start on the map. My sensitive hearing is out as well, so I'm best suited to just making sure that no one falls out of the sky.

Well, that's until a group of voices start getting closer. And they're not far from making my eardrums bleed with all their racket. Now, I'm actually glad that my sensitive hearing is out of commission.

"You're the one who told us to go this way, ya little runt!"

"Don't try to blame this on me!"

"I don't care whose fault it is! All I know is we've been here before!"

"That's what I'm sayin'! We're going around in circles!"

"Just shut up and keep moving! We're runnin' out of time!"

Gray grimaces. "It's been so quiet…it's easy to forget there are other guilds in here."

"And…we have company…" I glance up at the group of five that are…upside down? Okay, so apparently gravity no longer applies.

The one in the middle with the big club on his back smirks. "Well I see your guild is just as shoddy as ever."

"I'm surprised to see you losers in the tournament." Gray's voice echoes with dry humor.

"You've got no right to call us losers. You're the guild that always comes in last place!"

Natsu snaps, a minor snap, but still. "Fairy Tail's takin' first place this year, just you watch!"

"We'll see about that." The club is coming out, and I really don't like that.

Out of the corner of my eye, though I see a team falling towards the city. It's worrisome, and for a second, I'm almost certain that the five of them are going to die. Instead, they're caught by a magic circle that stops them in mid-air, like a magical net. I see…so they're collecting up the people who get disqualified like that…

If that's the fate of those who fall out of the maze, then I feel no guilt over doing any of this. "Well, it's been a pleasure meeting you. But it's time to say goodbye. We have bigger fish to fry, like Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus, and Sabertooth." I raise my hand into the air, and a strong gust of wind pulls at them, enveloping them, before hurling five shrieking wizards from the platform and down towards the city.

"Whoa, Sis! Not cool!" Natsu looks over the side as the five members of…what was it, Twilight Ogre? Well, those five guys take a dive towards the city below.

"It's fine, just watch." I point over the side as the five of them fall out of the maze, only to be caught by one of those green magic circles. "We can throw as many teams as we want out of here, and they'll just get picked up by the ones running the games."

"Interesting…" Erza nods as she looks at their collection. "Very well, the fewer rivals we have, the better."

That's when a horn blares, and I groan as everything starts to move. "What now…?" Similar shouts of confusion emanate from my teammates as the entire maze shifts, turning on its axis, until…

We're all falling through the sky. Lucy and Natsu are the ones in the most danger, so my wind lashes out towards them first, pulling them back up towards me. That, I make a grab for Erza, whose armor is weighing her down. Finally, Gray is the last one I snatch out of the air, bringing us all close together within a swirl of wind.

Lucy breathes hard, like she's having a heart attack, or maybe just a panic attack. "Nice save, Ciara…"

"Thanks…" I look for a good spot to put us back down. And it's nowhere near where we just were. _So much for the idea of a map…we're in a moving, twisting, switching, three-dimensional maze up in the sky._ At least now I know what the trap is, which means that wind magic is back on the table. We're not the only team that got shaken around, though. It sounds to me like dozens of other teams got shaken out.

Erza tests her balance on the platform. "It stopped moving."

"I dunno who came up with this contraption, but they're pretty messed up in the head." Gray's right on that point.

But our redhead shakes her head. "I'm not surprised by the intricacy of the labyrinth. It's designed to narrow over one hundred teams down to eight"

Gray looks over the side as well. "It looks like that last move was enough to get rid of a lot of em."

"Yeah…luckily, we didn't end up joining them." Because if we lose even one member, we're out.

That's when a packet of papers falls out of the sky and into Erza's hands, piquing Lucy's interest. "What's that? Did those jerks make a map too?"

"It appears they have." She flips through the pages, examining the various notes.

"Talk about a lucky break!" Gray grins. "If we combine our notes with Twilight Ogre's, then we'll have an even better map of this place."

And the glimmer in Erza's eye is what starts a campaign of utter pandemonium. If the shaking of the maze didn't eliminate enough teams, the rampage that Erza leads Natsu and Gray on eliminates another dozen and a half teams from the race. This race has turned into a battle royale, and Fairy Tail is…well, doing what it does best. It's like a bar brawl taken to the extreme.

About forty five minutes and many small battles later, the same horn as before blares, and I know what that means. "Hey! Time to regroup!" It'll be better if they get close to me so that I don't have to go chasing them down as they're falling through the air.

Lucy pulls back towards me first, followed by Gray, Erza, and finally Natsu. Once they're all within range, I wrap us up in a wall of wind, and we hover in place as the maze starts turning again. I figure that as long as we stick to where we are, I can just drop us back down and we can continue on where we left off without losing our bearings.

When we touch back down, Lucy spreads out all of the maps, trying to interpret them. But to me…they all look like- "Chicken scratch…"

Lucy laughs nervously. "Ah…well…maybe there's something we can use…" She examines each of them, trying to arrange them in patterns. "Okay…hm…" She frowns. "I feel like there's no point in trying to head east from the surface of the labyrinth. We're just going to keep running around in circles because the stupid thing keeps rotating."

"Okay, then…" I look around, trying to find something, anything that we can use to get our bearings. Then…I spot a large round globe far below us, right at the heart of the labyrinth. "How about we just go to the middle, then? We might be able to find our way from there."

Lucy blinks, looking up at me, before looking down. "That's a great idea!" Then, she tilts her head. "But how do we get down there?"

"Well…" I walk over to the edge and stare downward. "I say we jump. I can carry us down there, and look for an entrance." Or make our own.

"Well, I guess that's an idea." Gray taps my shoulder. "Alright, let's do it. It'll take too long with the way we're running around. So if you've got a plan, let's run with it."

"Thanks." I let a gust of win pick up all of the maps and deposit them in Lucy's hands. "Now come on, I promise that I won't let any of you fall."

"Very well." Erza steps up to the ledge. "We're counting on you."

"Right." I take a deep breath and step off the ledge. "Follow me!" I hurtle down towards the center of the maze, leaving a stream of wind in my wake to guide the others down behind me. Slowly, of course, since they're not used to traveling like that.

I nearly hit the huge globe, but stop myself twenty feet from it, turning around to first catch Erza in my updrafts, the Natsu and Gray, and finally, Lucy. She must have been scared by the prospect of jumping so far. But I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.

"Here we are…" I bring us back together and fly us through the air, searching for a way into the center. And I find it. There's a long tunnel that extends about a mile away from us that looks like it connects. But closer to us, though not very accessible, is a small ledge with an open archway leading inside. Most people would probably fall trying to get to it. Not me. Not us. "There. We can go in through there."

"Well done." Erza nods approvingly. "Now, we are that much closer to solving this maze."

I deposit us inside, and we proceed single file along a long stone path that extends across the freaking sky. And above us…is the ground. _…Fuck this place is weird…_

Erza looks on in awe. "Who would have thought we'd find such a peaceful landscape in the center of this monstrosity?"

"It's be more peaceful if it wasn't upside-down." Sometimes, it feels like Gray can read my mind.

"As id that wasn't strange enough…" Erza holds up her compass. "It would appear there's no east or west anymore."

"Jeez, even our compass is dizzy." Gray rolls his eyes at the thing, which probably doesn't help with our dizzy problem.

Lucy laughs at our predicament. "Yes! I've been waiting for this moment!" She pulls out that key from earlier, and it all clicks. "Open, Gate of the Compass! Pyxis!"

The strange part about it is that…this time, the little guy looks freaked out. Natsu frowns. "Why does it look so scared?"

Lucy sweatdrops. "Erza's compass must have traumatized him.

"I didn't mean to upset him…" Erza probably should have thought of that before opening her mouth earlier. But, there's nothing to be done about it now.

"Okay boy, don't be scared, this is your time to shine." Lucy is crouched down, giving her shy and easily discouraged spirit a little pep talk. "Her compass is completely useless." And to prove Lucy's point, Erza holds up the spinning compass.

It takes half a minute and several badly placed comments, but we finally get a direction. Right above us. Natsu rubs his head bemusedly. "So…how exactly are we getting over there?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Erza crosses her arms and smiles. "Give it a sec. And Ciara, if you would stand at the ready."

"Oh boy…I know where this is going…" I ready the wind around us as the maze blares again, and it turns us all upside down as I guide our descent, dropping right into a river. I break the surface first and pull myself out of the water as the others pop up as well. "Come on, let's go. We've got no time to be dawdling here."

"That's right, we're taking first place in the preliminary round." I think that Erza is unrealistically optimistic. I doubt that we're the first ones to make it here, what with all the time we've already lost. But still, we might be able to make it in the top eight if we take the stone path across the miniature ocean that they somehow managed to stick in here.

Honestly, talk about over the top.

But, at the end of the path, there's what looks like a door. Natsu brightens in an instant. "Come on, team! Time for a final sprint!"

"Yeah!" Wind circles my heels and wraps around the rest of the team, speeding our approach to the door.

And waiting there for us at the end of a very long path…is the annoying pumpkin guy. "Erza Scarlet, Gray Fullbuster, Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu and Ciara Dragneel. Congratulations Team Fairy Tail! You've cleared the preliminary round!"

"We did it!" Natsu very nearly jumps into the air upon hearing that good news.

"Why are you so surprised. "Gray, on the other hand, is smug. "I knew we were gonna make it."

"I'm dying to know, did we come in first place?" Lucy's hopeful attitude is going to backfire, I just know it.

"Uh, no." I knew it. "More like…eighth place. You just barely qualified." Well, at least the pumpkin told us that we passed.

The rest of the team is a bit sore about it, sore enough for it to freeze them in their tracks. Even Erza is out of it. I'm just happy to have made it past this round at all. "Come on, we can wallow about it later. We passed, and that's what matters. We placed eighth out of a hundred and thirteen teams. I'd say that's a pretty decent start. We can start making the push to the top when the actual events start."

"Well, that's one way of looking at it." The little pumpkin jumps and opens the door, revealing the coliseum. And he walks out into it, before tuning in to a magic array. "Attention everyone! The eight teams have been determined! The Grand Magic Games' preliminary round, Sky Labyrinth, is over!" Then, as though hearing the unasked questions, he twirls around. "Oh, so you want to know who's participating in the main events? Well, you'll just have to wait until the opening ceremonies to find out!"

Well, I suppose that's that. "We should get back to the inn. We'll need to rest up before the games." After all, tomorrow, the main competition starts. And we've got ourselves a competition hit list.


	98. The First Day Begins

**Warning: Long Author's Note**

 **I had a feeling that I was going to have to address the point as to why Ciara couldn't just fly them across the labyrinth. One, that would be too easy, and two, mechanics. Her enhanced senses were knocked out, and that labyrinth was complicated and huge. Not to mention she'd never actually BEEN to Crocus before, so she doesn't actually know what the coliseum looks like. The labyrinth was also constantly moving, and flying them like that would have exposed them to attack by other teams. Short distances are okay, but longer one…not so much. Besides, the exit was on the INSIDE (so in essence, she actually did fly them most of the way to the exit). Flying them across the outside would have taken them away from the goal, not towards it.**

 **So…mechanics, plot, and baddies around every corner.**

 **As for how I write so quickly…I can pump out about 2800 words in an hour, if I'm having a good hour. Also, I procrastinate on homework way more than I should (though I still get all of my assignments in anyway). And then I've got time before exams next week.**

 **By the way, there are three variations of the name Chelia/Shelia/Sherria. I'm going to go with Chelia, since it's what appears first and most often in the manga.**

 **Now that it gets mentioned, though, I guess I should do a vote. I was planning on sticking to canon in that Natsu and Gajeel take on Sting and Rogue in the two on two battle. But I could switch Gajeel out for Ciara if that's what people want to see. But that would involve her fighting twice (though she doesn't participate in any events apart from fighting, so I could make that argument). Anyway, if that's what you wanna see, I have a poll up on my profile or you can let me know in the reviews. And if you wanna give reasons, I will take those into account.**

 **Lots of canon here, but that's because we're ramping up, and some people might have forgotten the rules. It's going to diverge again soon. But I've sprinkled plenty of little tidbits here and there that I hope you enjoy. And I end the chapter with Rogue, isn't that nice?**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Right now, I'm kind of hating Gramps. I'm not a big fan of the color purple. Blue, silver, and red are my colors, always have been. Flared purple pants and a purple leather jacket with the Fairy Tail emblem on it are not what I expected him to make me wear for the opening ceremonies. In fact, I wasn't expecting him to dictate my wardrobe at all.

 _He thought it would be good to have a team color. Right…he's s going to pay for this later._

At least I still have my silver boots and a pair of tight-fitting leather wristguards. I can change out the rest of my clothes later. Because if Gramps thinks that I'm going to wear this outfit for the entire length of the games, he's dead wrong.

Still, standing here, waiting for our cue to get out there, it's kind of exciting. My blood is pumping, my heart racing, my eyes fixed on the light outside this tunnel. _It's almost time…_

"Wow, would you listen to that crowd?" Erza smiles as the deafening cheers reach us, even in here.

Lucy glances over to where my eyes are. "I didn't think there'd be so many people watching.

"The city's full of wizards from all over the country. Of course folks want to see them in action." Gray still isn't wearing his whole uniform, the damn stripper. He's really got to ease up on that habit of his. Well, not like I really expect him to after so many years of it.

Natsu groans. "Purple is so lame. I'd rather wear my regular clothes instead of this crap."

"I'll second that…" Not that the clothes are uncomfortable, and the color does go with my hair, but…still, purple is not my thing.

"Purple or not, you'll just have to deal. Unless you want to tell Master why you think the clothes he picked are so 'lame'." Lucy doesn't seem to get that I'd totally do it. Or rather, I'll do it later.

"You won't hear me complaining, I think they're adorable." Of course, coming from Miss Fashionista Erza.

"And comfy. Skin tight." It would mean more from Gray if he actually wore his.

I roll my eyes at him. "Just make sure to get your clothes on before we walk out there. There's no need to embarrass ourselves in front of the other teams."

"Fine, fine…" He looks less than thrilled about that, but he's used to it by now, being told to put on his clothes. Though we still have to break him of the habit, even though every attempt thus far has failed, and all we can do is remind him to put the damn clothes back on before he goes out in public.

Still, while we're here, we've got something of a mission. Last night, we found out that Wendy got attacked while she and Carla were out sightseeing. Obviously, someone thought that it would be a laugh to attack a member of our guild. And when we find out who did it, they're going to wish they had never been born. And it's unfortunate, he's supposed to be our reserve member, in case one of us gets injured and can't keep going.

Natsu picks up on my thoughts. "The person who attacked Wendy…do you think they're takin' part in the games as well?"

"I'd say there's a big possibility." Lucy's worry is creeping into her voice, which is not good for team morale.

So, I decide to intervene. "Well, if they are part of the games, then all we have to do is look for someone who can drain magic. Once we do that, well…we can show them what justice means to the Fairy Tail guild." And justice for one of our injured comrades is never pretty.

Then, the speaker system goes off. "We're just moments away from the start of the Grand Magic Game, folks. I'm your commentator, Chapati Lola, and I'll be handling the play-by-play while former Council member Yajima provides commentary. Mr. Yajima, glad to have you with us, sir."

"Glad to be here." Now that's a familiar voice. I remember it quite well from the times that Natsu and I got dragged in front of the Magic Council.

"And let's not forget our special guest, a member of Blue Pegasus, and current holder of the title 'Miss Fiore'; Jenny Realight!"

"Blue Pegasus is bringing home the gold this year." And my first impression of her…is that she's a total ditz.

"Ready?" Natsu looks at me, his eyes full of his fiery determination.

"Yeah." I take a step forward, next to him, and smirk. "Let's go." After all, there's a reason we're here, and that reason is to win.

"Now, the time has come to meet our competitors!" Chapati's voice echoes over the speakers as we walk out into the light. "First up, in eighth place, an old school bunch of wild wizards from Magnolia! They had luck in the prelims, and now they're raring to take back first place by force! It's Fairy Tail!" I wish I could say that we walked out to cheers, but most of the crowd is quite actively booing us. "Who would have thought they'd make it this far after losing every year? Securing a spot in the prelims was no small feat for them. Will the Tenrou Team's sensational return help Fairy Tail become Fiore's greatest guild?"

The answer to that question should be obvious. Of course we are. We've been gone for seven years, but now we're back, and we're back with a vengeance. Some of our strongest members make up this team. It's nothing like in past years.

"I'm proud of them." Yajima holds out a thumbs up for us. "Way to go, kiddos! Now get out there and show em what you can do!"

"Cheer till you bust a lung! Hooray! Hooray!" Well, that's a voice we all know and love, and sometimes hate, but mostly love. "Fairy Tail's number one!"

Erza smiles. "The cheers of our comrades are all the support we need."

I grin. "Yeah…plus, once we start winning, the crowd will change its tune." They're kind of like sheep that way. If you're strong, they'll go with herd mentality and cheer. It's not the nicest description, but if the shoe fits… "Let's just hold out until then, and we'll be the ones hearing the music."

Then, comes the shock. Well, to everyone but me. I wondered where she'd gotten off to… Mavis is sitting up there, cheering for us from Fairy Tail's section in the stands. "Right…I'd forgotten to mention that she hitched a ride on my magic power while I was on Tenrou Island so that she could come to cheer us on…"

Natsu blinks at me, then starts laughing. "Even Master Mavis came out to cheer for us? We've got this in the bag!"

"Next, the team that came up seventh place in the pre-lims, the rowdy army of hell-hounds, Quatro Cerberus!" And out come five very…interestingly dressed men. They're quite…eccentric, just like I remember Goldmine to be.

"And coming in sixth is a guild filled to the brim with the fairer sex. The dancer of the great blue sea! Mermaid Heel!" And as promised, it's an all-female team, dressed a little more normally than the men, but still a bit odd.

"In fifth place, with azure wings that glimmer in the darkness. It's Blue Pegasus!" When the spotlights come on, four very familiar faces, plus a giant rabbit, appear out of the darkness, showing off, as usual.

There's colored smoke bombs to announce the arrival of the next team. "Next, in fourth place, the goddess of love and strife! The sacred destroyer! Lamia Scale!" It doesn't surprise me to see Lyon and Jura out there, but it looks like Yuka and Toby are here too. Plus one girl I haven't seen before, but smells weird. That, and she's clumsy enough to trip on flat ground…not a promising start.

Natsu blinks as the Lamia Scale teams takes a place next to us. "I've never seen her before."

"She looks like a smaller version of that girl, Sherry." Gray is right about that, especially the color of her hair.

Lyon takes it all in stride. "Please try to stay on your feet."

"No promises, Lyon." She so cute that it's almost criminal. She's just like Wendy.

"This is Chelia, one of Sherry's cousins." And thanks to Yuka for explaining that little connection.

Of course, I probably should have see this coming. Lyon is monopolizing Gray, Ren is all over Lucy, Ichiya is after Erza… And before Hibiki can even take a step, I shoot him a look that tells him not to mess with me right now. Then, I turn my eyes back to one of the other tunnels ringing the arena, and Chapati's voice rings out again. "Now to introduce our third place contestants! What a shocker! Swooping in from a midnight dreary, this dark and gloomy bunch are making their debut in this year's games. Give it up for Raven Tail!"

That freezes all of the blood in my body. _But…isn't that…a dark guild?_ I thought it was run by Laxus' father or something after he and Gramps had a falling out. Most of the old members know at least something about that story.

"What the heck are they doin' here!?" Natsu voices my shock for me, thankfully.

Up in the stands, Gramps loses his shit. "Why is a dark guild participating!? Have you officials lost your minds, or are you just incompetent to begin with!?" _Well…three guesses who attacked Wendy…_ If I had to put money on it, I'd put it on them.

"Well…" Sounds like Chapati is doing a double-check. "Their records appear to be in order. They're an old guild. Official sources say they've been active over seven years, but they were only recently approved for official guild status by the Magic Council." _Well that's not suspicious at all…_

Yajima hums. "Well, if they have official status, then they're technically not a dark guild and are, therefor, eligible to compete."

Down here on the ground, the one in the mask approaches us. "Fairy Tail. I trust your friend is recovering?" _Yep…knew it as soon as they walked in._

"You were the ones who attacked Wendy?" Natsu's fury rising rapidly, and he's close to bashing someone's face in. "I'm gonna make you regret it."

"Oh…don't worry." I put my hand on Natsu's shoulder and squeeze hard. "They'll get what's coming to them. Just you wait." One of us is gonna get them, it's just a matter of time. Though I won't complain if it's me.

"Hold on, we've still got two teams who made it through the qualifying round!" Chapati breaks some of the tension, but not all of it. "Our first-place runner-up is…Oh wow! What a surprise! This year's competition just got a whole lot more interesting, folks!" And as he says that, five familiar faces walk out to meet us, cloaked in even more familiar lightning. And I resist the urge to bang my head against the wall. You've got to be kidding me… It's Laxus, Gajeel, Mira, Juvia, and…I think that's Jellal dressed as Mystogan. It feels like him.

And I notice that they didn't have to wear purple…

And because there's shouts of confusion all around, Chapati interrupts us all. "You know, I think the newly implements rules may have left our audience a bit perplexed, Mr. Yajima. Care to explain?"

"Sure thing. The committee in charge of the Grand Magic Games allowed each guild to enter two teams, which they felt would make the preliminaries more exciting." Though I guess they didn't expect this to happen. All of our powerhouses are on the field. Four dragon slayers, two of which are S-Class, two more S-Class wizards on top of that, a former S-Class member of the Element Four, a former Wizard Saint masquerading as another of our S-Class wizards, a master of Ice-Make magic, and a Celestial wizard. It's like we pulled out all the stops here.

Lucy is still confused. "Why didn't you tell us this was your plan, Master?" Yeah, the old fart didn't exactly give us the download on that little piece of information. It probably would have been helpful to know.

"You like that!?" Gramps laughs his head off at our reactions. "This is how the Fairy Tail guild takes are of business, baby!" _Yeah…by threatening to destroy everything in sight just by existing in the same space._

Chapati coughs. "I'm not sure the committee really thought this new rule through. I mean, this is a team-based competition. Won't having two teams from the same guild kind of stack the odds?" Honestly, I don't think that it's stacking the odds that he should be worrying about. I think what he should really be worrying about is the chaos that having ten of our strongest wizards in one arena is going to cause. I give it…two minutes tops before shit starts to hit the fan. Less, if it involves Natsu.

"You worry too much. To be honest, I don't think it'll be a problem." Ah…how nice to hear Yajima say that. Obviously he's forgotten how many times our members have been dragged up to Era.

"Well, it's totally unfair if you ask me." Yeah…I'm liking this Jenny less and less. "Let's say there's an event where each team chooses a member to compete against the others in a battle royale. There's nothing to stop the Fairy Tail members from teaming up with each other."

"It does give them an advantage, but I guess that's their reward for being the only guild out of over a hundred with two teams in the games." _Wait, is he saying that we're the only ones who took advantage of that rule?_ Chapati has basically implied that the other guilds are either stupid or lazy. If it ups your chances, why not put in a second team?

And, as expected, Natsu is going off in about thirty second. "This is a big load o' crap!" _Already…? Couldn't you have waited like…until we got back to the inn…? Or a bar? Or anywhere that's not in front of thousands of people?_ But he's not done, not even close. "Bein' in the same guild don't mean jack! If I fight against any of you, I'm not pulling any punches! As long as we're in this tournament, you're my enemies, and I ain't gonna lose to any of you!"

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Gajeel walks over and looms over Natsu. "I'm lookin' forward to makin' you eat dirt, Salamander."

"Oh yeah!? You wanna throw down right here!?" Natsu is getting way too heated up about this. Literally, his magic is starting to spill out.

And Gajeel is no better, they're a pair of idiots. "I don't mind poundin' you into the ground early!"

My eye twitches, and I shake a little as my voice rings across the coliseum, violent bursts of wind pushing the two of them apart. "Can it! Save the fighting for the actual matches! This isn't the guild, and it's not a bar! So don't act like it is!" Ugh, they make me want to throttle them.

Natsu covers his ears. "Damn it, Sis, what's gotten into you!? Quit bein' so loud!" And he's not the only one with his ears covered. Gajeel's hands are pressed to his own head, and Laxus is wincing a bit.

"I wouldn't have to be if you would just behave yourself and not going picking fights!" Seriously, if he and Gajeel fight, they're probably going to get us kicked out of the games.

"Well, it looks like things are heating up down on the floor." Chapati is not helping, not in the slightest.

Yajima seems to agree, just not with me. "Yes…well, there's nothing less to expect from the Fairy Tail guild. They certainly know how to get themselves worked up for a fight. Good thing they have Miss Ciara there to play peacekeeper."

"That's called playing peacekeeper?" Chapati sounds a little stunned.

"Mm-hm. Among their rambunctious antics are the many battles that take place daily in the guild hall. It takes great talent and power to tame such a crowd. Not to mention the power to flatten them all at once." Yajima's description…is not the most flattering.

"I see, well that does sound rather exciting. Hopefully, you'll tell us more later." Now, I feel like thanking Chapati for getting the topic away from me, if only briefly. "And last, but certainly not least, is the team that came in first place in the preliminaries! That' right! You know them! You love them! Now get on your feet and scream for the most powerful guild in Fiore! The one and only, Sabertooth!"

When they come out, I get a good long look at each f the members. And lo and behold…there's Rufus. And as they walk closer, he looks up at me. "I see that we meet again." He smirks arrogantly at me. "I look forward to doing battle with you."

"No, you really don't." No one 'looks forward' to fighting me. Not unless they have a death wish. Which is why something that Gramps impressed upon me this morning before the opening ceremonies is that I'm not to undo my seals unless my life is in serious danger. It's for the safety of the spectators, as well as the other competitors.

"All in all, I'd say we have an impressive group of wizards here! Any comments on our lineup, Mr. Yajima?" And now he's just begging for biographies on everyone. That wouldn't end well.

"Yeah…Mermaid Heel makes me pine for my youth." _Old pervert…guess he and Gramps have that in common._

"Um, that's not quite what I meant." But he moves ahead anyway. "We've kept everyone waiting long enough. It's about time we unveil the official schedule for this year's tournament!" Two giant stone tablets pop out of the ground with a calendar of events and writing denoting points. "Each one of the rounds will begin with a contest! Participants will then be ranked from first to eighth place! The teams will be awarded points depending on how they ranked in the contest. Additionally, the teams will be allowed to select with of their members they want to compete. After that, we have battles. These bouts should come as quite a treat to all you loyal fans since it was your suggestions that created these match-ups."

I examine the tablets and figure out a few things on my own. _So…each team has two chances a day to rack up points, and we're being awarded points on a serious bell-curve. They're all make it or break it. And worst case scenarios…we do things back to back on the same day._

"The battle rules are simple. Each team will square off as shown here! The winning teams will be awarded ten points, while the losing teams get jack squat! In the case of a draw, both teams will be awarded five points. Ready for some action? Let's get things started with the first contest of the Grand Magic Games, one that we call "Hidden"! At this time, we'd like each team to select one member to compete. Once your selections are made, the rules will be explained in their entirety."

"Hm…so it's called "Hidden", huh…?" I turn to the rest of the team. "In that case, I vote for anyone but Natsu."

"What!?" Natsu almost screeches his displeasure at me. "I can totally do this!"

"Natsu, you are not the most discreet of people, you announce your presence like a speeding freight train. I don't think that "Hidden" is a game suited to your style." I know it's not the kindest way to put it, but if it'll keep him from getting into a game that he won't win…well, then that's going to be better for his pride in the end.

Names flash across the screen, and I'm half tempted go out there myself and answer Rufus' challenge. But…I know that it's not worth it just for that reason.

"Well…whatever the rules, I'm sure that Ciara is on the right track and that the name is a clue. Stealth and guile will be essential to win." It's nice to hear Erza agree with me.

"Exactly." But when Lyon's name flashes across the screen, I groan. "Oh boy…" I see exactly where this is going.

"In that case…I got this one." Gray steps up without hesitation. "I've been itchin' to see what this tournament's all about."

Of course, with Gray stepping up to the fight, it should be a given that Juvia volunteers as well. I've tried giving her advice, really,I have, but she has to stop acting quite so stalker-ish when it comes to Gray, it just freaks him out. _Well, I suppose this calls for another talk later…_ I really do want them to work out. They're just…having some communication issues right now that they need to get out of the way first.

Anyway, now that the contestants have been chosen, the rest of us need to get off the field. "Come on, let's get up to our viewing gallery."

"Fine…" Natsu stalks off towards the tunnel that we came out of, which connects to a viewing gallery about fifty feet up. That's where our team will get to watch our members compete from. Every other team gets a similar balcony ringing the arena.

As I move to join them, I feel eyes on me, and I look back over my shoulder to see sapphire and ruby eyes fixed on me. Sting and Rogue, I should have known. The ones who killed their dragons.

I mentally give myself a shake. _No, it's not good to be thinking that way. The past is in the past, and there's nothing that can be done about it now. You don't know anything about the circumstances, so all you can do is judge them based on what they do in the present._ I know that, but it still hurts to think about killing, and then talking about it so callously.

Still, I watch them, just as they watch me, before turning away to follow my team into the tunnel, and up the stairs to the balcony. I can deal with whatever infatuation they have with me later. For now, we're here to win the Grand Magic Games.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

The disgust in her eyes is gone. But her gaze still feels…colder than I remember. I remember her being gentle, warm, protective, caring…

But she's so different now. I know that it's been ten years, even though she looks like it's only been a fraction of that, but she's changed. There's something more serious about her, heavier. And her scent has changed somewhat. It's still the same one I remember, but…the scent of fruit and flowers is less powerful, and the scent of a dragon more so, but…even that scent is different, like it's…mixed with something else.

And deep in her eyes, there's something else, something almost…dark. I have no idea what it is, but it's unsettling, even to me, someone who spends most of their time flitting through the shadows.

Then, of course, there's the fact that she's opted not to participate, even though it seems that she and Rufus have already met. Part of me wants to see what she's capable of now, and there's a twinge of disappointment at not getting to see her fight this early.

On the other hand, there's a part that twinges with satisfaction. She decided not to compete. And that same part of me wonders if she would have, had I decided to enter the game. I could have, since my abilities are well-suited for anything that involves hiding.

That aside, it feels like she's the one hiding something. I just don't know what it is. Yet.

"Rogue, c'mon!" Sting watches me expectantly, and makes me realize that I spaced out. _Haven't done that in a while..._ She's disappeared from sight, so I turn around silently and follow Sting towards the stairs that lead to our gallery. He looks back at me and frowns. "What's got you so quiet?"

"Nothing in particular." I'd rather just leave it at that.

He's not buying it. "Uh-huh, and that's why you were staring at Pinky, right?"

I bristle quietly at the nickname. "She's part of the competition. Even though we're going to win, it would be a mistake not to at least check out our opponents. We may end up facing her at some point. And I do not know how strong she is now."

"...Fine, be that way." He waves it off like it's nothing. "Just be careful around that chick. She's crazy. I heard her breaking Natsu and Gajeel up like she was their mother."

Her ability to break up a fight between her fellow First Generation dragon slayers is none of my business. The only business I have with any of them is the fight with Gajeel that I've been waiting years for. And I will have my fight. Once we get through the bulk of the games, I will have my chance to prove that I am stronger than he is.

And I want her to watch.


	99. Raven Tail's Grudge

**Alright, to reiterate, the poll is up on my profile, so go ahead and vote, and I'll adjust my plans accordingly. So far, there seems to be more support in favor of a brother-sister tag team. Know that if it does lean towards a brother-sister tag team, that I can definitely spin things so that canon events still happen when they're supposed to.**

 **As for the dark thing inside her…well, does anyone remember when I invoked Murphy's Law?**

 **Yeah, I'm going to do it again.**

 **As for what Ciara's plans for the losing team would be...I thought I'd include something funny.**

* * *

From up on the balcony, the four of us look down at the arena floor, where the contestants are being briefed on the rules of the game. There seems to be a fairly interesting selection of competitors down there. We've got Gray and Juvia, of course, but Lyon and Eve are down there as well. And then…that guy Rufus that I met on my last job.

The surprise comes, however, when a whole model city materializes inside the arena, enveloping the contestants. "A town!" Lucy's eyes widen a they skirt over what I think is a hologram.

"Amazing…" Erza also appreciates the magical feat of architecture below us.

"Yeah, that's some serious spell-work." The organizers must have put a lot of effort into getting this challenge ready. It's the most convincing magical hologram I've ever seen. "I wonder how they're pulling it off…"

Chapati's voice rings out over the speaker system. "Those of you in the stands can catch all of the exciting action in crystal-clear lacrima-vision." Screens pop up all over the arena, showing each of the eight wizards. "I bet the contestants in the arena wish they had that luxury. But that would make it too easy" _No kidding, because then they could all track each other down and bring the game to an end real quick._ Speaking of easy, here are the rules of the game. All the players are hiding and seeking at the same time! The main objective in Hidden is to locate the other players. Once you've done that, you'll have to land an attack on them! The player that successfully connects their attack, whether or not is does any damage, will then be awarded one point."

That's when the whole place shimmers, and hundreds of copies of the wizards appear in the streets of the holographic town. _I see…they're going to make it harder to find the other players by using mobs of decoys… I wonder what happens if you touch one…_

Natsu starts looking sick, so I raise an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

He groans. "The thought of that many Grays just really grosses me out…"

"Seriously…" Sometimes, I have a hard time believing that this guy is my brother. "That's why you look like you're going to throw up?" I shake my head and lean against the railing. "Wimp."

"Hm…" Erza looks like she's thinking hard. "This is extremely difficult. Even after knowing Gray for all these years, I'd probably have trouble finding the real one."

Maybe I should have volunteered for this game instead. "I would just sniff out all the competition. After all, those copies might look like them, but I doubt that they smell like humans."

"They might look pretty, but those copies aren't just for show, folks!" Looks like we're finally getting an explanation for them. "Attack one of your fake competitors by mistake, and it'll cost you one point! It's time to disappear like a black cat in a dark alleyway. Fade into your surroundings and hide in plain sight. Let's play Hidden!"

I watch through the screens as the wizard start to move around. And this is probably the worst possible games for Juvia, seeing as there are so may copies of her crush around that she just can't resist hugging one.

A buzzer rings, Juvia loses a point, and she's teleported off in a flash of light as the speakers buzz again. "And with that bear hug attack, Juvia from Fairy Tail B loses one point. She will be put into a ten second time-out, then forced to start again from another part of the arena. The same is true if you are attacked by another player. One point taken off, time-out, and then is starting all over again from somewhere else! You are allowed as many restarts as you need, but the clock is ticking. The game will last for thirty minutes, and of course, whoever has the most points at the end takes first place!"

"Well, that seems pretty simple." And Gray shouldn't have too hard a time out there. I mean, he doesn't have a dragon slayer's nose, but he's still pretty perceptive.

But only a few minutes in, there's a distinctly foreboding omen. Raven Tail's member manages to make his way through the arena straight to Gray. And while Gray is the first one to get a strike in, something seems…wrong. And instead of hitting his target, he hits…one of the copies? _What's with that? Gray shouldn't have missed by that much._

"I didn't know he'd be that easy to trick…" Natsu grits his teeth. _What the hell is going on?_

 _I think…that Raven Tail has a hit out on us._ I mean, they've hated us for a long time, so I wouldn't put it past them to have made our guild into a hit list. And we've got a hit out on Sabertooth, so it's not an unreasonable notion. Especially since Gray gets respawned in another part of the arena and goes into negative digits.

Lucy watches the screen worriedly. "Everybody's totally blended in with the crowds."

"How are we supposed to figure out who's real and who's not in this thing!?" Natsu's brain feels like it's going to explode, and the aftershocks are leaking into my brain as well.

I put my hand on his head and try to calm him down. "If it were me or you out there, we'd use our noses to sniff out the real people. Without our sense of smell, Gray is gonna have to find another way to handle this." I'm starting to think that maybe I should have volunteered for this game. At the very least, I have extra senses that Gray doesn't. Enhanced smell and hearing, for starters.

And only minutes later, that Raven Tail guy finds Gray again, turning his whole body spiky and freaky in order to attack him from behind. "The hell!?" Natsu's eyes widen as the purple guy scores a direct hit.

My fists clench angrily as my theory is confirmed. "So it's true, then. Once…maybe, but for the same person to find Gray twice…that's not a coincidence."

"I'm inclined to agree…" Hearing validation from Erza is nice and all, but it's not going to help Gray. Especially not now that he's fallen to the bottom of the rankings.

"The tension is so thick in this game of Hidden, you could cut it with a knife. With Raven Tail's Nalpudding quickly taking the lead." The commentary isn't reassuring either. "Say, on a field full of copies of yourself and your enemies, how would you figure out who was real, and who was just a fake?"

Yagima coughs. "There are a variety of ways to suss out which ones are real. One might begin by trying to detect an opponent's magic power."

"I'm sure our crafty little Eve will figure out a more sophisticated method." And once again, Jenny's snide laughter is getting on my nerves.

Natsu growls. "Keep screwin' up and it's gonna cost us the game, Gray!"

"Raven Tail…" Lucy looks over towards their balcony. "They're the ones who attacked Wendy. And now, for some strange reason, it seems like they're only targeting Gray in this round."

"Which means that they're making this personal…" I turn away from Natsu and pat Lucy on the shoulder. "But if that's the way they wanna play it, then I say that we give them exactly what they're looking for, and turn it all around on them. They're going to regret messing with Fairy Tail, understand?"

She stares at me, before a smile blooms on her face. "Right."

The battles start to heat up, and the points are going up and down. But then…the recording lacrimas get close enough to Gray and Juvia for a minute for us to hear something very…odd.

Juvia smiles like she just got away with the whole cookie jar. "Master said that the winning team gets to do whatever they want to the losing team for an entire day." Then, her face goes all red, and I don't really feel like trying to figure out just what she's imagining doing to Gray if the B team wins.

"Is this some kinda joke!?" Gray stares right into one of the lacrima. "Hey Gramps! If you're gonna make crazy rules like that, the they gotta be fair! That means they better work if our team wins this thing too!"

Knowing that Gramps won't turn down that logic, Natsu's brain already starts cooking up some…disturbing thoughts. "Yeah…I know exactly what I want." And it involves Gajeel and Laxus doing some…creepy ass things, to put it lightly.

My brain…goes to a very different place.

 _"Go get me that book and then go and stand in that diagram." I point towards the uppermost shelf, where an old bound book is sticking out a bit._

 _Laxus grumbles quietly, walking over to the shelf and pulling down the book. "I can't read this damn thing. What's it about?"_

 _"Oh…you'll see." I smirk at him as the book flies from his hand to mine. I flip through the pages ad my smirk widens as I come to the right page. "Perfect. Now stay still." I point my hands at him, focusing on the book. "I'm going to practice some transformation magic on you. First, I'm going to turn you into a frog."_

 _"Wait, what!?" And before Laxus has time to do anything more than should in surprise, magic glows around him, obscuring his form with light and a puff of smoke._

 _And there, in his place, instead of a frog, is a cute little golden-furred puppy. "Oops." Well, I hadn't expected the spell to go quite that wrong. But…I can work with that. "You know what, I'll leave you like that for the rest of the day. Consider it payback for making me sick back on Tenrou Island."_

 _The puppy growls at me, but not so menacingly, seeing as Laxus is now an adorable little furball. In fact, I never thought that Laxus would ever be so cute._

 _Maybe I should give him to Mira like this…then again…Natsu has Happy, and I could do with a pet…_

Natsu snickers beside me. "Damn, Sis, your imagination is way freakier than mine is."

I elbow him in the ribs, realizing that he saw every second of my deluded little fantasy. "Oh, shut up. Or I might just reconsider, and make a pink-furred puppy instead of a golden one."

Our banter, however, is cut off by Nalpudding reappearing on the screen, taking out both Gray and Juvia at the same time. He's really going after our guild hard, confirming even further that we're on their hit list. No…not even a hit list. This is a straight up vendetta.

Snow starts to fall, and Chapati takes notice. "Wow, would you look at this. Our city is turning into a winter wonderland." It must be Eve's magic, and it's a good strategy, since humans give off heat. Only, it's not going to work on Gray or Lyon, which means that only five of the competitors are vulnerable to Eve's strategy. Because of it, though, Eve takes out three of the other players in one go, and puts Blue Pegasus up high in the standings.

That kicks off the next round of battles, and the points start moving up and down. Well, mostly. The only person who hasn't budged an inch in points is…Rufus. _What's he waiting for…I wonder…_

The lacrimas zoom in on him on top of a building, and Lucy laughs. "That's a pretty conspicuous hiding place, if you ask me."

"Yeah…it is…" I frown at the sight. "Which means…that he's not afraid of being found. What's he playing at…?"

"Memory-Make…" Darkness emanates all around Rufus, not black kind of darkness, more like a starry night's sky.

"What is this magic? I've never heard of it." Erza's eyes are turned skyward as she tries to evaluate the magic being used.

"I don't know…" And I should, since I've met him before. He just didn't show off his magic, which means that I've got no reference for this. "But I think we're about to find out in a big way."

All of the other wizards glow in the darkness as Rufus launches his attack. "Night of Shooting Stars!" And lightning bursts from him, racing out in all directions, hitting six of the other wizards at once, save for Nalpudding. At least, at first. When the purple man attacks Rufus, he gets a shot right to the face.

"And the hits rain down from above, turning the scoreboard upside down!" No kidding, seeing as Rufus just scored himself seven points in one go. "This is what you'd expect from a guy like Rufus! Sabertooth takes the lead!"

"I think…I'm starting to see why they're the number one guild in Fiore…" And from the sounds of it, Lucy's confidence is starting to plummet.

And just to add insult to injury, when Gray attacks in his anger, Nalpudding intercepts him, knocking him down instead of going for Rufus. He's going out of his way just to screw with us. Right down to the bitter end as the bells ring.

"And with that, the game is over!" At Chapati's announcement, the magical field disappears, leaving all of the competitors just standing in the arena. "So, let's take a look at the ol' scoreboard. Just as we expected, Sabertooth claims the top spot." And it hurts, because our two teams are at the bottom. "Both Fairy Tail teams gave it their all, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough to get them out of last place.

The crowd jumps on those words, booing us all, and especially Gray. And Natsu doesn't appreciate that. "You better stop laughing at us right now, or else!"

"It's fine, Natsu…" I grab his hand and squeeze it tight. "They won't be laughing long. After all…didn't you say we were gonna make a comeback? Hard to do that if we start the whole thing off in first place." It burns at my nerves, but it doesn't matter. We're going to get them back, we're going to get them all back.

"Yeah…" He quiets down, his eyes back on the ground.

"Coming up next is the battle part of the contest! One member of each team will participate in a match. But this isn't a tournament setup! I've just received the lineups, so we'll find out just how spectacular those matches will be!" Now, Chapati holds the fates of all the teams in his hands. "Our very first match of this year's Grand Magic Games will test the abilities of Fairy Tail A's zodiac wielder, Lucy Heartfilia! Against the 'Crimson Intensity', Raven Tail's Fare Corona!"

Well, that's not a suspicious match-up at all. Still, I smile at Lucy nevertheless. "Alright, go out there and do your best. And remember that no matter what happens, we're proud of you."

"Right!" She heads out through the archway behind us, making her way down to the battlefield to fight Flare.

Once she's down there, Natsu starts running his mouth. "C'mon! Knock Miss Creepy Eyes into next week!" Well, to be fair, the way she stares at Lucy definitely is creepy.

"If you win, it'll keep us in the running!" Practical advice and observation from our most practical S-Class wizard.

Which means…it's my turn. "Keep focused and don't let her get the drop on you! We'll be here, cheering you on the whole time!" Hopefully, that will eek out some of the stress. A little is good, since it'll make her reflexes sharper, but too much, and it'll just get in the way of her doing her best.

"Well, things are heating up in the stands as well. Is it true that those two are actually father and son?" Chapati must be asking about Gramps and Ivan. That snake who calls himself the master of Raven Tail. Honestly, you'd think that he would come up with a better name that a Fairy Tail knock-off.

"Yes…but I think the fact that they each bear different guild emblems speaks volumes about their relationship." Yajima's got that right, and hell, he was probably around when Ivan got kicked out.

So, now that there's only two people, plus the pumpkin, on the field, with a thirty minute time limit, it's time to get this show on the road. And I'm sitting on the wall of the balcony, watching the start of this match very carefully. Because after the incident with Wendy, I'm expecting them to pull something very dirty. It is Raven Tail, after all, we're not going to get a clean fight.

Lucy opens the fight by summoning Taurus, who appears in a puff of smoke and starts swinging around that giant axe of his. She follows that up immediately with Scorpio.

I raise an eyebrow at the sight. _Can she usually summon two spirits at once? I thought that took a lot more magic to do…_ Whatever she and the others did during their training must have worked spectacularly.

What's creepy is when Flare sets her hair on fire and blocks the sand attack coming out of Scorpio's tail with it. Natsu grips the railing next to me. "She uses fire!?"

"Looks like it…" Though frankly, I should have seen that coming because of her name. Flare Corona. If that doesn't scream fire or light wizard, nothing does. And I doubt that Raven Tail would have any kind of light wizard in their guild.

Scorpio's sand swirls around Tauru's axe as the two go for a combination attack, nearly blowing the whole arena sky high. Of course, with this much wind in the arena, I would love to suck it all up as a snack. I'm just not that fond of getting sand in my mouth.

Flare goes flying, but her hair grows and expands, turning into a wolf that plunges back towards the ground. And honestly, I can see it already. "If you're dealing with a bad hair day, then there's only one person Lucy is gonna call."

As expected, after Scorpio and Taurus make their exit, Cancer comes flying out of his golden gate. The hair is no match for that crab's scissors. And while this just puts them back at square one, at least Lucy is getting the chance to show everyone just what she's made of.

On the other hand, Lucy's slightly psychotic opponent drives her hair into the ground, attacking Lucy from below and swinging her around the arena. So, caught and with no way to run, Lucy evens the playing field courtesy of her magical whip.

I chuckle at the sight of the heated battle. "Looks like she really did get stronger. Exactly what kind of training did you guys do?"

Rather than giving me a straight answer, Natsu turns a little green. "You don't wanna know. Trust me."

"Is it that bad…?" I'm not sure whether to be amused by his reaction, or worried for his health. Usually, only vehicles make my brother look that sick.

There's screams and groans on both sides as the two of them spin through the air. Well, and there's some annoying commentary, but I'm electing to ignore it. The crowds loud cheers and jeers make that easy.

The look on Flare's face, though…it makes me nervous. Not to mention that Lucy's legs are covered in burns, and her boots have been ruined. Nevertheless, she gets right back up despite her injuries. But with Flare's hair back underground, Lucy had better watch out, because she's got no protection from the fiery attacks.

Then, something about the way Flare moves tips me off, and my ears twitch as I start letting in sound again, filtering through it until I hear Flare's voice. "Be quiet, if you want the girl to live." She snatches up Lucy as she tries to scream, throwing her back down to the ground.

 _Want the girl to live?_ Looking over in the direction that Flare seemed to be pointing in earlier, my eyes focus hard on where our guild is cheering in the stands. Asuka. Flare is threatening to kill Alzack and Bisca's little girl. "Try calling out to your friends up there, and I'll break her neck." _I knew that Raven Tail would fight dirty…_

Natsu grits his teeth and squeezes my hand against the railing. "I'm going."

"You heard?" I don't move, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. After all, neither of us wants to tip Flare off.

"Yeah." He backs away from the railing, before stretching and yawning loudly. "Alright, I need to go to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute!"

I clench my fists and watch angrily as Flare swings Lucy around, bashing her against the walls and the ground. _I could go, you know. I'm faster than you._

 _Yeah, but they'll expect you to move, not me. They probably don't think that I figured it out._

Well, that's probably true. _Because everyone thinks you're stupid?_

 _Exactly!_ He sounds so proud of that, even though it's nothing to be proud of. _Seeya later!_

 _Yeah, yeah, just go. I'll keep an eye on things from here._ And I keep my eyes trained on the fight as Natsu walks off through the archway, making sure to be well out of sight or hearing range of anyone normal. But I can sill hear him break into a run.

"I just can't take my eyes off of this battle. Lucy Heartfilia and Flare Corona are two stunning and ferocious competitors!" He says that like Flare isn't playing dirty. "Seeing Fairy Tail in action must bring back memories of your Magic Council days, Mr. Yajima. They had quite the reputation back then, didn't they?" _Reputation is an understatement._

Yajima agrees. "Yeah, that's an understatement. To be honest, they were a pain in the butt. But beyond that, they were highly skilled and the community practically worshipped them. Even when a certain dragon slayer threatened to level the Magic Council headquarters. But that's just another day for Fairy Tail. The guild hasn't been the same without something or other being destroyed every week."

I cover my face in embarrassment at the memory. To be fair, that day, I was pissed off and they'd messed with Natsu. _Way to embarrass me, old man…_

"Yes, I'm sure that comes as quite a surprise to a lot of the people watching!" Thankfully, Chapati doesn't make a fuss over the jab that Yajima directed at me.

After a stall in the battle, Flare goes back on the attack, forcing Lucy to endure it all if she doesn't want Asuka killed. Erza notices that something is very wrong, and her voice rises almost an octave. "Why isn't she fighting back!?"

"Because she can't." I pat Erza on the shoulder, trying to calm her as much as myself as my voice quiets to a murmur. "But don't worry, we're already on it, just don't make a scene about it."

"What?" She looks to me, a stern question in her eyes.

"Not now…" I remove my hand from her shoulder and sit sideways on the wall of the balcony. "Just watch and wait. I know it's hard, but Lucy has to be strong just a little longer…"

Despite my words, my temper flares as Lucy's body is battered and burned by Flare's brutal attacks. Then, she's strung up and gagged. Even the crowd grows quiet as Flare threatens to brand Lucy with the Raven Tail emblem.

That's when Erza looks around. "Wait, where did Natsu go!?"

 _I'm here! I've got it!_ I can feel Natsu in my head, and I grow a smirk on my face at his words.

My smirk only widens as a pink flash appears in our guild's cheering section. "He raced off to play the hero, what else?"

"What!?" She looks at me, then to where I'm looking, where Natsu is burning Flare's hair to a crisp. _Looks like Natsu's fire magic is stronger than Flare's. Not that there was really any doubt._

"She was tryin' to protect Asuka!" Natsu's voice rings out across the arena. "You're in the clear, Lucy!"

In an instant, the expression on Lucy's face changes, and she reaches for her keys without hesitation. "Gemini!"

The two little blue doll-like creatures emerge from the golden light around Lucy, before freeing Lucy, and transforming into a towel-clad version of Lucy. _I'm…not gonna ask…_

"Oh stars far and wide that embody the heavens." My eyes widen as Lucy starts to cast what feels like a very powerful spell. "By thy radiance, reveal thy form. I implore Tetrabiblos, eternal ruler of the stars above. I ask that you lend your power to me. Open the raging, tumultuous gate. With all the eighty-eight heavenly bodies shining!" The entire arena shines with the eighty eight shining stars that I would guess represent the various constellations and keys that a Celestial Wizard can contract themselves with. "Urano Metria!"

 _Well, shit, she's actually doing it._ I'm really impressed by her power. Seriously, I didn't think that she had this kind of spell in her. Even the audience is impressed by the sight of all the stars zooming around. _Say goodbye, Flare…_

Then, it all goes wrong as the spell suddenly fails, and I sense Lucy's magic power drop to nothing. _Something's wrong…what happened!?_

Then, I hear her words. "Someone…countered the spell." What!?

When Flare looks up into the gallery, her eyes lock onto one of her teammates. And she looks…almost grateful. _So…that's the one who cheated and interfered in the match…he's probably the one who attacked Wendy, too._

"Wow, I expected something way more bombastic, but it looks like her spell was a complete dud." Chapati couldn't be more wrong about that. "Mr. Yajima, any thoughts?"

The look on the old man's face, though, it mirrors my own. I'm royally pissed.

Chapati clears his throat. "And…she's down. Looks like that's it for Lucy Hearfilia! You know what that means, folks! The winner is Raven Tail's Flare Corona!"

I growl furiously, but tamp down the hostility in my aura as I race down to the field and land right next to her. And I can smell her tears. Probably because the audience is being none too quiet about their disdain for our little blond.

"Come on, Lucy, up we go." I can tell that after having her legs burned, her body battered, and her magic drained, that she's in no condition to walk. But that's fine. She should be carried to the infirmary anyway. So, I turn her over and pick her up in my arms.

Natsu comes out to meet us, a determined smile on his face. _It's just like him to be brave in the face of this kind of incident._ "Hey now, no crying."

Lucy sobs quietly in my arms. "I can't help it. It's just not fair."

"No, it's not." Natsu's grin widens. "That's why we'll pay them back a hundred times over. You were amazing. You proved that seven year gap means nothing. We still got a fightin' chance!" He chuckles for a moment. "Zero points? Sounds great to me! This is our chance to make an epic comeback."

She turns her head, revealing a tear-stained face. She sniffs once, before forcing a tiny smile through the sobs. "Yeah. I'm fired up now."

"You're not the only one." I cradle her close and look straight at Natsu. "After all, we haven't gotten a chance to get our claws into the competition yet. And when we do, they'd better watch out."

"You know it." Natsu ruffles Lucy's messy hair. "Now come on, let's get you checked out by the old lady."

A shiver goes down my spine. "Porlyusica is here, huh?" That old lady is as mean as they come. Well, sometimes. She can also be surprisingly compassionate for such a misanthropic healer. "Anyway, I'll take Lucy to the infirmary. Make sure to watch the matches for me."

"Yeah, alright." Natsu puts his hands behind his head and grins. "There's still three matches, so I'll scope out the competition for ya."

"Thanks." Wind swirls around me and my charge as I disappear from the field and make my way into the tunnels under the stands.

Lucy looks up at me, tears still in her eyes. "I'm sorry that I let you guys down…"

"It's fine, I knew that Raven Tail was going to pull something dirty." I smile down at her. "I'm the one who should have done something. A barrier around the battlefield probably would have kept them from interfering. So I'll be sure to do that next time." I laugh softly, but make sure not to drop her as we approach the infirmary. "Besides, a barrier would be good to keep in all the chaos we tend to cause, right? After all, tomorrow, we start our comeback!"

Hope lights up her eyes as I lay her down on the bed. "Right."

Now, I just have to make sure to make good on that promise for tomorrow.


	100. Momentum

**It looks like we've finally reached chapter 100, that's a pretty big milestone. I mean, I know that in my head, I saw it getting way past a hundred chapters, but still, it's kind of surreal to actually hit the mark. And this chapter is going to be a long one, so strap in and get ready for the ride.**

 **Anyway, I'll get to Ciara's match after I do some covering of Chariot, which is going to be…amusing to do from Ciara's point of view.**

 **Yeah, I'm that evil.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I wake up before everyone else, which is weird, since I kind of like to sleep in. Fortunately, since we're starting the second day, I can go back to wearing my own clothes. Seriously, that purple getup was hideous.

And after yesterday, I know that today is going to be an important step in bringing us back up to the top. Though I'm not sure if sending Natsu in for an event is a good idea. I know that last night at the bar, Natsu and Gajeel declared that they were going to take part in the competition portion of the games today.

Actually, last night was a disaster all around, especially after Cana lost her top in a drinking contest. Apparently, some guy from Quatro Cerberus was causing a ruckus in the bar last night after I turned in.

Sighing, I sit out on the balcony and watch as the sun rises. And after about half an hour, Erza joins me. "Are you ready for today?"

"Yeah." I shift a little, my silver vest fluttering against my sides as I tug on my blue sleeves. "Dunno when I'll get to fight, but whenever it happens, I promise that I'll get us some points."

"You don't have to take it all on yourself, you know." This time, she's the one trying to reassure me. "You have all of us, remember?"

"Yeah, I know." I take a deep breath and expel it into the warm summer air. "And it's because of you guys that I swear that if I get picked today, I'll put us in the double digits."

She gives a soft snort of laughter. "Very well, then I look forward to seeing you perform, whenever that might be."

"Yeah…" We stay there a while as the sun comes up. Then, when the sky is no longer pink, orange, and gold, I return to the room and look at Natsu and Gray, as well as Lucy, who has been returned to us from the infirmary. "Alright, rise and shine! It's the second day of the games!"

Gray pulls his pillow over his head, Lucy pokes her head out of her blankets, still half asleep, and Natsu…

Is still snoring away.

Annoyed, I resort to another method. _You know, if you really don't want to compete today, then I guess I can just tell Gajeel that you chickened out._

That gets him up in a flash, and he throws on his clothes…faster than I've ever seen before. "What are we waitin' for!? Let's go get some grub and get to the arena!"

"That's more like it." I chuckle as I walk through the door. "We can spend the next hour having breakfast, then we can head over to Domus Flau."

"Sounds like a plan!" Because if there's anything Natsu likes as much as fighting, it's food.

* * *

Speaking of fighting…this is not what I had in mind when Natsu said that he wanted to participate in the games. And even after I expressed my trepidation regarding the event copiously. If it's an event that even I don't want to enter, that should give him a clue regarding whether he should do it or not.

But, against all advice, he's doing it, and falling far behind. Why? It's a race across wooden platforms on wheels…meaning, of course, vehicles…my brother's biggest weakness.

What's even dumber about it is that because Natsu decided to enter, Gajeel, and even Sting from Sabertooth decided to get in on the action. Which has just confirmed my theory that motion sickness is a dragon slayer thing. Because this is just…sad. Apparently, we can't handle vehicles for shit.

Not only that, but Natsu really can't control his half of the telepathic connection while he's sick like this. Which means that I have to block him from my side, because I actually started to feel sick, despite not being on a vehicle, as well as having my ribbons in. He even tried to contact me via telepathy seconds after he got on the thing, and nearly sent me into a violent fit of vomiting. I am never letting him pull that kind of shit again.

"It's day two of the Grand Magic Games and the stands are exploding with excitement!" Chapati's voice echoes over the speakers. "Joining me once again is Mr. Yajima, and our new special guest, Sorcerer Weekly's Jason!" And that name makes me cringe. I do my best to avoid that guy at all costs. "Now, let's get back to the action in progress, as our wizards take on the Chariots! The point of this game is to reach the final goal without falling off. Simple, right? Wrong! The chariots are constantly in motion. And though it's at a snail's pace, one false move could cost you! Which team will survive this rough and tumble sight-seeing tour through Crocus and be the first to cross the finish line!?"

 _Natsu…this is your dumbest decision yet…_ And that's saying something, considering that he makes dumb decisions on a daily basis.

"You've seen a lot in your day, but would you have ever predicted anything remotely like this?" Chapati must be asking Yajima, but his question goes unanswered.

"Why in the hell did we pick him?" Gray runs his hand though his hair in frustration.

Lucy sighs. "Yeah, you'd think that the name Chariots would be a big clue, even for Natsu."

"I told him not to do it…" I sit on the wall again, looking over my shoulder at the screens showing a very motion-sick brother of mine. "But it's his fault he didn't listen. Even I didn't want to do this event."

"Uh-oh. I don't know what's wrong with Fairy Tail A's Natsu, but he can barely put one foot in front of the other." Well, we all know what's wrong with him. "But that's not all! Mere feet away are Fairy Tail B's Gajeel, and Sabertooth's Sting, who seem to be in the same boat! I can't imagine what could be causing them to slow down like this."

"I could be wrong, but I'd say they share a common weakness for moving vehicles." Yajima catches on quickly. So far, Wendy seems to be the only one left unaffected. Not that I've asked Laxus…

Looking at their faces, which I'm pretty sure are starting to turn blue and green, I stifle a snicker. "Those three look ridiculous, though. And they brought it on themselves." I look across the arena at Rogue, who is watching the screens with distaste, as well as…a faint sense of nausea, and relief, mixed with a hint of guilt. _Looks like I'm not the only one glad that their partner is the one out there instead…_

The other five competitors are duking it out for first place, and Bacchus of Quatro Cerberus is totally fine with destroying some of the chariots in order to get ahead. The old drunkard. He races on ahead and makes it into the arena first, earing his guild ten points.

Kurohebi of Raven Tail, Risley of Mermaid Heel, Yuka, and Ichiya all cross the finish line one after another. Now, all that's left are the dragon slayer boys.

Soon, the lacrima focuses in on Sting and the boys. "I don't get it. Can you explain somethin' to me?" Sting's voice rings through the lacrima, and I frown as he calls attention to himself while Natsu and Gajeel are crawling their way towards the next platform. "Why'd you even bother entering the tournament? Seriously. I mean, you're nothin' like the Fairy Tail I knew growin' up. You're obsessed with how tough you are, and what the rest of the world thinks of you. What happened to the Fairy Tail of my childhood? The guild that did whatever the hell it wanted, whenever it wanted? They never cares what anybody else said or thought of them!"

Sting's words…hit home, really. And despite the arrogant demeanor he's showed us so far, right now he seems almost…child-like and innocent. Honestly curious, and maybe a little wistful. It's not something I expected from him, and certainly not now.

 _What will you do…Natsu? What are you going to tell him?_

"The reason we're here…is for our friends!" Typical Natsu. Though, it's not like it's a lie. "The ones…who waited for us…for all the years we were gone! Who fought through the pain…and the heartache! They were humiliated, but even so, they stayed strong! And they kept our guild together! We're doing this for all of them! And we're gonna make sure that everyone here knows…the Fairy Tail guild never gave up! Not for an instant! So there's no way I'm gonna give up now!"

I smile at the sight of my big brother determinedly crawling across the wooden platforms, all the way to the end. _I'm proud of you, big brother…so…so proud…_

"He did it!" Natsu falls to the ground in a heap. "Fairy Tail A's Natsu nabs sixth place and scores two points! Gajeel from Fairy Tail B takes seventh place and scores one point!" The cheers and applause are nothing like our reception yesterday. So maybe, just maybe…our fortunes are looking up. "Crowd favorite Sting forfeited the race, so Sabertooth gets zero points." That's definitely going to put a dent in their record. "And Raven Tail jumps ahead to first place! Which leaves Sabertooth tied for second with Lamia Scale!"

I shake my head at the sight of Natsu being carried out of the arena by a team of paramedics, along with Gajeel. The oafs. "Hey, Lucy, can you go check on Natsu for me?" She's already fought, so she won't get picked for the next match. She's the safer option to send.

"Alright." She turns, leaving the gallery behind as the organizers get the chariots out of the arena and clear it for the battle portion of the day.

Several long minutes later, Chapati's commentary returns. "And now, the part you've all been waiting for: the battle portion! Today's first match pits Kurohebi, the dark python of our first place guild, Raven Tail…against Lamia Scale's ow Toby Horhorta! It's serpent vs. Hound! Which one of them will end up top dog?"

Lucy races back into the gallery seconds later. "Hey guys, did I miss anything?"

"Nope, they're just getting started. Lamia Scale and Raven Tail are about to face off down there." I keep my eyes trained on the Raven Tail member. After all, I'm expecting him to fight dirty as well.

But as the fight kicks off, there's no dirty tricks to be soon. Just two very fast and agile opponents. Well, until Kurohebi uses some magic that looks suspiciously like the sand magic that Max uses. Suspicious enough to give him the upper hand as he knocks Toby through a loop.

Then, after a very…strange thirty seconds involving some excessively long poisoned nails, and a creepy looking tongue waggling out of the Raven Tail guy's mouth, it seems that a bargain has been struck. A secret for a secret. Toby's biggest secret, for Kurohebi's real name.

Chapati picks up on it as well. "Our competitors seem to have struck a friendly wager." Honestly, I think it's a dumb idea. Especially since I win pretty much every bet I make. That's particularly true when it comes to poker. Too bad we're not playing that. I would destroy the competition. Unfortunately for Lamia Scale, Toby is the one who takes the dive. Though, this time, there was no cheating. At least none that I could see. "Look at the scoreboard and you'll see Raven Tail fiercely climbing to the top! Now at thirty-six points." And they'll probably keep cheating their way to the top, since Toby is, arguably, one of the weakest competitors here.

But when Kurohebi collects on their bet, something about telling the other person a secret, Toby sobs loudly and professes to have lost his left sock.

I slam my palm to my face when my eyes find the sock dangling from a cord around his neck. _I can't believe…that anyone would forget their sock like that…_ Even Natsu doesn't, though that's probably because he rarely wears them in the first place. He likes his sandals too much. And it looks like Lamia Scale is just as appalled at Toby's forgetfulness, because they look like they're having collective aneurysms.

Pointing to his own chest, Kurohebi looks down at Toby's, reuniting dog boy with his sock. To add insult to injury, however, Kurohebi reaches for the sock, before tearing it to pieces right in front of Toby's face.

Gray holds Erza back, since she looks like she wants to go down there and maul the guy. And Chapati picks up the commentary again. "Adding insult to injury, Kurohebi rips up the prized possession." It's definitely a Raven Tail move. Even if he didn't cheat, that was just needlessly cruel. I mean, he made Toby cry.

"Let's move on to round two of today's head to head battles." "First, from Quatro Cerberus, it's the god of wine, Bacchus!" Chapati sounds a little too happy to have that drunken idiot on the field. "Fighting a member from Fairy Tail A!"

Cheers echo from the crowd as Bacchus makes his way down from the Quatro Cerberus balcony. But I just turn to Erza and smile. "So, which one of us do you think is going to get to take him on? I'm guessing that you'd like a crack at him. Isn't he one of your rivals?"

"Perhaps…" She stares down at the hung over fool. "But no matter which of us fights, it will not be an easy battle."

"But what if they call out Natsu's name!?" Lucy has reason to be worried, after all, my brother is currently laid up in bed, recovering from his motion sickness.

"Then we wake him up!" Gray is as harsh as ever.

"And from Fairy Tail…" The announcer pauses, before laughing. "Well, it looks like a day for the dragon slayers. Because our second combatant is Ciara Dragneel of Fairy Tail A!"

I freeze, more than a little shocked by the announcement. "Me…?" I mean, I was hoping to get picked today, but I wasn't expecting to fight this guy. I was hoping for someone I knew, someone I could have some fun with.

Erza smiles at me. "Good luck. And be careful not to take any direct hits from him."

"Alright…" I look down into the arena and sigh. "Not quite the match-up I was hoping for, but I guess it'll do."

Gray rolls his eyes at me. "Just get down there and fight! We need some points on the board, we're still in the single digits."

"Oh, don't worry, I can definitely put us in the double digits. I promise to this morning, after all." And I intend to make good on that promise.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

"Ciara Dragneel of Fairy Tail A!"

I was going to leave and get something to eat, but as soon as I hear that name, I stop in my tracks and move back to the edge of the balcony. _So…it's her…_

"Well, it appears to me that Fairy Tail isn't going to be acquiring any more points today." The smirk on Rufus' face irritates me, especially since he has no idea what he's talking about. "That poor girl is going to lose. Bacchus is clearly the superior fighter."

"No…she's going to win." I can say that with utmost certainty.

Sting glances over at me, smirking. "You sure you aren't saying that because she's pretty?"

I glare at him, not appreciating the insinuation. "I'm saying it because I've seen her fight before. The drunk fool doesn't stand a chance."

"If you say so…" Sting leers at her, his eyes a little too focused on her. "Well, I'm lookin' forward to seeing this match. It's been a long time since I last saw her fight. And I don't think she was fightin' for real." He snickers, probably thinking about when he first met her. It was years after I did. "So, Rogue, you jealous that you don't get to fight her instead?"

"No, Gajeel is the only one I have an interest in fighting." My eyes catch sight of her on the opposite balcony, and she's still looking out over the arena. _I wonder how strong she is now…?_

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

"Well, guess I'd better get down there." I sit back on the railing of the balcony and smile at my teammates. "I'll put us in the double digits. Promise."

Before I head down, Natsu comes tumbling onto the balcony, his motion sickness apparently not giving him nearly as much trouble now. "Hey sis! Heard that you're fighting next, so I thought I'd come watch!"

I grin at him. "Thanks Natsu. You rest up here and watch me kick the crap out of Bacchus."

He nods, but suddenly looks serious. _There's something else I wanna talk to you about later. But it can wait until after the match is over._

 _Alright._ With one fluid swing of my legs, I push myself backwards off the balcony and fall towards the arena floor. That move quickly gets Chapati in a panic. "Oh boy, what's this? Is our second contestant falling out of the sky?"

Yajima hums a little. "Don't worry, this is perfectly normal for her. It may seem dangerous, but it's no more dangerous to her than going out for a walk."

I smirk and start turning in the air, flipping head over heels, and spinning enough to get a good view of the whole arena as I soar towards the bottom, measuring it with my eyes. _Idiots…this is nothing for someone who controls the wind._ With one last spin, I right myself and swirl the wind around me, bringing myself down for a feather-light landing.

Chapati seems astounded. "What an entrance! Mr. Yajima, can you tell us something about this contestant?"

I shiver at what the old man is undoubtedly going to say. "Mmm…I suppose. This here is Ciara Dragneel, she's one of Fairy Tail's strongest, an S-Class wizard. And I have to say, she's probably the most powerful wind wizard I've ever seen. Unlike her brother, Natsu, she's not too fond of being featured in Sorcerer Weekly, so there's not a whole lot of information about her that's available to the public, at least, not under her real name."

"Oh? So does she have an alias then?" Chapati really likes fishing for the details. And the more he does it, the more embarrassed I'm going to be by the end of this.

"Well, I wouldn't call it an alias, so much as a nickname she acquired for showing off a particular spell of hers." Yajima smiles down at me. "But this is Dragon Wing we're talking about, so I'm sure she'll give us a good show. Ciara 'Dragon Wing' Dragneel, the Wind Dragon Slayer. And she has a penchant for causing trouble, just like her brother."

My eye twitches as Chapati's curiosity seems to know no bounds. "Is that so? I'm sure that you have lots of stories you can share before the match starts."

"Indeed…" Yajima hums for a moment. "Well, we are talking about Ciara after all. She's the one who threatened to level the Magic Council's headquarters in Era if the council hurt her brother. Of course, that shouldn't have come as a surprise. After all, she is the younger of Fairy Tail's Dragonslayer Twins. Those two are very protective of each other."

"Dragonslayer Twins?" Great, now Chapati is asking about that. "I haven't heard that nickname before."

"Mmm…no, you wouldn't have. The two of them have had it for fourteen years, since their early days in Fairy Tail. But after young Ciara made S-Class, the two of them took less and less jobs together." Yajima chuckles. "It made our job easier, though. Together, the two of them were quite the destructive pair. But, I suppose that's only to be expected from two of Fairy Tail's most dangerous front-line fighters. The two of them led the battle with Phantom Lord seen years ago. It was quite the mess to clean up…"

"Are you done yet?" I cross my arms and glare up at the old man pointedly. "They don't need my entire biography!" Least of all the part about me threatening the Magic Council when I was younger. They're probably still sore about that.

"Well, hello there little lady." I turn my head to see Bacchus loping over. "Never thought I'd get paired up with such a pretty girl today."

"Right…" And…there's another one commenting on my looks. At least he's not pretending to be subtle about it. "You're not exactly one of the match-ups I was hoping for."

"Aw…don't be like that." He gets a little closer and smirks as his eyes run over me. "Whaddaya say we make our own bet?"

"You want to make a bet with me?" Obviously, this guy has no clue that my winning streak is miles long, and not stopping any time soon. "Your terms?"

"Mmm…well, whaddaya say you and I get better acquainted tonight? Fairy girls like their drinks, don't they? I can show you a real wild time." Well, at least that was a bit more subtle. But it's no secret what he's asking. Of course, with loose terms like that, even in the worst case scenario, I can still twist it to my advantage.

Then again, I don't lose. "And if I win? What then?"

"Hm…" He grins, like he's already won. Which he won't. "Then you can ask me anything your pretty little head wants."

"Anything?" I have to admit, that's a good idea. Ad…I know just how to embarrass this hellhound who thought that I'd be easy. "Alright, I can accept those terms." I take a gentle hold of his wrist and smile. "Just remember that later, okay?"

He has no idea what's coming.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

 _They're betting what!?_ Bacchus has a sick sense of humor, leading her into a bet like that. That bastard wants to sleep with her! Just because of a bet!

Sting glances at me, raising an eyebrow. "What's got your panties in a bunch, Rogue?"

"Nothing." I don't know if I answered that too quickly, but I don't really care.

"Alright…" He looks back down at the match, frowning. "I didn't think she'd be one to make such a dangerous bet. Does she even know what that guy plans on doin' with her if he wins?"

"You seem oddly concerned about this, Sting." Rufus glances sideways at us. "Are you worried for her safety?"

"Nah." He shrugs. "I just wonder if she knows what she's getting herself into. After all, I can only smell one guy's scent on her. And that's only from them bein' together constantly."

One of my fangs digs into my bottom lip slightly. _Just one…her brother's._ And that is not going to protect her if she does end up losing.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

In less than a second, my smile disappears and I roll Bacchus over my shoulder and slam him into the ground, rolling over top of him and back onto my feet, leaving him lying there in a small crater in the dirt. "I hope you didn't think this was going to be easy. Even if I don't like him blabbing, you should take some warning from Mr. Yajima's stories." I look back over my shoulder for a moment and turn around. "Now come on, let's go."

He grins as he gets to his feet, shaking his head. "You're a wild one, you are. And that's just how I like em."

"Then you're gonna love this…" I work my magic as quickly as possible, raising up a barrier between us and the audience.

My move seems to confuse Chapati. "What's this? Some kind of spell?"

"I believe it's a kind of barrier magic. If she's using this kind of magic, then we should be in for quite a display." Yajima, right on the mark there.

Bacchus whistles. "Pretty impressive, girly. Now come on, dance with me a little."

"Gladly." I smirk as I charge towards him. The tactic may seem more like Natsu's style, but as I get close and he reaches out to strike me in the stomach, I duck down and use his slightly leaning posture to my advantage, kicking him square in the jaw, before pushing my hands against the ground, turning on my fingers, and slamming my other leg right into his gut, throwing him clear across the arena and into the wall. All without magic.

I don't need it right now, because he's hungover, not drunk.

He picks himself up, his grin even wilder than before. "Well, well, now, you're a lot stronger than you look." He drops into a stance that kind of reminds me of a bird taking flight. "Guess I'm gonna have to get serious."

"That would be in your best interest, yes." And it'll be more satisfying when I I hate it when an opponent doesn't at least try to give it their all. Well, within reason. If they risk destroying cities when they fight, they can hold back some.

He comes at me, a palm strike headed straight for my stomach. He must be trying to take me out quickly. That, and my stomach is just the easiest target he can get at right now. Unfortunately for him, I've gotten plenty of martial arts training, thanks to Natsu. After all, our magic is a very physical one.

I knock his hand away with a powerful strike of my own, before kicking at his legs, aiming to knock them out from under him. He leans back, his palms hitting the ground as he springs back and out of the way of my second kick. I've always preferred kicks to punches. I find that they're stronger, and easier to execute since my hands are usually busy doing something else.

Once again, I move in, and this time, his speed starts to show itself as he strikes at me, only for me to use my own natural speed to dodge all of his attacks. We're almost locked together, like dancing. Except that we're trying to knock each other out as I dodge around his hands, and he keeps himself from being hit by my feet.

"Wow, what an impressive display, folks! The skill of these two wizards is a sight to behold!" Chapati's voice echoes through the barrier, but just barely. It's hard to focus on anything but the opponent in front of me. One opponent is hard, because they have to have your entire focus. Multiple opponents is easy, because the chaos allows for quick thinking, less prediction, and an opportunity to let your opponents stumble all over each other.

Bacchus grins as we exchange several more flurries of strikes. "You're pretty strong ain'tcha?"

"Well, I have to be, having Natsu for a sparring partner!" I jump back, getting my bearings again. This time, Bacchus doesn't follow. "So, how do you wanna play this? We're not getting anywhere by pulling punches."

"Ya got that right." He reaches for the small gourd he left lying in the sand. "Down the hatch! Last call!"

I grin as I sink int a ready stance, my arms tilted back, ready to whip forward at a moment's notice. _Drunken Hawk Bacchus…so he's finally getting serious…_

Once he downs the last drop, he tosses the gourd aside, and his movements become very…odd. But that would be because the man just downed an entire bottle's worth of hard liquor. Then, he comes at me, swaying, bobbing, tilting this way and that.

And while the wind swirls around me, giving me the speed to dodge six of the seven strikes, the last one gets me right in the gut, hurling me back towards the arena wall.

Lights flash in my eyes for just a few seconds as I get up, laughing a bit. "So, I guess we're doing this the hard way after all. Good. I was hoping to be able to burn off some energy today." Wind swirls in violent gusts around me as I sink even closer to the ground, my hands touching the ground as I crouch down. "You're going to wish I hadn't gotten this fired up." I'm not going to be able to predict his movements. Fighting this battle through logic isn't going to serve me the way I need it to. So, it's time to emulate Natsu and throw logic out the window. Now, I plan to operate on pure instinct.

I'm gone in an instant, the wind carrying me away and right beneath Bacchus as I slam my foot straight up into him. "Wind Dragon's Talon!" He goes flying into the air, and I follow him up, kicking him higher, wind circling my feet in miniature tornadoes. "Never underestimate a dragon slayer!"

In the span of about five seconds, I send him flying all over the arena, never once letting him touch the ground. His resistance is admirable, and every three strikes or so, he gets in one of his own. Luckily for me, my body is strong, and the wounds are superficial. They'll bruise, but they're nothing I can't handle.

He rolls out of my barrage of attacks and hits the ground, rolling to his feet as he prepares an attack of his own. Not that he's going to get the chance to do anything with it. As soon as his palm gets within a foot of me, I slash at it with a hand wrapped in wind. "Wind Dragon's Shining Claws!"

Magic power erupts from the place where our blows connect, and I'm in no mood to let it stop there. I leap backwards, towards gather swirls of wind. They rocket around the arena, stirring up the dust as a tornado starts to form within the confines of the arena. That could get dangerous, but all I have to do is make sure that everything stays under control.

Landing on my feet, I growl slightly. It's time to end this. I wasn't planning on using much magic in this fight, since he specializes in hand to hand combat, but in the end, it would be rude not to hit him with something more powerful in order to end this right.

His hands continue to hang out, his arm guards tattered from our many encounters. "This fight is wild…"

"I'll show you wild…" If I were like Happy, my fur would be puffing up right now. As it is, I have the wind to do that for me.

Bending over so that my body is almost parallel with the ground, I grin. "This match is over." Yajima did mention this earlier, after all. The spell that got me the nickname Dragon Wing. It would be a shame not to use it before the games are over.

Wings of wind burst from my back, extending above and around me, flapping in the air and stirring up a powerful breeze. Now! They flap faster and faster, stirring up a powerful storm. At first, it does little to my opponent. Ell, until he gets the bright idea to try and attack me. As soon as he takes a step, my storm sweeps him off his feet and into the air. Back into my domain, a storm.

Abandoning my wind wings, I rise into the air, streaking around like a bolt of silvery lightning. Now, it's time to end the fight. I take a deep breath as I find a spot directly above my slowly falling opponent. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" When in doubt roar at your opponent. It'll drive them straight into the dirt.

Which is exactly what it does to Bacchus. Though luckily, his body is more than strong enough to take the impact of the attack, as well as the impact involved with hitting the ground at that velocity. My roar sped his fall up to a hundred times what it was initially. And that's nothing to sneeze at.

The deafening sound of him crashing into the ground echoes through the entire arena as I see fit to lower the barrier. Well, looks like that's that. _I'm gonna have quite a few bruises later, but…it's over._

I touch down right near Bacchus, and walk the last few steps, before kneeling down and feeling for a pulse. It's there, strong, though a bit unsteady. Probably either from exertion, or alcohol. "Well, looks like you're down…"

"Heh, that was…wild…" His eyes open and he looks hazily up at me. "Looks like you win, girly."

"That I do." I laugh quietly. "Ad I believe that you owe me a request."

"Shoot." Seems like he can't fathom the embarrassment I have in store for him, or there would be more hesitation around that statement.

I smirk widely at him as the medics rush over, then I raise my voice for all to hear. "For the rest of the games, Quatro Cerberus will change its name to Quatro Puppy." Because, let's face it, I love animals. That, and it's just really funny to call a bunch of grown men puppies.

His face pales, then he grins sheepishly. "Alright little lady, a deal's a deal."

"Yeah, it is." I get to my feet and brush the dirt off my clothes. "Oh, and by the way…when I bet, I never lose. Keep that in mind in case you feel like going for round two." I walk away from him, looking up at the crowd as it goes ballistic over my victory. I must have surprised them.

"Well, would you look at that, folks! Fairy Tail A earns ten points with Ciara Dragneel's victory over Bacchus of Quatro Puppy!" Chapati seems to be taking to the name change immediately. "Which brings their total into the double digits with twelve points!"

I raise my fist into the air, a grin plastered all over my face. And then, I just can't help it. I take in a deep breath and roar enthusiastically into the sky, the sound reverberating off every surface.

Chapati yells into the microphone. "What a show! Does this roar signal the resurrection of Fairy Tail!?"

"You know it does!" I rise into the air and spin around to look at the crowd. "Fairy Tail is back, so you'd better watch out! We're not done here, we're just getting started!" Then, I flip through the air and land on the balcony, only to be smothered in an excited doggy pile with Lucy, Gray, and Erza.

"You did it!" Lucy's pigtails tickle my ear as she gets all tangled up in the pile.

"You know she did! Count on Cia to deliver results when we need them!" Gray is half-heartedly trying to extract himself from the pile. Not that Lucy and Erza are letting him.

"We're very proud of you." Erza ruffles my ponytails. "You've given us the momentum we need. And I promise that we will build on it in the days to come."

"You'd better." I laugh as I manage to untangle most of our limbs, resulting in us splaying out all over the balcony. "After all, I'd hate to think that I'm the only one here who can pull off a win. So you guys have to do your best too, alright?"

"Right!" They all grin, well, Erza's expression is more of a slightly smug smile, but that works.I got the ball rolling, and it's up to them to help keep it rolling. We've got a shot at this, and I'll be damned if I'm going to watch it slip away.


	101. The Betting Pool Closes

**Looks like there's a definite preference for a non-canon fight, but the poll is still up on my profile, and will stay there probably for another week or so, until I get to the tag-battle chapter. I'll take the poll down once I start writing it.**

 **Also, points to anyone who can figure out what the "darkness" that Sting and Rogue are sensing in Ciara is (because it's shown up before), and what significance it has for future chapters.**

* * *

Sting's P.O.V.

 _So, Fairy Tail managed to get some points today after all. Hmph, we'll get them back tomorrow, they can count on that._

Rogue disappears from our gallery when the next two names come up. The girl from Blue Pegasus, and the She-Devil from Fairy Tail. He's probably off getting snacks, which means that I've got time to wander around for a bit.

Standing around makes me twitch.

Then again, wandering around might not be my best idea either. Because two minutes into wandering around, I almost walk around a corner and right into the two pink-haired, wannabe dragon slayers.

"Are you sure it was Raven Tail?" _That's her…Ciara Dragneel._

"Yeah, I'm sure." _Natsu._ "They got Wendy instead of Lucy, and I stopped them in time. But I'm sure that they meant to get Lucy."

"Okay…then the question is why…" Whatever those two are talking about, it sounds bad. Not that it matters to me, I'm not a member of their stinkin' guild. "What exactly are they trying to provoke? A guild war? Because you'd think that people would learn not to pick fights with us like that."

"Yeah, if they think they're gonna get away with this, they're dead wrong." Natsu, the self-righteous idiot.

"Natsu…"

"Yeah, I know."

Wind fills the corridors, and in half a second, dark eyes stare up at me, pink hair curling over tanned cheeks and over a little button nose. "Spying on us now, Sting?"

I glare down at her at the accusation. "No, I was lookin' for my partner."

She stares at me for a couple of seconds, before backing off. "He passed by here a couple of minutes ago. He'll probably circle back around in half a minute or so. The snack vendors aren't far from here."

"I know that." I'm the one who's been here before, not her. "Whatever, I'm going to look for Rogue."

"Look for me for what?" And with perfect timing, my partner walks down the hall, pausing when he sees who I' face to face with. And he grows very quiet.

Scoffing quietly, I leave the girl behind. "C'mon, I need to stretch my legs a bit. Sitting around waiting for a fight is boring."

I catch sight of Natsu staring at me, and it's weird, having two people who look almost exactly alike staring at me at the same time.

No, not exactly alike. Their hair and eye color may be the same, but her eyes are bigger, softer, but more calculating in their depths. And there's something…not quite right about her. It's dark, and it's only there in small traces, but still, there's something…off, and I don't like it.

I don't like not knowing what it is. But I'll find out sooner or later. They can count on that.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I watch suspiciously as Sting and Rogue stalk off. And only once they're out of range of my nose do I open my mouth again. "Do you think he meant to spy on us?"

"Dunno. Does it matter?" Natsu shrugs. "We're gonna kick their asses anyway. Raven Tail is just first on the list."

"Fair enough." Still, I don't like this. There's so much uncertainty floating around, and my instincts are running rampant all over the place. It makes my scales itch, and I'm not even in Dragon Force right now.

"Anyway, let's get back to the matches!" Natsu ambles ff towards our gallery, and I follow behind him, looking back over my shoulder every few seconds, a bit paranoid over all the crazy shit that's been going down lately. I mean, seriously, why would anyone want to kidnap Lucy? Wendy, I can understand, she has healing magic. But Lucy…that's just fishy, no matter how you look at it. And not in a Happy way.

Speaking of fishy, or at least of water, what we come back to is…not what I expected. "What kind of battle is this!?" Gray and Natsu seem just as befuddled as I am at the blatant display of skin through very small, and very revealing bikinis.

And it just gets worse from there as the two masters of transformation magic transform their way into a bunch of different swimsuits, making sexy poses for the crowd.

Never mind, it gets even worse than that when three of the girls from Mermaid Heel join the pose-off. Then, Sherry and Chelia drop into the arena in swimsuits.

But it doesn't stop there, because Master Mavis comes flying over with swimsuits in hand. "Don't stand there like a bunch of party poopers! Let's all go down there together! "

"Are you serious!?" Lucy twitches away from Mavis' enthusiasm.

Erza nods, smiling. "I don't see why we should stand idly by while all our competitors are taking the spotlight."

And by the end of about two minutes, I think I'm the only female wizard other than Flare and the two girls from Mermaid Heel who aren't down there showing off their body.

 _Are you gonna go down there too?_ Natsu glances at me and raises an eyebrow. _The girls look like they're havin' fun._

 _Uh…no. I don't want anyone gawking at me._ A long, long time ago, back in Magnolia, Mirajane managed to talk me into a photo-shoot once. The next issue of Sorcerer Weekly was embarrassing, to put it mildly. I haven't done any kind of modeling since.

And nowadays, I have even more reasons not to want anyone looking at so much of my body. In the pool with jut my guild-mates around is one thing, but the public at large…not happening. I tug on my wrist guards and sleeves, straightening them out again. Many reasons…

"If you wanted a heaping helping of fan-service, then ladies and gentlemen, Domus Flau is most definitely the place you'd wanna find yourself today!" Chapati's got that right. There's so much fan-service down there that much more, and things are going to get really awkward, really fast.

"And unless we want an actual riot on our hands, we have no choice but to let this madness continue." Mr. Yajima is a pervert. There are no two ways about it.

Jason's enthusiasm booms out over the arena. "This is amazing! Oh man! The Sorcerer Weekly cover story! I'll call it the Big Battle of the Busty Bathing Bombshells!" And that's precisely why I'm not setting foot in that mess. Old men are not getting their rocks off to an image of me in a swimsuit.

The scoreboard flashes, with Jenny one point in the lead. "But just remember, folks, this is still a strictly one-on-one affair, so Mirajane and Jenny will be the only ones scoring!" Not that it stops him from encouraging all of the girls to change their own outfits to fit the themes. I'm not sure if Jenny and Mira are projecting their magic to include the others, but I wouldn't put it past them, considering some of the…more exotic outfits they come up with.

Not that Erza needs any help when it comes to being a dominatrix. I shiver at the sight. _I can't believe she has that outfit in her wardrobe…_ I could never see myself wearing...bondage gear. Just...no.

Then, Chapati goes just a bit too far. "How about a blushing bride challenge!? So ladies, grab a lucky guy and squeeze into some wedding dresses!"

"You have got to be kidding me…" I can't believe that the competition has gotten this out of hand. _Then again…Lucy and Juvia are down there…so maybe…_ I grin and put a hand on Gray's back, and then another on Natsu's. "Why don't you two go down there and support your girls?"

"Huh!?" Both of them look at me in confusion as I push them down over the edge and soften their fall as they land in the arena. I'll leave it to Mavis to get them changed.

Though I have to admit that I snicker loudly when Gray has to go and steal Juvia from Lyon, under the pretext of saving her from a rival guild, of course. And Natsu…my poor big brother, gets Lucy dropped right on top of him by Loke. Though I guess that's one way to get your girl. Lisanna may have gotten there first, but Lucy just makes a bigger impression for the most part. But hey, at least my brother can rock a white tux. Really rock it, actually.

After quite a bit of chaos down on the field, Chapati calls the wedding to a halt and brings back the swimsuits. But that may not have been the brightest idea, because…you know, at some point in your life, it's just kinder to those around you to not wear a swimsuit in public anymore.

And I shield my eyes as Lamia Scale's very elderly master leaps down into the arena, revealing…the most hideous pink swimsuit I've ever seen, modeled by a woman…probably in her nineties. And honestly, Gramps wears his age much better than this old bag does.

That puts an end to the modeling competition quickly, and all of the extras start to clear off the field. _Well, that's one way to end the chaos. Throw an old lady in a swimsuit into the arena._

The scoreboard flashes again, showing Mira and Jenny tied at thirty points apiece. "We need to wrap this thing up, so let's move on to the final round of this exhilarating match!"

Which, of course, leads Jenny to propose a bet on this match as well. One where the loser…poses nude for Sorcerer Weekly.

And somehow, I get the feeling that the men in the arena are feeling…conflicted about who they want to see win this match.

And worst of all, Mira accepts the bet.

"Unbelievable!" Chapati's excitement is almost tangible. "This might just be a bet where everybody is a winner!" There's a moment of silence. "Now, our final theme will be…combat gear!"

Blue Pegasus' master of transformation magic changes her outfit once more, decking herself out in a suit of…fairly feminine, but still sufficiently impressive armor. Though…I think she may be underestimating Mira's Satan Souls.

And it looks like Mira has a new one. Her feet are cloaked in flames, her arms covered by clawed gauntlets, huge horns coming out the sides of her head, and a form-flattering cloak and cape with a high neck and pauldrons. She's taller, bulkier too, and she looks…downright scary. _So this is what she was working on leading up to the games._ I knew about her regular Satan Soul, as well as her Halphas form. But this one…this one is brand new. And her hair…it looks like it took on the properties of cotton and got caught up in a windstorm. All in all, it looks like she's going to unleash hell on poor Jenny.

"Whoa!" Natsu and the others make it back up to the gallery. "What happened!?"

"Mira's getting serious…" I lean on the wall and grin. "And Jenny isn't gonna know what hit her." Hell, I think even I would have a hard time dealing with Mira in that form. And we'd end up tearing up everything within thirty miles.

"That would be her most powerful Satan Soul." Erza smirks at the sight. "It is known…as Sitri."

It's over in an instant. Jenny never stood a chance.

"And just like that, this beauty battle becomes a brawl!" Chapati revs up the crowd in seconds.

"I suppose this is more keeping with tradition." Trust Yajima not to be phased by the sight of a Satan Soul. And it sounds like he's smart enough not to drool over her like this.

"And Mirajane takes the big W!" Chapati makes the announcement as Mira holds her fist in the air.

Natsu laughs. "And that's how we do it in the Fairy Tail guild!"

"Wasn't this supposed to be a beauty contest?" Gray raises an eyebrow as he peers over the edge.

"Most of it was, anyway. And no one ever said they couldn't fight." Erza crosses her arms, her smirk still firmly in place. "Mira just found a way to bend the rules."

I snort and roll my eyes. "More like she just went back to the regular rules. This was how it was supposed to go anyway. The beauty contest was the rule-bending part."

"That bold move nets another ten points for Fairy Tail B!" Which means that both our teams are at twelve points. We're doing a whole lot better today than we were yesterday. Our momentum is still growing, and soon, we're going to be unstoppable. "After an exciting day, the final match of day two of the Grand Magic Games I about to take place. This one will test the skills of Mermaid Heel's Kagura Mikazuchi against Sabertooth's Yukino Agria" Chapati now has my attention, as we're about to see a Sabertooth match. "Once more, we're treated to two lovely ladies going head to head!"

The two of them head out onto the battlefield, both looking tense and ready to go. "Something tells me that this won't be another beauty contest." Yajima's got that right. These two are fighters, not beauty queens.

"Pay close attention. Sabertooth is the guild to beat this year." Erza's right. And we have to watch this match closely. It may provide insight into how to beat them in the future. Minus the vehicle weakness that Sting, and likely Rogue as well are afflicted with.

My eyes dart quickly between the two women, noting the confidence and control with which hey walk. They both share a single-minded determination, coupled with a cool outlook on how they expect this match to go. There is no screaming, no jeering, none of the pre-match banter that we have in Fairy Tail, or that we've come to see from most of the male competitors. No, these two are as cool as cucumbers.

The gong strikes. And only four words register in my head.

Let's wager our lives.

 _Is she…completely insane!?_ Natsu's voice rings in my head once he gets over the initial shock.

My hands grip the railing tightly. _I don't know, but…either her, or maybe Sabertooth as a whole…there's something wrong there. It's like they don't care at all about life and death, like it's a joke to them!_

Then again, what if she's like me? I've been in so many life and death situations that while I worry about the people around me, my fear for my own life is…negligible, at best. That's not to say that I won't defend myself. But…I'm not afraid of the void, or whatever happens to us when we die. Not after I nearly sent Natsu and the others there.

What really turns my stomach is that Kagura accepts the terms.

Then, Yukino takes out a golden key. And we all know what that means. She's a Celestial Spirit Wizard, just like Lucy. And that must be one of the zodiac keys.

"Gate of the Two Fish." Her voice is as calm as her face. It's almost…serene, in a kind of morbid way, seeing as there's a death sentence hanging over them.

"Pisces, huh?" I know the zodiac signs well enough to know what the two fish are. "This should be interesting to see."

"Hm…" Lucy frowns slightly. "The only spirit in the Celestial World who looked even remotely fish-like was Aquarius."

"If you consider past spirits…" Erza's imagination goes to work, so I connect to her through telepathy so that we can all see what she comes up with. "It should look something like this." And she conjures up the image of…a fish man with dark blue skin, bulging yellow eyes, white fins on his fish-shaped head, and a very creepy smirk.

"Yeah right. There's no way that girl's gonna have such a powerful spirit. I'll bet it looks more like Gemini." Gray's imagination conjures up two tiny people in shark costumes with little spears in their 's not nearly as creepy as what Erza's brain managed to come up with, but still…

Lucy sweatdrops. "I'll take tiny sharks over a creepy fish-man any day."

Somehow, Natsu comes up with the weirdest possible image. It's…a living pudding? I think? Except it has a body, and it's wearing a red overcoat. But seriously, it's head looks like a pudding cup.

I sigh and shake my head. "Natsu…I think we need to have Porlyusica take a look at your head, because that…looks nothing like a fish, let alone two of them." But he's in too much of a daze to retort at all. So, it's up to me now. "I think, it'll look something more like this." After all, Pisces is supposed to be associated with yin and yang, right? Which is why a white fish and a black fish come to mind, snuggled closely together with a dot of the opposite color on their heads.

Lucy nods quickly. "Now that, I could believe."

"Looks like we're about to find out who's right…" I look down to see the key shining brightly. And well…I'm right, sort of. A white and a black fish come out. But…they're a thousand times bigger than I expected. "Ah…well, shit." They're whipping around the arena like its nobody's business, kicking up a lot of dirt and nearly nailing Kagura.

Keyword being nearly, seeing as she dodges each attack with the grace of a practiced warrior.

"Check it out! This chick is awesome!" Natsu's eyes have no trouble keeping up with Kagura's movements. Not that I expected him to. This is the kind of situation where he's much more perceptive. His wild imagination aside.

"No kiddin'." Gray's eyes widen in awe. "She's easily dogin' their attacks even though she's barely movin'."

"Well, she's agile, I'll give her that." Though I haven't seen nearly enough of Kagura's abilities to really evaluate her strength for myself.

Then, Yukino pulls out a second key, and Lucy leans forward in surprise. "Is she gonna open another gate!?"

"Looks like it." Now that piques my interest. "That takes a lot of power, which means that she's right up there at your level, Lucy. Well, minus the special star magic."

"Now open, Gate of the Balance. Libra!" A woman pops out of this gate, measuring scales hanging from her hands. And apparently, she can change gravity, seeing as she weighs down Kagura to let the fish attack.

Kagura dodges it, however, breaking the gravity spell and leaping high into the air. Yukino doesn't waste the chance, and has Libra send Kagura flying into one of the four huge statues that ring the arena. They're going to need to do some serious repairs on it. _Heh, property damage, and for once, we're not the ones who caused it. This should go right into the history books._

But as the fish go in for the final blow, something changes, and they fall to the ground instead. "Huh!?" Natsu frowns. "Why did the fish stop attacking?"

"What's wrong? Did she run out of magic power?" Gray's guess is a good one, but…not the right one.

"Oh boy…" My eyes travel downward. "That's not good for Yukino."

"You're right." Erza's eyes follow mine. "Look down there." And at her instruction, Lucy, Gray, and Natsu all look down to see Libra caught in a gravity field, along with Pisces as well. Kagura…apparently has some talent in gravity-oriented magic.

With her two spirits just about out of commission, Yukino elects to dismiss them instead of facing them to fight further. That's probably a good call, seeing as Libra was starting to get crushed underneath Pisces' weight.

Then, comes the surprise, because it seems that Yukino has an ace up her sleeve. "Hold on, did I hear that right?" Lucy gets closer to the edge, her ears straining. "Did she just say the Thirteenth Gate? I was always told there were only twelve Zodiac keys in existence. I heard about a thirteenth key, but I thought it was just a rumor! Apparently, that key belongs to a Celestial Spirit who's stronger than all of the Zodiacs."

"Is that so…?" Which means that we're in for quite a show. If nothing else, I'm sure that the audience will enjoy it.

A dark cloud fills the arena, and there's an ominous chill in the air. "Open, Gate of the Snake Charmer. Ophiuchus."

Snake Charmer my ass, what comes out of that gate isn't some guy with a flute and a snake basket, it's a giant ass snake! And an armored one, by the looks of it. _That…could be bad._

 _You think!?_ Natsu, like me, is a bit put off by the appearance of the spirit. "It's huge!"

"Huge is an understatement…" I look up at the thing with wide eyes. "The only thing I've seen that's bigger…is Igneel." Well, and Acnologia as well, but I don't wanna think about that monster. I'd rather think about Igneel, even if I miss him like crazy...

But it's over in an instant, and obviously, this snake is nowhere near as powerful as Igneel, because Kagura splits it in half in less than a second, with a sheathed sword. And the match ends as Kagura strikes down Yukino, sparing her life, despite the wager.

 _That was brutal…_ Natsu is right, that was definitely something to see.

 _Yeah…_ I look down at Yukino, and she's not moving at all, save for breathing. _That was definitely something…_ Still, I get the feeling that Kagura should have more up her sleeve than just gravity magic and powerful swordsmanship skills. There's no way that's it. That would be too simple, and she strikes me as anything but simple.

Chapati taps his microphone and takes over. "Ladies and gentlemen, that wraps up day two of the Grand Magic Games! With a total of thirty-six points, the guild currently in first place is Raven Tail! Despite a total shut-out on day two, Sabertooth is still hanging on in second place! But now they share that spot with Lamia Scale! Their teams are tied with a score of twenty points!"

"By scoring ten points today, the ladies of Mermaid Hell jump up two spots to fourth place with a total of nineteen points."

"Blue Pegasus drops down to fifth place with seventeen points! COOL!" And somehow, I doubt that Blue Pegasus thinks that's as cool as Jason does.

"And falling back to sixth place, it's Quatro Puppy!" I smirk as Chapati abides by the terms of the bet that Bacchus and I struck during our match. "Although they both earned and impressive eleven and twelve points today, the two teams vying for last place are Fairy Tail Team A and Fairy Tail Team B, both with twelve points. Who knows what exciting battles await us on day three!? We'll see you then, folks!"

"Well, looks like we did good today." I grin as I turn away from the arena. "Let's keep it up tomorrow, and show the other guilds what we're really made of!"

"Right!" Lucy smiles, her spirits much higher now than they were yesterday. That bodes well for the energy of the entire team. And the more energy we have, the better we'll perform.

Still, we do have to remember that someone tried to abduct Lucy for Raven Tail earlier. Natsu and I were talking about that before Sting walked in on us. Though I'm not sure why he thought to hide from us, it's not like you can fool a dragon slayer's nose like that, especially with a scent as strong as another dragon slayer's.

Speaking of the other dragon slayers…I have a feeling that we're going to be seeing a lot more of them in the near future.

But for now, it's time to celebrate a successful day. Which means getting drunk, dancing, getting even more drunk, and…most of the guild will pass out around midnight. Fun.


	102. Storming Sabertooth

**Whoo, two exams down, one to go, and I get to submit it online, which is nice.**

 **And to the long shot goes the points. Nicely done, YourOwnBeat, she's still carrying around that darkness from the Nirvana incident. It's just…been dormant. Yeah, let's go with dormant. And it's waiting for something to wake it up.**

 **Like…maybe the rage involved in seeing a teammate beaten half to death? I think that might do it. Which means that I will be invoking Murphy's Law again quite soon.**

 **Alright, so this chapter is going to jump between Rogue and Ciara. The content should be obvious as to why.**

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

Would anyone blame me for not being able to watch? What good is a guild if we're not there to protect each other? Is this really the way to be the strongest guild in Fiore?

My thoughts are racing as I hold Frosch close, stroking his soft green fur. I won't lose him. No matter what, I will protect him. He's been shaking a little for the last half hour, ever since Yukino was humiliated and kicked out.

There's something seriously wrong with this guild…

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

As expected, most of the guild is already passed out, so I wait until Natsu and the others are ready to head back. I'm probably the most sober person in the guild right now, no thanks to Quatro Cerberus deciding to come to the bar to party with us, which means that it's up to me to be the responsible one.

Natsu grins and pats his stomach as we head back to the inn. "I don't think I've ever been this stuffed before!"

"Well, considering how many calories we burned off today, it's not that big a surprise." I roll my eyes at Natsu as I stroll backwards. "After all, there's nothing crazier than a dragon slayer's appetite, right?"

"Right!" Natsu laughs loudly, clearly still a little tipsy.

"I can think of one thing crazier…" Lucy smirks. "And Gray's dealing with it right about now."

"Juvia and Lyon?" Those two have been stalking him since the games began. It's actually pretty funny to watch. "I'm considering tossing Gray and Juvia in a locked room one of these days so that they can actually sit down and sort out what's going on between them. It's getting old, fast."

Natsu stops laughing and catches on the the conversation. "Where's Erza?"

Lucy throws up her hands. "Don't look at me, I'm not her keeper."

Happy snickers behind his paws. "Makin' kissy faces."

Now that makes me laugh. "I hope so, it's about time those two got some action." Though somehow…I doubt that she and Jellal are going to actually be hooking up any time soon. Those two have a lot of issues to work out first.

Lucy rolls her eyes at our antics. "She's probably getting in a solo workout before tomorrow's game."

"I don't think she's solo, but she is gettin' a workout!" Happy jumps into my arms gleefully, his mind definitely pretty far in the gutter. I honestly have no idea how we managed to raise such a perverted cat. Innocently perverted, but still.

We all go quiet as we approach the inn to see someone standing there. Well, Natsu isn't so quiet. "That girl in front of the inn, she looks familiar."

"Let's see…" I focus in on her, and spot silvery hair, along with a very proper posture. "Wait…isn't that the Sabertooth girl? Yukino?" I sniff the air. "Yeah, that's her."

We get close enough for Lucy to make out her features. "Yeah, she's the Celestial Wizard."

"I wonder what she's doing here…" We get closer, and I step towards her. "You're Yukino, right? What are you doing outside of our inn?"

She looks down at the ground shyly. "I…came to speak with Lucy."

I raise an eyebrow. "Lucy?" I glance back at our blond teammate. "I take it…that this is a discussion for Celestial Spirit Wizards, then?" She nods. "Alright, then." I open the door to our inn. "Come on upstairs. I trust that you aren't going to try anything stupid in front of four Fairy Tail wizards." And to that, she shakes her head. "Good. Then welcome to Honeybone Inn."

She follows us upstairs, and we stand behind Lucy as the two girls sit down. Yukino is…very quiet. So, Happy breaks the ice. "I've got some fish if you're hungry. It tastes best when it's raw."

"Happy, come here." I pick him up and tuck away the fish. "I don't think she's here for sushi." Then, I glance back at Yukino. "Now…why don't you tell us what's got you so quiet. You weren't nearly this shy in the arena."

She looks up a bit. "Well, the truth is…my guild…I just left there, and have something I'd like to discuss with you, Lucy."

"Your guild send you here to mess with her or somethin'? Natsu's thoughts take on a very suspicious air. There's something he doesn't like, and I can't blame him.

But…he can be the bad guy right now, I'll give the girl a chance, since her body language says anything but hostility towards us. The second that changes, though… "Well, let's give her a chance for now. She hasn't done anything to us, so until she does, if she does, we'll hear her out."

"I realize this is out of the blue, but…" She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her two golden keys, placing them on the table. "Please take these. The key of the Two Fish, and the key of the Balance. I want you to have them. They should belong to someone who can use them properly."

"What?" Lucy nearly jumps out of her seat in surprise. "N-no way, I couldn't! Please think this through."

"I already have." Her eyes are so cold, so sad. "I made up my mind after watching you fight. I was going to give them to you once the tournament was over, anyway."

"So why not just wait til then?" Natsu's suspicion is starting to wane, but he's still on the combative side.

Yukino bows her head. "The games were over for me the moment I lost. Minerva will take my place. Tomorrow, you'll be up against Sabertooth's strongest. The five members who transformed the guild into the powerhouse it is today."

"So then…you were just a stand in." That would explain why she lost the way she did. And I don't like this. I have no idea who this Minerva is. At least the other four on the team, I've seen before. Minerva is an unknown.

"Well, normally, a newcomer like me wouldn't compete. But Lady Minerva was on a job and couldn't make it, so I stepped in for her." That explains a lot.

Still, something feels wrong to me. "But Lucy obsesses over her spirits. I find it hard to believe that you would just give them up like this. Don't you love them? Aren't they precious to your kind?"

"Yes that's true. And that's why I've decided to hand them over to Lucy. "Well, Yukino's logic is rather skewed. "It's clear she's a superior Celestial Wizard. They would be much happier in her possession."

Lucy recoils slightly. "I appreciate the compliment, but the answer's still no."

"Please, you must take them." Yukino pleads softly, and it's kind of hard to watch. "You've already gathered ten of the twelve Zodiac keys. All you have to say is yes. With these in your possession, you'll have them all." That's certainly a generous gift that she's offering, though I can't help but wonder why. "Then the door of world change shall open."

"The door of world change shall open?" Lucy sounds as baffled as I feel.

Natsu glances at me. _You got any idea what that means?_

 _Not a clue…_ But it sounds almost…ominous, rather than auspicious. I'm not sure if world change is a good thing, or a very bad one.

She smiles slightly. "It's just an old legend. To tell you the truth, I don't understand what it means either. But there is one thing I'm sure of. Over the past few years, the number of Celestial Wizards has plummeted. Given the hit to our numbers in the Zentopia incident, it's possible that you and I are the only ones left." That makes her look sad again. "I also know that the spirits love you, and you love them in return. If anyone should have them, it should be someone who's connected to them."

Lucy's serious expression softens a little. "Thanks, but I can't take them. Celestial Magic is about the bonds we form with our spirits. It's not as easy to give up ownership of them as you might think."

"I know. Trust me, this isn't easy for me." Yukino's expressions darkens for a moment, before she gets to her feet. "Forget about it. I had a feeling that would be your answer from the start." Now, the girl smiles, really smiles. "But for better or for worse, I'm sure that all twelve keys will find their way together someday." Now that sounds like an auspicious future. She bows slightly. "I hope this isn't the last time we meet."

"Well, I'm sure we'll meet again." I grin at her cheerfully. "For some reason, we tend to meet up with people over and over again. For example, I'd already met three of the members of Sabertooth's team before even arriving in Crocus. Ad yet, here we are again."

"I see…" She tilts her head, as though examining me, then smiles softly. "Thank you for your kindness."

"It's nothing…" I pat her on the shoulder and turn towards the door. "You want me to walk you out? I think that Lucy wants to have a bath before going to sleep."

"Alright." She acquiesces easily, and allows me to accompany her downstairs. "Thank you for letting me in."

"You're welcome." I pat her shoulder gently. "Be careful on your way home. And if anyone messes with you, kick their ass. Okay?"

She stares at me, and I could swear that her eyes are a little watery. "Yes, or course." She takes her bag and looks back for a moment, before disappearing into the night.

Seconds later, Natsu comes sauntering downstairs. "Hey, where's that Yukino girl go?"

"Hm?" I frown slightly. "She left, why?"

He grimaces a bit. "Ah, well…I just wanted to tell her somethin'."

"I see…" I'm not sure what business my brother has with her, but knowing Natsu, he's not going to do anything too stupid. "She headed off to the north, from what I saw. You should be able to catch her if you run."

My big brother grins widely. "Thanks Sis!" He races past me and runs out the door, followed closely by Happy.

"Natsu…" It looks like his intentions are good. And that warms my heart.

So, I head back upstairs and lounge on my bed while Lucy takes a bath. It looks like everything is going just fine now. We've got our momentum, we're getting support from the crowd, and our team is getting its energy back.

A lot of energy, it seems, because only a few minutes later, absolute rage courses through me. And it's not mine. _Natsu!? Natsu! What's going on!?_

 _They hurt her…_

 _Hurt who!?_ But instead of just answering my question, Natsu hurls a barrage of memories at me. They must have just happened, because they're crystal clear, and they're of a conversation between him and Yukino outside. Then, it sinks in. _They…did that to her? Made her…made her strip off all her clothes in front of a guild full of mostly MEN, and then made her erase her own guild mark!?_

 _I'm going to Sabertooth._

 _Natsu!?_ This is bad. He's definitely not thinking clearly. Then again… _Are you going to teach them a lesson in what it means to be a guild._

His fury pulses through me like a raging fire. _Yes._

I sigh, getting up off my bed and opening the window. _Give me fifteen seconds, and I'll be by your side._ Because like hell am I letting him storm another guild's inn all by himself.

 _Yeah…let's kick their asses together._

Growling, I take to the sky and follow Natsu's scent. _Well, it looks like tonight is going to be interesting, at least._

An in less than fifteen seconds, I spot Natsu racing towards one of the biggest inns in the city. Crocus Gardens. "Hey!" I touch down next to him, running by his side. "What the hell!? I thought you were just going to talk to her!"

"Yeah, that's before I found out what those bastards did!" He growls, his fangs poking out of him mouth a bit. That only happens when he's really happy, or really pissed.

I sigh. "Then I suppose…we show them what they did wrong, Fairy Tail style."

"Exactly." He skids to a stop right in front of the giant hotel. "You don't have to come with me, ya know."

"Oh, I know." I laugh wryly. "But what kind of sister would I be if I let you go into enemy territory all alone?"

He lets out a dry laugh. "Come on. We've got a master to find."

 _Going straight to the top with the complaint, huh…?_ It figures that Natsu would want to challenge the leader. After all, why bother with the grunts who don't make the decisions. "Wanna knock?"

"Yeah…" He leads the way into the inn's reception area. Then he sniffs around for Sabertooth. "Found them."

"Me too." I can sense their magic all over the place. And judging by the map down here on the floor, and the sleeping receptionist, it's going to be easy to figure out where to go. I check the ledger and smirk. "Got it."

"Good." Natsu lights his fists on fire. "Now let's go!" He charges up the stairs, followed closely by me as I race behind him on a gust of wind.

As soon as we get onto the second floor, Natsu finds the first member of Sabertooth, and he nearly roars at the grunt. "Where's your master!?"

"Huh!?" The guy turns around, magic flowing around him in an instant. "Who the hell are you!?"

"Tell me!" Natsu slams a fiery fist into the guy's gut, which is, frankly counterproductive, but it doesn't matter. Wreck the grunts up enough, and the leader will come crawling out.

More people rush into the hall, so I send them flying with a well placed gust of wind, while Natsu goes about slamming a few into walls, blowing out the windows in several rooms. Individually, the two of us are capable of massive amounts of damage. Together…well, none of the wizards who stand against us stand a snowball's chance in hell of staying on their feet.

And just like that, the two of us storm Sabertooth.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

I jump out of bed as soon as the first explosions start, knowing that there can only be one reason for that. Someone's broken in here and started causing trouble. So I cross the hall and throw open Sting's door just as he wakes up. "We've got an intruder, Sting!"

"Everything's going boom-boom!" Frosch flies around in a panic, but I don't have time to calm him down right now.

Sting gets out of bed and starts throwing on his clothes. "They must have a death wish. What kind of idiot would storm in here and start messin' with our guild!? Who is it!?"

Once he's dressed, we start racing towards the sounds of the moving explosions. And I have a bad feeling about this. "No idea. But if they think they're getting out of here alive, they're in for a real shock."

In front of us, bodies are flying all over the place. And when we reach the meeting hall, the doors cave in under a barrage of fire. "Where is your master!?" Another burst of fire. "TELL ME!" And the culprit…Natsu Dragneel.

Then, a gust of wind blows back all of the Sabertooth wizards who move to stop Natsu in his tracks.

 _No…they're BOTH here!?_ Standing there next to Natsu is a face I know very well. One that still haunts my dreams. _Ciara._

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Natsu's on a rampage, and his fury flows through my veins, spurring me on as I take up my place at his back, standing facing the door. "Bring him out, now!" My big brother is just itching to fight this guy.

And as expected, beating up the grunts draws out the big guy off to my left, Natsu's right. "If you have something to say to me, you should say it."

"You're the master of this sorry bunch?" Natsu's rage condenses, going down until it simmers like a volcano, instead of blazing like a forest fire. "So it's one loss and you're out on the street, huh? Those are some hardcore rules, pal! Let's see if you play by em." Natsu presses his fist to his palm, lighting it on fire. "If you lose to me, you gotta quit the guild too!"

Rufus stares at us in utter astonishment. "They're from Fairy Tail."

"Y-yeah, but why?" Sting's confusion is even more powerful than Rufus'. And Rogue is looking just as angry, and equally confused.

The one with the green hair, Orga, I believe, recovers quickly. "You really don't wanna tangle with our master you runts."

"Those two are gonna get murdered." It's one of the little Exceeds, the red one. Lector, I think he was called.

"Did you truly come here to challenge me? Very foolish." The big guy might call us foolish, but obviously, he has no idea just what the two of us are capable of.

Natsu nearly blows his top. "I came here to teach you not to turn your back on people you're supposed to care for! So you'd better listen!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. But it sounds to me like you think everyone else should behave by your personal moral code." Oh…this guy is just begging to have his ass kicked.

"How the hell do you not know what I'm talkin' about!?" Natsu's fury is steaming now.

"Dobengal. Deal with these intruders." Looks like the old man is going to play dumb. Typical. What a coward.

"Yes sir." A ninja-clad wizard appears by the master's side.

Natsu's ego puffs up a bit. "What, are ya scared?"

"I don't feel like wasting my time disposing of an insect like you." Which translates to…lazy ass coward, at least in our dictionary. "I am the master of this guild, which means that if you wish to challenge me, you must prove yourself to be a worthy adversary."

"Don't hide behind your flunkies! Fight me!" Natsu charges ahead, his mind solely on the fight.

The poor ninja has no idea what he's about to get himself into. I actually pity the fool. He leaps towards Natsu, engaging him briefly in high speed hand to hand combat, before withdrawing for a moment and showing off his teleportation magic. "Although I may not be participating in the games this year, I am just as skilled in battle as those who represent our guild."

I get close to Natsu again, pressing my back to his. "You want to deal with him, or should I do it."

"Hang back and out of the way." He rolls his shoulders, his eyes flickering around as his nose twitches. "I got this."

"Alright." I take a step forward and leap into the air, flipping head over heels before freezing in place twenty feet off the ground. And just in the nick of time, too, because that Dobengal guy starts throwing smoke bombs.

"You're hiding too?" Natsu's nose makes up for the smoke bombs as he dodges some magic needle attacks. The guy really is like a magic ninja. It's weird.

"I suggest you leave at once, or face the consequences." He races at Natsu, magic in hand and going for a stabbing strike.

"Outta my way!" Natsu's flame-covered fist slams into Dobengal's midsection, propelling him backwards and straight into the door. "I ain't got business with you, pal!"

Now, we're getting somewhere. At least, at first. Until Sting steps forward. "Master, let me handle them."

"You stay out of this!" The master's response surprises me, but…at least now, we're really getting somewhere. He steps forward as Natsu charges. "No one in my guild has your kind of spirit. It's interesting." Natsu lands the first hit, though it's blocked by the master's arm. "But spirit is not enough!" He blasts out magic power, driving Natsu back a couple of feet. Just a couple.

Because Natsu comes right back in with an uppercut right to the old fool's jaw. Then, it's a right hook to the face, followed up by a flurry of fiery punches. Natsu's fury is a sight to behold.

But, for some reason, Orga gets it into his head to interfere, and he aims a lightning powered punch straight at Natsu's back.

That's not going to fly, not on my watch.

"Oh no you don't!" I'm down there in a flash, and I kick straight up into Orga's chin, before spinning around and dropping a kick right on his arm as I drag him down to the floor. I climb on top of him, baring my teeth and growling, completely unaffected by the lightning so close to me. "You do NOT attack my brother while his back is turned. Not when I'm watching his back."

Before Orga can say a word, Natsu fires off one of his new moves. The Lightning Flame Dragon's Firing Hammer. Dunno how he came up with the name, but the attack blows a whole in the roof.

After it gets deflected by a woman with black hair, that is.

"Minerva." The master identifies her, which means that she must be the one replacing Yukino in the games.

The woman lowers her hands, a smile on her face that I just don't like. "Certainly you'll agree that this little quarrel of ours has gone too far."

"What?" Natsu glares at her. _Who the hell does this chick think she is?_

 _A queen bitch, maybe?_ Because that's the vibe I'm getting from her right now.

"How dare you get in my way. This does not concern you." Looks like this coward of a master has some backbone after all.

"Please, forgive me. You could easily defeat this man, so I'm not doing this for your sake, Father." Well, that's a shocker.

"He's your dad?" Natsu's eyes flicker between them, as though trying to find something,anything similar between them. Minerva must take after her mother.

"We must take into consideration how this altercation will look to the outside world." She sounds like a politician, with honeyed words and a condescending tone. "Despite the fact that you are clearly the aggressors in this situation, our master killing a competitor would leave Sabertooth in an awkward position, to say the very least. It would certainly put a damper on the games."

"You know what I think!?" Natsu's temper starts rising again. "I think you're scared of seein' this geezer put down!"

"You have enraged both my father and his men. And they are not the types to take this kind of provocation lightly." Well, that's a thinly veiled threat if I've ever seen one. "What do you say? Will you allow me to resolve this unpleasantness in a peaceful manner?"

Orga struggles beneath me, so I shift my gaze back down to him. "Oh no, you don't. You're not going anywhere until I'm sure that you're not going to pull something stupid again." He may be twice my size, but I'm a lot stronger than I look. Strong enough to keep this meat-head on the floor.

I can feel her eyes on me, and to be honest, it's rather unsettling. Still, if she thinks I'm going to leave this guy alone and risk him attacking…well, she'd have to be an extraordinary level of dumb.

Then, she waves her hands, and in her arms appears a very familiar bundle of blue fur. "Be aware, that is also the only way that your kitten will be returned to you unharmed."

"Happy!" Natsu's fists shake at the sight of our sobbing blue bundle of happiness. Who is decidedly not happy right now. "Damn it!"

"You seem to have taken out your anger on quite a few of our members. But I'm willing to overlook this incident entirely if you'll cooperate." Every word that comes out of her mouth rubs me the wrong way. "Behave like grown-ups, and we can continue the games like nothing happened."

I grit my teeth, not moving an inch. _Looks like she's got us backed into a corner, Natsu._

His frustration comes through our link easily. _Damn her…_

 _Natsu, I think that now would be a good time for you to cool down._ I glance at our little buddy in her arms. _There's no telling what she'll do to him otherwise._

 _I know…_ He grits his teeth and clenches his fists, not moving another inch.

Surprisingly, Minerva actually lets Happy go without another word. And the little guy races into Natsu's arms, sobbing like a little kid. Then, she looks at me. "Now, will you release Orga?"

I watch her carefully for a few long moments, before removing my hand from Orga's head and pressing it to the floor, flipping over the head of spiky green hair and landing on my feet. "I was just making sure he didn't attack Natsu."

"I see…" I hate the way she looks at me. So cold, so arrogant, so calculating. And…almost downright evil.

 _Sis, let's go._

 _Yeah…_ I turn my back on Minerva, glad to have at least a few seconds without seeing her face.

"You've got some serious guts for such a fool." Their master seems to not have realized that his life was in danger. He's the real fool.

"We can settle this matter once and for all inside the arena." Minerva throws down a gauntlet of sorts. "Where we'll show you no mercy."

Natsu stops in his tracks, not deigning to turn around. "Fine. But you'll never beat us. We're at a whole other level." Then, he turns around. "Cause a real guild treats its members like family. That's why I came here tonight."

As Natsu walks out, I chuckle quietly. _I'll be along in a couple of minutes, Natsu. I've got a few things I need to get out._

 _Alright, just don't let those Sabertooth guys get the best of you, got it?_

 _Yeah, I got it._ I sigh and turn around, catching every single one of them in my line of sight. "Well, this has been an eventful evening, hasn't it?" More than a few of them look dumbfounded. "You know, I never planned on paying you guys a visit. I only got roped into this because Natsu was pissed after the stunt that got pulled earlier."

Minerva meets my gaze, her expression slightly mocking. "Oh? Then please do tell. Why did you decide to grace us with your presence?"

Her scathing tone is not lost on me. "Like hell I was going to let Natsu walk into enemy territory without me. What kind of sister would I be if I didn't at least come around to keep him under control during one of his vendettas?"

"Yes…under control, I see." She looks around pointedly at all of the destruction around us.

"The hotel is still standing." To me, that constitutes a win in the control department. "In any case, this should be a fair warning to you. Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus are already ore than aware that Fairy Tail isn't the same this time around. We're back. All of the S-Class candidates, their partners, and us, the S-Class examiners. You would do well not to take us lightly."

Minerva's eyes glitter darkly at me. "So I see. Is there anything else you would like to add?"

"Yeah, just one thing." And I take great care not to let my eyes flicker to the two in question. "When I told you brats to get stronger…this is not what I meant." I turn towards the door, my heart feeling a little heavy. "And my little lion…your snuggle buddy is not impressed." Cryptic enough that no one else should know, but clear enough that he definitely should. I take a deep breath and step towards the closest opening into the sky. "The night calls me…and I will see you in the arena tomorrow."

Wind spins around me as my feet lift off the ground, the force of the breeze propelling me into the air as I leave the Sabertooth lodgings behind. And as I soar high into the sky, my heart sinks a little as it sinks in, just what Sting and Rogue have become.

I never wanted this for them.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

A small jolt of shame shoots through me as Natsu's words race through my head. Shock, because of Ciara's own words. And resentment, because if she really didn't want things to turn out this way, then she should have done something.

But it's too late for thoughts like that. It's been ten years. Of course things aren't the same now as they were then. I've grown up, and whether she approves or not doesn't matter.

Because I'm one of the Twin Dragons of Sabertooth.

"How interesting…" Lady Minerva has a cruel, calculating look on her face. "It seems that someone is keeping secrets. Someone has been fraternizing with the enemy."

I force myself not to react. It was so long ago, that it doesn't matter anymore. But I would rather not give anyone reason to suspect where my allegiance lies.

And now, I feel like I'm trying to figure that out for myself.


	103. Chaos, Pandemonium, and Deadly Sparkles

**Wow, looks like people really liked that last chapter, especially the lion and snuggles part. I had a feeling that this was going to be the arc that gets the most reactions. And now that my exams are over and I'm finally home and sleeping in my own bed (and getting good 12 hour nights on top of that), I'm feeling a lot calmer.**

 **Which means I'm ready for some chaos, provided that I can actually get some time alone to write. But, I should be seeing my new headphones arriving soon, so that's a bonus. And yes, I am indeed loving SilverRose for the reviews. I guess she likes to give her Beta-Reader a lot of attention when we're not chatting or RPing.**

 **As for the story itself, I'm planning on splitting the twins up on the final day, and Ciara is going to be on the final GMG team (instead of Juvia, because I'm not sure the logic for putting there in the first place apart from maybe Gruvia development). And so far, it looks like the poll is leaning towards a twins tag team, 25 people have voted, and 17 say non-canon fight. Finally, similar to in Edolas, Future Ciara…does not exist and will not make a direct appearance, and I'll give a reason for why that is when the dragons show up. It's not going to be pretty.**

* * *

I can only hope that today's competition goes better than the unfortunate pillow fight that I walked into last night when I got back to the inn. Erza beating Natsu into submission is a rather terrifying sight. Hilarious, too, but this time, I spared my brother the humiliation of having me laugh at his misfortune. There's plenty of other things for me to laugh at him for.

On the balcony, we wait for the third game to be announced so that we can choose a member to go down there. And Chapati does the honors. "Welcome to day three of the Grand Magic Games! That puts us at the halfway point! I, personally, will be on my best behavior around today's guest from the Magic Council, Marshal Lahar."

"The Magic Council is here to commentate on the games!?" I cringe at the thought. _They hate us!_ I can honestly only see this going very badly. At least, based on the last few encounters that we've had with them.

"Thank you for having me here." That voice is familiar to me, unfortunately.

Chapati's curiosity is freaking me out. "As Chief Marshal of the Custody Enforcement Unit, your job is catching the bad guys, isn't that right?" _Right, as if that's really all they do. If that was true, then they wouldn't have gone and interrupted our S-Class trials. As if Grimoire Heart, Zeref, and Acnologia weren't enough to contend with already._

"Yes, and let me remind any would-be cheaters that I'm watching you." His words send a shiver up my spine, seeing as Fairy Tail is full of troublemakers, rather than cheaters.

"That's right, he's got eyes in the back of his head, and he never sleep, so no funny stuff." Chapati's jokes are going to give Gramps a heart attack, I just know it. "Now, let's kick off this day with a game that's sure to be exciting. One that we call Pandemonium! As usual, we'll have just one member from each team competing so please chose wisely."

"I got this one." Natsu volunteers in an instant. "I'm still pretty fired up from what went down last night."

"You did yesterday's round, so it's not your turn!" Gray has a point there.

I glance at Erza. "So, do you wanna go down there? Or should I give it a shot?" I fought yesterday, but I don't mid doing a competition round today.

She stares unblinkingly, before moving to head down. "I will go. After last night, having you or Natsu go would only complicate things."

"Fair enough." I only offered to go down there because I haven't done a competition yet. But I can wait.

The competitors start heading down. Erza, Orga, Jura, Hibiki, Obra, Novali, Cana, and even that cat girl from back in the Tower of Heaven, Millianna.

And as the crowd cheers, a huge magic circle forms above the arena, spitting out the most terrifying looking castle I have ever seen. And something…doesn't smell right about it. The pumpkin is unperturbed. "One hundred terrifying beasts lurk within the castle walls! But don't panic, there's no danger of them escaping and attacking the crowd! They're magical projections we created solely for this game!"

And with five classes of monster that get exponentially stronger, even the weakest of them looks like a slight problem. I whistle at the sight. "Well, that looks challenging."

"No kidding…" Gray stares at the displays on the screen. "This is crazy. So they're supposed to try and beat as many as they can to get points?"

"Looks like." Well, it's not like a Fairy Tail wizard is any stranger to fighting monsters. It's one of the things we're best known for.

Erza approaches the castle, and it looks like she's up first. The lacrima zooms in on her, and her voice rings across the arena. "Inside this castle wait one hundred monsters. I choose to challenge…all of them."

At first, there's silence, then, yelps, gasps, and cries of shock. Then…laughter. Because Natsu, Gray, and I are laughing our heads off at Erza's guts. It's such a typical move of hers. If there's a challenge in front of her, she'll try it on the hardest setting and knock it out of the park. Not to mention that the expressions on the faces of basically everyone else in the arena is a fantastic display of hilarity.

Especially the dumbfounded expressions of Sabertooth.

I can't help myself, I really can't. "You go, Erza! Show them why you're called the Queen of the Fairies!" Because she definitely didn't earn that title by being delicate.

She marches straight into the castle, not taking the advice of the pumpkin to take it easy on the challenge. The crowd has no idea yet, but they're in for a real show.

Lucy sighs. "I'm worried."

"Weird, it looks like it's bigger on the inside, somehow." Gray tilts his head slightly.

Lucy does the same. "It looks like it's upside-down."

Natsu's cheeks puff out and his face goes a bit green. "Just lookin' at it make me wanna blow chunks."

I pat him on the back gently. "Want me to cast a sleeping spell on you? Or do you think you can conquer the vertigo on your own?"

He does look pretty sick, but he shakes his head. "Nah, I can…do this…" He doesn't look like he can, but Natsu is stubborn that way. If he says he'll do it, the he'll give it his best damn shot at the very least.

As soon as Erza is inside and declares her challenge, she's surrounded by what must three dozen monsters. And judging by how big that castle is on the inside, there's going to be plenty more waiting for her deeper inside.

Lucy fidgets as we watch them materialize. "Even the weakest ones look deadly…" She turns to Gray. "Do you think she's got a plan?"

"Don't ask me, I can't understand what goes on in her head." More like Gray doesn't want to get into a long-winded explanation that involves multiple theories that could get his ass kicked if they got back to Erza.

"I can." Natsu grins. "This is nothin', she's got this."

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Erza is going to be just fine." Because in this kind of fight, Erza and I would use the same basic strategy. "When fighting numbers, there are several basic strategies to use. Among them…whittling down the numbers by using widespread attacks to takeout as many of the weakest ones as possible, and cut down on the number of enemies you have to keep track of. In a battle like this, while you whittle down their numbers, you discover their strengths and weaknesses, and then go on to formulate a plan of attack."

Lucy stares at me with wide eyes. "Really? But…how do you know that?"

"Simple." I smirk at her. "Natsu is better than me at one on one battles, but I like mine to be out in the open, many opponents, and lots of opportunities for them to trip over each other while I manipulate the terrain to my advantage. My magic is better suited for widespread attacks. So it's a strategy that I've used myself. And one that Erza is also very familiar with. The key is to hit hard, hit fast, and most importantly, hit first. It's one of my favorite strategies, good for dealing with large groups of bandits or monsters." I use it on jobs plenty, just not or dueling.

Natsu blinks, then grins. "Yeah, what she said."

And just as expected, she requips into her Heaven's Wheel armor, and she sends the swords flying, taking out seventeen of the D-Class monsters in one go. That's seventeen less monsters that she has to worry about sneaking up on her from behind.

She changes again, her Black Wing armor next on the menu. And she goes on the attack, thinning out the herd before changing into her Flame Empress armor to defend against the firebreathers, and the sword of her Sea Empress armor to counter them. In short order, there are six less D-Class monsters, and five less C-Class ones. That's another eleven down for a total of twenty eight less monsters to worry about.

Adding the sword that goes with her Flame Empress armor, she gets right back to work, slicing monsters out of her way with a fire and water combo. Then, she goes with her Sea Empress armor and the spear of her Lightning Empress set. She rather does like her elemental Empress armor sets. Her strategies are perfect. By combining the most effective defense with the most effective offense, she's like a harbinger of death. And by the time she's in her Flight Armor, accompanied by the devastating spiked sword of her Purgatory Armor, her opponents are down by another nine D-Class monsters, and ten more C-Class creatures. She's cut down fifty two monsters, over half of them.

I grin at her progress. "See? She's switching and adapting her strategy, hitting quickly in order to take out as many as she can so that she can focus more on the ones that are left over." I find that it's so much easier to use actual tactics against many opponents, rather than getting caught up in the thrill of a battle with a single talented opponent. Both types of battle have their appeal, though. They just test you in different areas.

"The fight seems to have taken its toll on Miss Scarlet!" Chapati thinks that, but those of us who know her know that she's definitely not done yet. Not even close.

"Go get em, Erza!" Natsu cheers, because he knows what's up. "Tear em to shreds!"

"Show them what you're really made of, Erza!" I know that she's still got plenty of juice left in her. And anyone who thinks otherwise has another thing coming.

It's an epic battle that has the crowd shocked in their seats, and the other competitors watching with rapt attention. "Amazing! Despite her injuries, Erza continues to defeat foe after foe! But how will she fare against her enemy, an A-Class monster!?"

I smirk. "She's going to crush it, obviously." And I'm proven right by the appearance of her Adamantine Armor and Spear of Haja. Her Giant Armor is the next swap, and monsters continue to fall before her. She's swapping through all of her most powerful armors and weapons at a moment's notice.

"Titania cannot be stopped, folks! The monsters can't keep up with her requips! Even the strongest monsters fall before her. She's taken there hits and used up a ton of magic power, but she just keeps going! Only four opponents remain!" The score flashes on the screen. The S-Class is still around, as well as one A-Class and two B-Class.

"Yeah, but every single one of them is super powerful." Lucy' habit of worrying is starting to get the better of her. "Does she have enough power left to win?"

"Watch!" Natsu grins. "We'll all know soon enough."

"Yeah, don't forget, Erza is S-Class in her own right. There's no way she'll let it take her down." Gray's faith is most definitely not misplaced. And soon, the whole kingdom is going to know how strong she is.

"Mm-hm, remember that we don't earn that rank easily." I grin at the sight of Erza demolishing the last A-Class and two B-Class monsters. "After all, you guys didn't get to see what I was gonna do to you during the third part of the exam."

I hear several audible gulps, before Gray laughs nervously. "Uh…you're kidding, right?"

"Nope." I smirk at him and see him sweating out of the corner of my eye. "I was planning on making at least one person cry." At least with frustration, anyway. "Oh?" Erza catches my attention on-screen again. And I frown at the sight of her holding two swords and staring down a tiny monster. "Oh…this can't possibly be good." There's a catch, there's gotta be a catch. We're in Fairy Tail, there's never not a catch.

And when the little monster glows, the lacrimas short circuit for a bit, before refocusing at the top of the castle, where Erza has been pinned down by the gigantic S-Class monster.

"Get up!" Natsu's cheering grows louder. "That big, rusty old hunk of tin's got nothin' on you, Erza!"

And I'm inclined to agree as she slices at its hands, cutting its fingers to pieces, before slicing and dicing the monster, until it crumbles to dust. And finally, she stands atop the castle, sword in hand, raised to the sky as she smiles. She is the master of Pandemonium.

It takes almost a minute for Chapati to get over his shock. "That…was…unbelievable! Erza Scarlet has single-handedly defeated all one hundred monsters! Fairy Tail Team A sweeps today's contest in an absolute, undisputed victory! Let it be known, we've just witnessed history! The strongest guild from seven years ago have returned from the grave!"

At that proclamation, the castle starts to dissolve, and Erza reappears back on the ground as it disappears back into the magic circle high above our heads. And the cheers from the crowd are deafening. They're also very appropriate, seeing as Fairy Tail is really making its comeback now. We're making our comeback, and everyone knows it.

"The crowd is going bananas over that performance!" Chapati's right, Natsu got us started, I gave us the gas, Mira put us in drive, Erza got us racing. Now, it's up to Cana to continue our streak. And it's hard to imagine her doing anything but that.

"Geez…" I hop over the railing, soaring down towards the arena floor. Erza looks like a mess, which means that it's going to be off to the infirmary with her as I touch down beside her. "Nice job. You took a while, but you crushed that game. It was a true S-Class performance." I find a place not covered in blood and slide an arm around her to steady her, since she looks just a bit wobbly. "Good thing Wendy's out of the infirmary, it looks like we might need to dip into our reserve today."

"Maybe…" She smiles as she sees the rest of the team racing towards us. "Hey guys…I hope you'll forgive with them took a bit longer than I expected." But then, they swarm her, and she sweatdrops. "Calm down, you realize we haven't won yet, right?"

"Let them celebrate the moment, we're on a winning streak now, and they're just excited." I smile happily at this newest development. "This is good energy. Just bask in it for a bit." Then, I look out at the crowd. "Besides, you've done Fairy Tail proud, and the whole kingdom knows it."

"Yes…you're right." She smiles at the crowd, who are now cheering her name. It's nothing like two days ago. No, now, we're quickly becoming a crowd favorite. Not that I expected any less.

The cheers grow louder, and Chapati has to shout over the chaos. "The booing that Greeted Fairy Tail on day one seems like a distant memory! You can really feel the love here in Crocus! Fairy Tail A dominates the Pandemonium contest and scores ten points for their team!"

"Yep, which means that you've done your job." Wind swirls around us as I crouch slightly. "Come on, let's get you patched up." I glance at Gray in the meantime. "You should probably go ahead and tell the organizers that Wendy will be filling in for Erza for the battle portion."

"Right." Erza nods, and I propel us into the air as Gray takes off towards the announcing box, landing in our gallery, which has stairs leading down from it towards the infirmary.

Porlyusica waits for us inside, turning her nose up slightly at us. She can be nice sometimes, but I really wish that she would curb that hatred of humans that she's got. Because it feels like she's forgotten that she's one of us too.

I deposit Erza on one of the beds, and she changes into a simple loose shirt and skirt for treatment. Porlyusica clicks her tongue disapprovingly. "You kids, always pushing yourselves harder than is reasonable."

"I'm sorry to be a bother, Ms. Porlyusica." Erza takes the admonishment in stride, sitting still as the old healer begins her fussing.

I snort and roll my eyes. "We both know that you're more than used to this kind of behavior from our guild, so don't act like it surprises you. We all know it doesn't." Seconds later, I dodge the spoon that the old healer throws at my head. Though where she keeps that thing, I'll never know. It's always a broom or a spoon for some reason. She never chases us ff with anything else.

Still, she wraps Erza up in bandages fairly quickly, after mopping up all of the blood, of course. Which is a good thing, because I'm pretty sure that both of us are eager to get back to the gallery and watch the rest of today's competition.

"Feeling up to going back to the gallery? Or do you want me to head back and tell you everything that happened later?" I already know the answer, but I figure that I might as well ask anyway, just in case.

"It's fine, I'm feeling better now." She tests out the bandages, before standing up and finding her feet. "Let's go, I'm sure that the others are waiting."

Actually, I would be willing to bet that at least Lucy and Wendy are expecting her to stay in bed the rest of the day, Natsu and Gray on the other hand, well they take the tough approach to things. "Alright, the let's head back, they're probably halfway through whatever they cooked up to replace the competition that you took out all by yourself. Everyone else needs ranking too."

"That's true." She smiles as the two of us walk out of the infirmary, despite the fact that she's covered in bandages. "I wonder how Cana will do."

"Well, knowing our reputation for being unpredictable…she'll probably place pretty high and surprise everyone by pulling it off." After ll, that is what we do best.

"Yes, I can see that." The two of us walk out into the gallery and look down to see Obra from Raven Tail stepping towards…an MPF?

I frown. "A Magic Power Finder?" That's…basically a toy to people like us. Hitting that would be more for bragging rights than any kind of actual challenge. Assuming that we didn't accidentally destroy the thing.

Of course, when the silent wizard lets out a tiny…thing from his cloak, some kind of weird little creature, it hits the MPF and… "Obra clocks in at…four points!?" Chapati's confusion is shared by many, including myself.

"Does anyone buy that?" Lucy shakes her head.

"No…" Erza scrutinizes the wizard who seems t have put I no effort at all.

"Hm…he's the one with the ability to reduce magic power to zero, right?" That brings a whole lot of questions to mind that I don't know the answers to. "So maybe that's why. Maybe he specializes in things that don't have much raw attack power to them. After all, making things explode isn't the only way to win a battle."

"Maybe not, but it's still fun!" Natsu grins, and I roll my eyes at him. He only says that because he has a bad habit of making things blow up when he shouldn't.

Next up on the roster, Sabertooth. And not to a quiet reception. "And the crowd goes berserk for Orga! How will one of Sabertooth's strongest fare!?"

The tiger holds his hands up, lightning sparking in his palms. "One Twenty Millimeter Black Lightning Cannon!" And he shoots a giant beam of black lightning at the MPF, clocking in at…three thousand eight hundred and twenty five.

"What!?" Natsu's hair stands on end at seeing the result.

Gray's eyes widen. "That number can't be right!"

"Huh, that looks like a decent score." I didn't see the others, but I feel like anything above two thousand should be pretty good. But since Jura is the next in line… "I'm predicting at least double on the next one."

While Orga sings, Chapati runs the commentary. "Things are really heating up down there. Can the Wizard Saint, Jura pass that incredible score? Or has Orga set the bar? Here he goes, folks! What does Jura have in store for us!?"

We're soon about to find out, as Jura releases a mountain of magical power. He feels a ton more powerful than he did seven years ago. So much so that I doubt I could tank him in one shot like I did the last time. No way is that happening again. "Rumbling Fuji!" All that we get to see, really, is a pillar of light shooting up around the MPF. And when it finally dies, the orb clocks in at eight thousand five hundred and forty four, a bit more than double Orga's score.

Still, I raise an eyebrow at the number. "Well, that's impressive. Definitely a lot stronger now than seven years ago."

Erza chuckles. "And here I thought it would be a little higher."

"Outstanding! This is a new MPF record! Jura has proven that the title of Wizard Saint should never be taken lightly!" That puts him solidly in the lead so far. "The next challenger is Fairy Tail B's Cana Alberona! I certainly wouldn't want to follow Jura, that's for sure."

I wouldn't be so sure about that, especially when she strips off her shirt and exposes a rather familiar looking marking on her arm. _No…she's not gonna…_ But my shoulder starts throbbing, right around my guild mark, right where the tattoo of Fairy Sphere once was. _I guess it's not gone after all..._ I'd thought it was, but if its magic is reacting to the Fairy Glitter on Cana's arm, then maybe I was wrong about that.

"Now, for the grand finale!" It glows, the marking on her arm freaking glows. And bright red, too. "Gather! O river of light that's guided by fairies! Shine! In order to perish the fangs of evil!" Light swirls all around her, her magic power going through the roof. It excites all of the magic around me, and as I breathe in, I can taste the power on the breeze. "Fairy Glitter!"

The ring of magical power that shines gold as it approaches the center explodes in a column of light that dwarfs even Jura's attack. And the looks on all their faces…priceless, absolutely priceless.

When the dust clears, I can't help but laugh as Chapati sounds utterly flabbergasted. "Oh my goodness, I can't believe it! Ladies and gentlemen, the MPF is history! Her power is off the charts! This guild is beyond incredible! Fairy Tail has taken today's events by storm! Is this their true strength!? Can anyone stop them now!?"

Cana grins and holds out her arms. "There's no stopping us! We've just started to rock your world! Fairy Tail will be number one again!" And the cheers for Cana's victory are just as deafening as for Erza's.

Of course, those of us up in our gallery are cheering as well. And how can we not? One of our own just maxed out the MPF and blew the damn thing to smithereens. Just one point short of ten thousand points, because the poor vaporized meter couldn't count that high before it got blown into next century.

Natsu grins like a madman, his energy nearly pouring right out of him. _That was awesome!_

 _Yeah, it was._ I can't argue with that, not even if I wanted to. _So, how long do you think it'll take us to get to first place?_

 _Hm…_ I can feel the gears turning in Natsu's head. _Tomorrow, it's definitely gonna be tomorrow._

 _Tomorrow, huh?_ I wonder just what we'll be participating in that going to bring us up to the top tomorrow. Not that I doubt our ability to do it, in fact, I'm expecting us to finish in first place. Kicking ass is something we're good at. Except that we tend to cause a whole lot of destruction along the way.

Speaking of destruction, this little event has me wondering what I would get if I threw a Storm Dragon Roar at it. Because I get the feeling that if I really held nothing back and used Dragon Force at the same time, that we might start to see an MPF shortage sometime in the near future.

Now that would probably scare some tigers.


	104. Surprise Encounters

**Time to skip over a couple of battles and have another interesting setup scene. After all, Frosch is a little cinnamon roll, and Ciara loves the Exceeds (unlike me, who has an unfortunate allergy to cats).**

 **I had a bunch of random shit happen in this chapter, and next chapter should be even more random shit, before finally moving on to the Naval Battle, where shit really starts to hit the fan again. Also, so far, it's definitely tilted towards a sibling tag-team, so if you haven't voted yet, know that the poll is still open and you still have time to cast your votes.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

With the competition part of the day over, we're about to get into the battle portion, which means another round of fighting to see if we can bump up our rank even more.

"We're halfway through day three of the Grand Magic Games, so let's take a look at the teams' current standings!" At Chapati's words, the scoreboard flashes into view. "In first place is the Raven Tail guild! Holding off in second place is Lamia Scale! Dropping down to third place is the Sabertooth guild. In fourth place, it's the ladies of Mermaid Heel! Next, we have the group that jumped up two spots to tie for fourth place, let's hear it for Fairy Tail Team A!" There's a lot of cheers for our team as we move up the rankings thanks to Erza's outstanding victory. "In sixth place is Fairy Tail Team B! And…here are the rest of the teams." He doesn't even bother to mention Blue Pegasus and Quatro Puppy in seventh ad eighth places. It's kind of sad, actually.

I stretch my arms and hear my stomach start to growl. "Well, if that's not a sign, I don't know what is." I glance around at the others and smile. "Anyone else want some food? I'm gonna run a trip to the food court."

"Oh, get me some kebabs!" Natsu grins widely, his hunger obviously starting to make itself known. We do burn through food pretty quickly.

Wendy looks up a little shyly. "Uh, I'd like some cotton candy, please."

"Alright." I pat her on the head and look around. "Erza? Gray? Lucy? How about you guys?"

Lucy shakes her head and pats her hips. "I'm trying to watch my figure. I don't have the crazy ability to eat my weight in food and not gain a pound like you and Natsu.

"Fair enough." Erza smiles. "I'll take something healthy. I do have to build up my strength, after all. And…"

"Yes, I know, if there's strawberry cake, get some." Erza sure loves her cake, and that's a fact that all of us know very well. Heavens forbid that anyone get between her and her cake, for if so, the demon emerges and rains vengeance down upon whosoever is foolish enough to take away her sweets. "Gray? How about you?"

"Nah, I'm good, I stuffed myself at breakfast." He waves me off with a half grin. "Besides, you'll have your hands full as is. I'll get something later if I'm hungry."

"Alright, suit yourself." I stride away from the gallery. "Make sure to tell me what I miss, okay!?"

"Sure thing!" Natsu's grin appears in my mind almost like a solid image. It's funny, lately, our telepathy has been getting a lot stronger. Maybe it's because we've gotten stronger, but I feel like there's more to it. I just don't know what.

Whatever, I need to focus on this food run. I'm probably going to end up with as much food as I can carry and then some, knowing me and Natsu's appetites.

I walk into the food court and follow my nose first to the cotton candy stall, and pickup a bag of it in a whole rainbow of colors. Wendy should really like that. Next is the cake, of course. I can smell it, even through all the meat and bread smells. And I'm fully aware of the fact that even if I don't come back with healthy food for Erza, she'll forgive me as long as I have cake. That said, I still pick up a fruit salad for her anyway.

For Natsu and me, I load up on a whole basket full of pork, beef, and chicken kebabs. They smell so good that I just can't resist. Besides, protein is good for dragon slayers, and we'll burn off all the calories anyway. Our magic makes sure of that whether we use it or not.

As I pass by a stall selling grilled fish, I notice a tiny creature in a pink onesie. It's a cute little thing with green fur, and it looks vaguely familiar.

So, I approach it and crouch down. "Hello there, little one. Are you here because you're hungry?"

The little guy turns to me and cocks his head, his big eyes wide and staring. "Fro likes fish…but Fro can't find Ro…"

"Is that so…?" I stand back up and pull a couple hundred jewel from my pocket and hand it to the stall attendant, taking one of the fish and crouching back down to the little guy. "Here, Fro, a yummy grilled fish." And now that I get a closer look at him, he looks like an Exceed. Funny, I thought that they all lived in the forests, but this one clearly lives in a town, if the onesie is anything to judge by.

Shyly, the little guy takes the fish, a smile blooming on his face. Then, he reaches for one of my ponytails. "Fro likes pink…Fro thinks it's pretty."

"Oh, you do?" He's such a cute little charmer. "Well thank you. It's my natural hair color."

"Frosch!?" A familiar voice calls through the crowd. "Frosch!?"

The little guy jumps a bit, his smile widening. "Fro hears Rogue!" He snuggles my arm for a second, then starts trotting away. "Bye nice Fairy!"

"Hm?" _Fairy? Wait a minute…_ I stand up and look through the crowd to see a very familiar face. _Rogue. Right, that little guy is his…_ That means that it's best that I get back to my team quickly. I really don't need a run-in with Sabertooth after what went down last night.

So, I weave my way through the crowd, only for there to be a tugging on my leg. And when I look down, I see the little guy hugging my boot. "Fro can't find Ro…"

 _Oh boy…_ He looks so sad. And leaving him here would just be…wrong. "Alright…come up here and sit on my shoulder. We'll find Rogue, okay?" I suppose that if it's going to be any member of Sabertooth, at least it'll be the one who's a bit less of an ass, at least compared to the others.

Frosch crawls up my less full arm and onto my shoulder, leaning against my head to keep himself balanced as I sniff my way through the crowd. "Miss Fairy, why did Lector tell Fro not to talk to Fairies?"

Well, the little guy may talk like a child and cuddle like a toddler, but he asks the questions with very adult answers. "Well…how do I put it…" I'd best censor it or I might traumatize the little guy. "When people are very proud of themselves, of their guild, and of their power, sometimes, they say mean things to others because they want to prove that they're better, instead of enjoying a good fight with strong opponents. Because sometimes, a fight can be a lot of fun."

"Fro thinks so too!" I'm not sure if he really understood all of that, but it's cute to hear him say that anyway.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

I can't believe that Frosch wandered off like that. I promised that I'd buy him some fish, but when I got to the fish stand, he was nowhere to be seen. And there's so many smells here that it's hard to pick him out from the crowd.

"Frosch!?" _Dammit! Where the hell did he go!?_

"Looking for something?" I spin around to see onyx eyes and pink hair. Ciara. "I think you're looking for him." She points up to her shoulder, where Frosch's little green face pokes out of her hair, which camouflages his pink frog onesie.

"Ro!" He waves his little arms at me, smiling happily. "Fro found a nice Fairy! Miss Fairy bought Fro a fish!" He waves a grilled fish in the air, before munching on it again.

This…is awkward. I want to demand Frosch back, but…she was kind enough to buy him a fish and track me down in a crowd to return him. So getting angry would just be ungrateful. So, I shift my weight a little and try to look her I the eye without flinching. "Thank you…for finding him."

She raises an eyebrow slightly, before shrugging lightly and stepping towards me, holding her arm out at an angle so that Frosch can hop over onto my shoulder. "Keep an eye on him. There are thousands of people here, and it's easy to get lost in the crowd, especially for someone so small."

"Yeah…" Words refuse to come out as she backs away and turns around, heading back towards her team's gallery.

Frosch pokes my cheek as he settles on my shoulder. "Ro…why does Lector not like Fairies?" _Oh boy…_

I clear my throat. "It's…complicated." And honestly, I'm asking myself a similar question, and coming up with no answer.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

"I've got the food!" I stride into the gallery and toss Wendy her bag of cotton candy, before passing the cake and fruit salad to Erza. "And there's plenty of kebabs, I think I cleaned the stall out."

"Sweet!" Natsu grabs some of the skewered meat and starts munching away.

"So, what'd I miss?" I set up next to Gray and put the basket on the railing, well within his reach if he wants food.

"Well, the first match was Quatro Puppy and Mermaid Heel, that Millianna girl won the match. Eve and Rufus just finished up." He points down to where some medics are carrying Eve out of the arena. "He got beat up pretty bad with some huge fire spell."

"I see…" I munch on a kebab of my own. "So, who's up next?"

"Laxus is fighting Alexei of Raven Tail." Erza stops eating her cake long enough to update me. "They're just about to start."

"Oh, good, so I haven't missed our matches yet." The ones I really want to be here for are the Fairy Tail matches. The other ones are optional. "We'd better make sure to cheer on Laxus until someone from our team gets picked to fight."

"Right!" Lucy leans over the edge, watching eagerly as Laxus walks out onto the arena floor.

As the two of them meet in the center and stare at each other, I feel…a ripple of some kind race through the area. It sends a shiver up my spine, and I don't like it. _Is it Raven Tail again? Are they pulling another dirty trick like they did against Gray and Lucy?_

Everything starts going haywire when Laxus gets knocked off his feet in a second by Alexei. And it's wrong, because I know for a fact that Laxus is faster and stronger than that. He should have seen that move coming a mile away. There's no way that the following beating should be happening.

Gray grips the railing, hard. "That masked freak! Who in the hell is he!?"

"Is this for real!? He's losing!?" Natsu's disbelief washes through me, so I back away a bit.

It's wrong, so very, very wrong. _Natsu, I don't know what it is, but there's something going on here. Raven Tail is doing something, but I can't figure out what kind of trick they're pulling_.

Natsu glances back at me in alarm. _Are you serious!? They're cheating again!?_

 _I think so…_ I close my eyes and focus hard, trying to figure out just why our Lightning Dragon Slayer is getting his ass kicked by a half baked wizard, when I can't feel their damn battle. All of the spells being shot off…I can't feel them activating. It's more like…a haze of magic, instead of sharp, concentrated bursts.

So, there's only one thing to do. _Laxus! Can you hear me!?_

There's a mental grumble, then Laxus' voice comes through the connection. _Yeah? What is it, Pinky?_

 _Laxus!_ Relief surges through me. _What the hell is going on down there!? We're seeing you get pummeled by Alexei!_

There's silence, before his presence strengthens again. _It's some kind of illusion magic. Seems like Raven Tail wants to have a chat with me._

I clench my fists, before forcing a smile. _So, are you planning to give Raven Tail a rough time down there?_

 _I'm going to bury them._

Those words put a smile on my face, and I go back to leaning over the balcony and start stuffing kebabs into my mouth. _Alright, then know that we're all cheering for you, and we want you to kick some serious ass down there._

 _Yeah, yeah, I know. This'll be over quick._

One by one, the kebabs in the basket disappear as I fill my growling stomach. Every second that passes has the magic power in the arena growing, and I can feel the static in the air as Laxus' power fills the arena. Now…now he's going to strike.

I hold up my hand in the Fairy Tail salute. "Laxus is about to win. And we're going to see Raven Tail get buried."

"Huh!?" Natsu looks at me like I'm crazy. "What are ya talkin' about? He's gettin' his butt kicked down there!"

"No, he's not." I smile down at the fight. "Just watch. Because the illusion is about to break."

"Illusion?" Lucy gasps as my words come true, ad the magic over the arena dissolves, revealing Laxus standing in the middle of all of Raven Tail, including their master, Ivan.

"Whoa! What happened down there!? I'm at a complete loss here,folks! This is crazy!" And then, the truth comes out, and Chapati announces it to the confused crowd. "Apparently, the battle we were watching was just an illusion. But Laxus persevered and defeated the entire guild! Let's hear it for our victor!"

"Not only did five of their members illegally participate in a one on one match, but their guild master partook in the games as well." Oh, Yajima is about to use his Magic Council voice. "This is a brazen violation of the tournament rules!" Which, of course, means that they're gonna get themselves kicked out. And the castle guards are making sure that they're escorted promptly out of Domus Flau.

Mato, the pumpkin, appears on the screens, laughing nervously. "Sorry about that, folks. What do you say we just put all that behind us and move on to match four!? It's the last fight of the day, and it's sure to be an exciting one!"

"Fairy Tail A's Wendy Marvell versus Lamia Scale's Chelia Blendy!" Thanks to Chapati's announcement, it looks like it's going to be a fight between the two youngest competitors in the games.

And not just the two youngest, but the two clumsiest as well, seeing as they both manage to trip their way onto the arena floor.

Now, it's time for Wendy to show all of us what she's learned. And the arena quickly fills with bursts of air as the two sky wizards go at it. At least, judging by the spells that Chelia is hurling at Wendy, it sounds like she's a sky wizard as well.

And damn does the wind they're kicking up taste good. I lick my lips as I suck up everything that comes towards our gallery, being very careful not to interfere with their fight. "Did she say…Sky God? Or was that just me misinterpreting what sent all that tasty wind my way?"

Natsu crosses his arms. "You mean he wasn't the only one?"

"Do you know this magic?" Erza glances at Natsu curiously, caution in her gaze.

Natsu nods. "That Grimoire guy, I think his name was Zakcrow."

"Pretty sure you got that wrong…but close enough." Gray sweatdrops at my brother's seemingly terrible memory.

"He used God Slayer Magic like Chelia?" Lucy blinks, as though trying to contemplate the possibility.

"Yeah, he did." Then Natsu smiles sheepishly. "But if you ask me, he was a pushover. No biggie." _Liar._

"God slayer or not, Wendy is forced to face this new opponent on her own. She may be in for the toughest fight of her life." Erza looks down at the fight, concern flickering through her eyes at the sight of a battered and bruised Wendy.

The two of them continue to hurl powerful gusts at each other, blasts of air that let me feast on a buffet of tasty winds. And I'm not the only one feasting, the two of them are sucking up air like there's no tomorrow.

Not only that, but it looks like Wendy is about to unleash her first secret art, her magic power spikes to levels I haven't ever seen from her before. And it's strong enough to rock the whole arena. I think she called it the Shattering Light Sky Drill. And it was powerful enough to at least knock Chelia down. And at that,our team celebrates.

But…despite first appearances, it looks like it wasn't enough to put her down for the count. Because she gets right back up, healing her wounds in a way that I've never see Wendy do before. Sure, I've seen Wendy heal the wounds of others, but it always seemed like she could never heal herself. _If that's the case…then why is it that Chelia seems to be able to heal her own wounds, no problem?_

And poor Wendy is completely tired out.

Chelia sees it too, and she backs off a bit. "Hey,listen, I don't hate fighting, but I don't love it either. Its just gonna get worse for you if you keep dragging this out, cause it's obvious I'm gonna win. You should probably just give up, 'kay?"

"No, I can't!" Wendy's response is rather impassioned, considering her natural aversion to fighting. "The fact that I'm still standing right here in front of you means that I'm not backing down. I' willing to give everything I've got for my guild. I don't need your pity. I'm not giving up, so please, come and get me! Beat me until I fall to the ground!" Determination flashes in her eyes. "Can you do that!?"

Chelia smiles, and Wendy braces herself as magic fills the air again, this time, a powerful attack coming from Chelia's side of the field. It's a secret art.

"What kind of magic is that?" Erza scrutinizes the scene.

"Lost Magic." I know that for a fact. "Just like Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel and I…we're all practitioners of Lost Magic. Ancient magic that's been lost to the ages. Well…for the most part."

But somehow, the attack, though powerful, misses Wendy completely. _That smart little kid…she boosted the power and made it go off target because Chelia was over compensating for fatigue._

"She…made it miss by increasing her opponent's energy." Looks like Gray caught on to Wendy's interesting application of her healing abilities as well.

And that prompts a hand to hand magic battle, one that has me cheering like a lunatic. "Go Wendy! Show everyone that you're a strong, proud Fairy Tail wizard!" I remember telling her during one of our training sessions that it was perfectly okay to not want to hurt people. Still, I made sure that she knew how to fight hand to hand, if the occasion called for it.

She proves that she can do that much, right up until the bell rings, signaling the end of the battle. "You know what that sound means! Time's up!" And the crowd is roaring for the two of them. "And that's it, folks! Looks like this match ends in a draw! Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail A score five points!"

But the best part of it is when the two of them forge their friendship down on the arena floor, Chelia tending to Wendy's injuries like the two of them are already the best of friends.

And just like that, we have an end to day three.

I look across the arena to Sabertooth's gallery to see Rogue staring at me, and Frosch waving eagerly. I can just imagine the babble coming out of his mouth, so I smile at the little guy and wave back, before locking eyes with Rogue once more. Though the eye contact is broken as I leave the gallery and head downstairs.

But it seems like that's not the end to our troubles, because as I'm walking on my own through the antechamber, I spot Jellal surrounded by Magic Council guards as he puts Mystogan's scarf back on his head. _Oh…what now…?_ It looks like they want to arrest him on the spot. _Erza, you so owe me one for pulling your boyfriend out of here._

In an instant, I'm zooming across the room and plopping myself on Jellal's back with a huge grin on my face. "Hey Mystogan! Did you see how we did today!? We rocked out there!"

He grunts a little and nearly buckles under my weight. "Ciara…?" He turns his head to look at me out of the corner of his eye.

I laugh in his ear. "Come on! Everyone's in the mood to celebrate, so we gotta go! And there's this cool new sleep spell that I wanna show you! I think I finally figured out how to solve Natsu's motion sickness problem for good!" It's a lie, but I figure it's as good a lie as any.

He catches on quickly. "Very well, you can show me after dinner."

"Sweet!" I clamp one arm tightly around his neck and point with the other one. "Now, hop to it, we gotta get moving!"

"Of course." He turns and starts walking away I the direction I'm pointing, sparing only a glance for Yajima.

Me, on the other hand, I look back at the two councilmen who obviously didn't buy that at all. And just for a second, I shoot the a very dark look. _You mess with Fairy Tail, and you might just not live to regret it._ Then, I whisper covertly in Jellal's ear. "Play along, I used to hug Mystogan whenever I had the opportunity. I was one of the few people who saw his face before meeting you, and he's the one who taught me sleep magic. So act at least reluctantly tolerant of my antics."

"I see…so that's your plan." He settles down after that, consenting to carrying me a few blocks, before setting me down outside of the inn. "Thank you for the exit."

"You're welcome." I smirk mischievously at him. "I'm not afraid of the Magic Council. After all, if you think back, you'll remember that I once threatened to level Era if you guys hurt Natsu."

"That's right…you and Natsu have rather hot tempers…" I could swear that he chuckles a little. "In any case, I'll be going now. I'd rather not cause you any more trouble."

I pat him on the shoulder and smile. "Don't worry. I got Erza to tell me what was going on after the pillow fight from hell last night. I know what you, Ultear, and Meredy are up to in Crocus. And if I see a way to help you guys, like dragging your ass out of the fire and away from the pan, I'll do it. Just…" I laugh softly. "Be nice to Erza. She really cares for you."

He pauses, then turns away, mumbling so softly that my sensitive ears nearly miss it. "I know the feeling."

I sigh as he walks away, smiling at his back. _Maybe there's hope for the two of you after all._


	105. A Reunion Gone Wrong

**Okay, time to check in on the Sabertooth boys, and have them go on an evening walk. Because I feel like there's a conversation that really needs to happen, and soon. And it looks like someone already had an idea as to where this chapter was going to go. Good. This chapter is going to be shorter, but I hope that it gets a few things across.**

 **It's also going to switch P.O.V. a lot. Mostly because I want to show just how much these three can screw with each other's brains without meaning to. And it's also going to show how each of them are dealing, or not dealing with their emotions. Because, newsflash, I don't think anyone is surprised by the fact that dragon slayers have pretty intense emotions most of the time.**

 **I originally wanted to make this a fluffy chapter, but then I thought...why not lead up to next chapter? Next chapter is going to be...well...it's gonna be the naval battle, so what do you expect, honestly? And somehow...this chapter kind of just came out of my brain. Not sure how, it just did.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I make sure to step out of the bar when the barrel surfing starts. The last thing I want is to be within range of any of them when they inevitably crash. Doggy piles are one thing, but I don't wanna get hit by my nauseous brother at high speed. That's just asking for a mess.

So, I take a step and jump into the sky, whirling around a little in the cool night air. I flip through the air and land deftly on the wall of the walkway that overlooks a large part of the city. It's nice that the bar is so close to one of the city's large terraces. I'm close enough that if there's trouble, I can get back quickly, but far enough away that it ensures me some privacy.

I sit on the short wall ad look out over the city, enjoying the breezes that waltz so delicately into my mouth. It's relaxing, soothing, and considering what may happen tomorrow, that's what I need right now. We've been lucky the past couple of days, and right now, we need that luck to hold.

But it will hold, and we will win.

* * *

Sting's P.O.V.

I can't sleep, no matter what I do. There's a feeling deep in my gut that's telling me that tomorrow…tomorrow I'm going to finally get my wish. After all, Rogue and I are the favorites for the tag-team battles, we'll definitely compete tomorrow. And knowing who the competition is, I'm pretty confident that the audience is gonna want to finish off the battles with a bang.

Or four dragon slayers.

"Hey Sting?" Lector comes out onto the balcony, rubbing his eyes. "What's up? Aren't ya tired?"

"Nah, not really." I'm too wired to be tired. "I get the feeling I'm gonna get to fight Natsu tomorrow. I've been waitin' for this chance for seven years. I'm too excited to sleep."

Lector grins next to me. "You got this Sting, no doubt about it."

"Yeah." I know that. I glance back into our room to see Rogue lying down, still wide awake. "You can't sleep either?"

He turns his head slightly, enough so that a single ruby eye is visible. "Tomorrow, it will be us against Fairy Tail." It seems like he's sensing it as well. If that's what our instincts are telling us, then I think we should listen to them.

"Yeah…" I look back up into the sky and spot a small form streaking through the evening's darkness, along with a familiar flash of pink. "Well, look at that. It looks like someone's all worked up." And I have a feeling I know who. "Hey Rogue, how do ya feel about takin' a walk?"

"I have no interest in a walk." Jeez, he really needs to take an interest in more things than just beating the crap out of Gajeel.

I spin around and head for the bed, sitting down next to his head. "Even if I know where we can find Frosch's favorite Fairy right now?"

That catches his attention, and he glances at me sharply. "And what are you doing looking for her?"

"Well, I thought I'd get some answers out of her." I tug on my earring, something I've gotten into the habit of doing whenever no one is looking. "And it might be fun to mess with Natsu's sister."

He doesn't say a word for a few long seconds, until he slowly gets up and shifts a sleeping Frosch onto the pillow. "Fine. I suppose I do have some questions that demand answers."

"Good, then let's go." I get off the bed and crouch down to Lector's level. "Watch over Frosch while we're gone. We'll be back soon."

"Yeah, sure thing Sting…" He yawns and crawls onto the bed, settling in next to Frosch.

Nodding, I back away from the bed and take care not to wake Frosch, who can be a bit of a crybaby if you wake him up wrong. Then, I nod to Rogue. "Let's go."

"Fine." There's something weird about his tine, but that doesn't really matter. Right now, we've got a Fairy to catch.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

I move us through the shadows, sneaking us away from Crocus Gardens and into the city near where Sting spotted her in the sky. And right now, I'm conflicted.

On the one hand, I feel like I want to see her. I've got questions, and she's got answers. Where were they? Why did they disappear? Why do they look like they haven't aged in seven years? Why are they taking part in this tournament, really?

And what was Acnologia like?

On the other hand, I'm…not sure if seeing her is a good idea. For some reason, I feel like something is going to go wrong. There's also that dark feeling around her, and it makes me nervous. Which is strange, because it's not like me to get nervous about dark things. Darkness is something I'm well used to.

But still…that feeling of trepidation seems to be here to stay. Especially as we approach the terrace, where a lone figure with two long pink ponytails is sitting on the wall, her hair blowing softly in the wind, while she seems to almost glow under the moonlight.

Then, there's a soft laugh. "I smelled you two coming a mile away, you know." She turns to look at us, and even in the darkness, her piercing onyx eyes lock onto ours. "Though right now, I'm trying to decide if you're brave or stupid, approaching me like this. And honestly, I'm hoping it's the former."

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I watch the two of them, once boys, and now young men. But still brats, if their behavior so far is anything to judge by. "So, why have you two sniffed me out? I hope that you're not planing on trying to fight me here and now. Because that would be very stupid of you." After all, not only do I have more power than they think I do, but Natsu, Erza, Gray, and Lucy are all close by. All I need to do is raise my voice, or even just make some noise, and they'll all come running. If it even comes to that.

Sting bristles at the remark. "Looks like someone's on their high horse."

"I don't ride horses, I fly." I scoff softly. "But if you wanna make jokes all night, fine. I can play that game too." I narrow my eyes at them. "But…that's not what you're here for, is it?"

Sting cools his head for a second, before opening his mouth. "What happened to you guys? Really? I mean, you disappeared for seven years and then pop back up like nothing happened?"

Of all the questions he could have asked… "That's not something you really want the answer to."

"Nah, I think I do wanna know." Sting stubbornly insists, his sapphire eyes flashing impatiently at me.

I blink once. "Fine. Acnologia, the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse. He attacked the island, and we were protected by a barrier spell. It worked too well, and the last thing we remembered before waking up in March was the attack on December sixteenth, seven hundred eighty-four. We were on the island the whole time, kept in stasis by the spell. Eventually, the spell broke,and now, here we are. We didn't pop back up like it was nothing. We lost years of our lives while the rest of the world kept going. They thought we were dead. Everyone but the people who cared enough to keep looking for us."

And yes, I'm still bitter about that fact. But in the end, I have no one to blame but myself. I screwed up the spell. I locked us in that barrier longer than I meant to. It was my fault.

Something flickers in Rogue's eyes, but it's gone before I can place it. "I didn't want to disappear the way we did. But there was no choice, Acnologia could have low the island to dust otherwise. And if you think that he'd be so easy to take down, you're a pair of morons." Then, I sigh. "But enough about how I screwed up." There's one question that I know they both want answered. "You two want to know why Natsu and I stormed into Sabertooth last night, don't you?"

Sting scoffs and rolls his eyes. "Yeah, and explanation for that would be nice. I mean, where the hell do you two get off getting involved in other guilds like that?"

"Other guilds?" I raise an eyebrow. "You call that military camp of yours a guild?" I honestly can't in good conscience consider it a guild, not with the way it is now. "You know, it kind of reminds me of Phantom Lord. Except at least they didn't kick out their members for losing to a more powerful opponent." And those memories burn at me in ways that I don't like. "But Sabertooth…" I feel like gagging. "It makes me sick to see a girl as sweet as Yukino coming to our inn, offering up her damn gate keys, basically trying to end her career as a wizard, and then find out that she was made to strip down and humiliate herself in front of the people who are supposed to stand up for her and protect her!? A guild is a support system, a community, a family!" I grit my teeth and my anger seeps out a little. "And the way I see it, all of you have failed to be that."

Their eyes widen, and Sting's narrow again quickly. "Yeah!? Well she was weak, and Sabertooth can't afford to have weak links. We're the strongest guild in Fiore because every single member is strong."

"Really?" I watch him blankly. "Are you strong enough to protect your guild mates, if it comes down to it? Are you strong enough to risk your life to protect them? Do you have the courage to do it? To stand up for what you think is right, what you believe in your heart to be just and true? Because one of the lessons that we learn the hard way in Fairy Tail is that there is always someone stronger than you. And that even if they're stronger than you, there will be people for you to protect." I sigh sadly. "You know, I wanted the two of you to become kind and strong, to be strong enough to protect the people around you. Because I didn't want either of you to be lonely." I laugh scathingly. "Looks like that backfired spectacularly…I just wanted the best for you, and look how that turned out."

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

Shame, that's the first thing that comes to mind. She's right, we didn't protect Yukino, and we should have. Sting didn't have the inclination…and I didn't have the courage to protect her from the master. And Ciara isn't pointing out anything that I hadn't already thought about. Not that it makes it any easier to hear it coming out of her mouth.

I've often questioned, silently, how our guild works, if it's even a guild, really. And in the end…maybe it's not. Maybe we are all just pawns, soldiers for our master. Something for him to use and discard as he sees fit.

Not even human…

"What a load of crap." Beside me, Sting sneers. "You're just as delusional as the rest of Fairy Tail. It's pathetic, you goin' into the games with this kind of attitude. We're gonna crush you all like a bunch of bugs."

"You think so?" Wind starts swirling around her, shining silver in the moonlight. "Because if that is what you believe, then go ahead and try." I could swear that her eyes flash the same color for just a moment. "Because if it comes down to it, I have the courage to protect my guild, no matter what." Then there's that hint of darkness again, stronger now than before, and her voice almost sounds like a feral growl. "No matter what the cost."

I have no idea what's with her, but I feel like we're wading into very dangerous waters. Most of our questions have been answered, one way or another, and unless Sting wants to fight her right here, right now, I think it's time to leave. "Sting, let's go. We have more important things to do than interrogate her." Like making sure that Frosch hasn't gone and wandered off in his sleep. Again.

But as I turn to leave, I hear a sad sigh on the breeze. "I really did hope for your happiness…"

And when I turn back around, she's gone, like she just dissolved in the wind.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

There's a dark hole in my heart as I return to my room. That was not how I had hoped that little visit would go. But Sting…he just riles me up with that smug smirk, those sneers, and that damn superiority complex.

And then there's the issue with Yukino. Seriously, I would have thought that the little boy who once flew into a battle that had nothing to do with him would at least have a habit, if not a liking for helping others.

It would seem that I was wrong, and this is not a time that I want to be wrong.

A pang of guilt hits me, one that makes me wish that we hadn't been stuck on Tenrou Island for so long. Maybe…if we hadn't…I could have gone and found those boys again. Found them before all of this happened. I might have been able to save them from becoming that tyrant's pawns.

Because this cruelty is not what I wanted for them. And I do not, for a moment, believe that they are truly happy like this.

Is it wrong for me to wish for the happiness of others? To wish that they could find the same kind of happiness that Natsu and I found when Fairy Tail took us in all those years ago?

If it is…I would rather not be right.

* * *

Sting's P.O.V.

I turn over in bed, trying to fall asleep, but my nerves not letting me.

"Dammit…" I bite my lip, trying to stay quiet and not wake the others. _Why the hell did I think it was a good idea to go and ambush that damn Fairy?_

Turning over yet again, I clutch at the sheets, squeezing them in my fists. _I'll show her…I'll show both of them!_

Tomorrow, I hope that it's not Gajeel that Rogue faces in the arena. I want it to be Ciara's sorry ass that we kick.

But Rogue is right about one thing...that darkness around her, it's getting stronger. And I really don't like it.

* * *

 **I invoke...Murphy's Law.**


	106. Naval Battle Disaster

**Long Author's Note ahead.**

 **All these reviews are giving me the warm fuzzies (except for the critical ones that are irrelevant or of no help at all). That, and a lot of motivation to write. Actually, I keep every single one of the emails I get with reviews in them in a special folder in my inbox so that I can go back and read them to get motivated. I even keep private messages too, as long as they're nice ones. Luckily, people seem to have gotten the idea that flames will be fed to Natsu. Good.**

 **Yes, it is the ominous sentence. Shit is about to go down. On the bright side, at least Domus Flau is full of powerful wizards. Otherwise…things could go very badly, very fast.**

 **And…the results are…pretty clear. More than two thirds of the voters want a sibling tag team battle. So Ciara wins against Gajeel by a landslide. It's been a week, and that's about the timeframe I envisioned for giving you all to vote. Which means as this chapter is being posted, I'm taking the poll down. The final results are 20 votes for Ciara, 8 for Gajeel. So, it'll be Ciara thrown into the ring with the boys.**

 **As for Momochan's interesting point brought up about Gajeel not having fought and that being in the rules, I should remind everyone that…**

 **1) Gray competed in a contest, but didn't fight in the battle portions**

 **2) Same goes with Erza, she slammed Pandemonium, but Wendy fought instead**

 **3) Gajeel participated in Chariot (ad ended up sick afterwards)**

 **4) New team, slate basically gets wiped clean**

 **5) Gajeel and Rogue still get to have their smack down during the final day's event and**

 **6) Ciara only participated in one fight, no competitions.**

 **7) Same with Laxus (though he smacked down all of Raven Tail, so…does that count as five battles?)**

 **Lucy is the only one from either team who got both a fight and a competition in Fairy Tail so far (including the one she's about to participate in). And Juvia gets two competitions but no battle. So don't worry, Gajeel is gonna be mowing shit down during the Grand Magic Game (and letting loose an Iron Shadow Dragon Roar a mile into the sky).**

 **Screw the rules, seems like the organizers don't give a crap anyway.**

 **Let's start with some sibling fluff before everything goes straight to hell, shall we?**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

"You sure that you wanna do this?" I touch Lucy's shoulder, concern bubbling through me. "I could do it instead."

She shakes her head. "It's fine, I want to do this. Besides…"She grins cheekily. "I saw that look on your face. As soon as they called it Naval Battle, you turned kinda green. Just like how Natsu does when he gets motion sickness."

Gray looks at me curiously, and Natsu stares with wide eyes as I recoil. "Uh…well…" That damn boat to Tenrou Island comes to mind.

"Sis, you get motion sick on vehicles now too!?" Natsu looks a little too gleeful about that.

"Well…sort of…" I glance at Erza, who nods her head, as though urging me to tell the truth. "I don't know if I've always been like that, but while we were on the ship heading for the S-Class exam, Mira pulled my ribbons out because she wanted to do my hair, and all of a sudden, I started getting sick. So I think that they're protecting me from getting motion sick, and not just sick from magic depletion."

Natsu's eyes widen a bit more, before narrowing as he grows serious. "Alright. Then I'm not gonna let anybody steal them from you."

That response is a surprise, since I would have thought that Natsu would try to steal one himself in order to make the motion sickness go away. But…I suppose that whenever it's an issue around my health, he gets serious about it really fast. Still… _Looks like he's not freaking out anymore…I guess that means we're done fighting about it._ I know that coming back to find out that we got frozen in time, and then all of what we've seen here in Crocus has been a bunch of shocks that forced us to grow up a bit, but in this case…it's less of a sobering, and just more…trust. He finally trusts me to take care of myself. Mostly.

So, I bump my hip into his and lean on the railing right next to him to settle in for the game. "Thanks Natsu. And I promise, I'll keep researching spells that might be able to help deal with this Dragon Slayer Motion Sickness that we all seem to be afflicted by."

"Okay!" He grins, before turning to rub his nose against mine. Igneel used to do that, only his nose was a whole lot bigger, and Natsu hasn't done it much since we were kids.

Snuggled up next to Natsu, I grin at Lucy. "Alright, if you wanna go and show them what you're made of, I won't stop you. Just make sure to go and do your best out there." I hold out my fist to her. "Because you're a proud Fairy Tail wizard."

"Right!" She touches her fist to mine, before getting a clear idea on the rules and changing into her bathing suit.

Seems that my apprehension was for nothing, because it turns out that Naval Battle is going to take place in a huge bubble of water, not on boats. I could totally handle swimming around in a bubble.

"It's a sunny day for magic and mayhem!" Looks like Chapati is ready to get the ball rolling. We're ready to kick off day four's contest with a bang! Today's game is called Naval Battle! That's right, folks, strap yourself in for an exciting skirmish in the sea! The battlefield is a large ball of water! If you get pushed out, you lose the match, and the last contestant left will be declared the winner! However, when only two competitors remain inside the battlefield, a special rule will come into play. We call it the five minute rule. In this instance, if one of the remaining challengers exits the ring in the first five minutes of the final showdown, hey will get last place."

"So…then the highest safe spot is third place…" I tilt my head slightly, only to nearly knock it into Natsu's. He's sort of standing next to me, but he's got an arm placed around my other side protectively. He's bee kind of clingy since last night. Not overly so, but I suspect that it has something to do with our feelings moving more easily across our telepathic link. So he knows how agitated I was last night, and is trying to make up for that by being extra snuggly.

One by one, the competitors, almost exclusively female, jump into the huge ball of water hanging in the air. Chelia, Jenny, Risley, Juvia, that bitch Minerva, Rocker, and of course our Lucy.

"This is your chance Lucy! Go get em!" Natsu cheers loudly in my ear, his enthusiasm contagious.

"You can do it, Lucy!" I grin and raise my hands into the air. "Show them what Fairy Tail is made of!"

And it looks like she's going to do just that, because as soon as the first key comes out, Aquarius is in the water and wreaking havoc. Not that Juvia is going to be outdone, because as our foremost water wizard, this is her territory too. The two of them hurl water twisters at each other, catching almost everyone else up in them as the two collide.

Ad while the two of them are busy, Jenny kicks out Rocker, ridding the water of the only source of testosterone in there. And with that declaration of war, everyone starts going to work in the water. The battle royale has begun.

The water in the bubble churns violently, until suddenly, Aquarius bails! I mean, I get the whole spirits are their ow people, and they have lives as well, but you'd think that she would at least have the courtesy to try a little harder before going on a date with Scorpio. Her boyfriend has no problem with finishing things up before going on a date

Aries and Virgo are the next spirits to come out of Lucy's arsenal, both of them…clad in bikinis as they come to Lucy's rescue. I smirk at the sight. _Well, you definitely can't fault Lucy for her versatility. Her spirits are ready for just about anything._

I'd almost suggest that she summon Leo for the raw power. But…he's a charming, romantic playboy who would probably get distracted by all the girls in swimsuits, especially Lucy.

Juvia draws back, charging up for another attack. "It's time I stopped pulling my punches. I'll take all of you out in one fell swoop with this, my newest and most powerful technique, unleashed by my Second Origin and refined by my lover's heart! Darling Gray Love!" It's…a swirling funnel with hearts racing through it. It's…oh dear gods I have no idea how to describe it.

Gray's ashen face does it perfectly.

On the plus side, it knocked out Chelia, Jenny, and Risley all in one go. On the down side, when Juvia catches sight of the look on Gray's face, she accidentally throws herself out of the bubble as well.

I stare at the sight, before banging my head against the railing. "…How do you even DO that?"

"I dunno, but it's weird…" Natsu sounds suspicious of it, which prompts me to take a second look.

That's when I notice the magic flowing around Minerva's hand. _Did she toss Juvia out of the water?_ She does seem to have spacial magic, so it wouldn't be that hard to pull off a feat like that and have no one notice it until it was too late.

Chapati crows eagerly. "Only Minerva and Lucy remain! But where did Lucy's Celestial Spirits go?"

"I assume she sent them away in order to preserve her magic power." Yajima is right. Against someone like Minerva, Lucy is going to need to be careful, and for that, she's going to need all of the magic power she can get.

"It's one on one! Will Sabertooth take the gold? Or will Fairy Tail snatch it away! The five minute rule is now in effect! If either contestant exits the ring before the timer runs out, they will be ranked in last place!" Chapati's announcement starts the five minute timer. And its that timer that will decide whether we get a good day's worth of points, or end up bottom of the table.

"Come on Lucy! You can make it!" And frankly, in the best case scenario, she might be able to push Minerva out and put Sabertooth at the bottom of the table for this competition round. Now that would be a real blow to their apparently very fragile egos.

Then, a bright flash of light, pure, condensed heat erupts underwater, striking Lucy in the side, before another flash strikes her in the back.

"Heat? Underwater?" Erza catches on just as quickly.

"Lucy, no!" Natsu's cheering has gone from enthusiastic to frantic in an instant. And to make things worse, I know in an instant that Natsu sees the same thing that I do. Lucy's keys getting snatched.

Thanks to the magic of the bubble that allows the contestants to breathe underwater, we can hear it, every single time. Lucy's screams. But despite the pain, Lucy fights to stay in the bubble, eve without her keys. Luckily, the clock is counting down, so there's only so much longer that this can last, in reality.

"You want me to give up?" Lucy's voice rings across the arena, firm and strong. "Not happening! If I quit after my friends fought so hard…it'd be worse than betrayal! I won't do it! Hurt me all you want, I don't give a damn! I'll win! My guild will be number one again!"

For some reason, that silences Minerva, and she stops moving. She just…floats there, doing nothing to attack or defend. Both of them are just floating there as the timer starts to run out. It's eerie, almost like…

Like the quiet before the storm.

As soon as the timer runs out, Minerva goes on the attack. And her screams echo loudly in my sensitive dragon slayer ears as Minerva blasts her over ad over in every direction, before taking a hands on approach and nailing her with a kick to the back, a punch to the stomach, to the face.

It's brutal, inhumane, it's…do fucking wrong.

And when we look to the Sabertooth gallery. There's a collection of cruel leers and smirks.

And it makes my blood boil like a volcano.

The bell rings, and the pumpkin calls the match.

I'm gone in an instant, Chapati's words drowned out as a sonicboom echoes through the arena. Lucy drops only two feet from Minerva's grasp before I grab her and kick off the side of the bubble, shooting towards the ground and slamming into it, making a craters before skidding back with Lucy cradled in my arms.

Blood leaks from the wounds all over her body, staining my shirt and vest scarlet as I press her close to my heart, listening for the beat of hers.

It's there, weak, but still there.

"Lucy!" Natsu's voice is getting closer. And I feel a warm hand on my shoulder, and a cool hand on the other. "What the hell is your problem!? You went way too far!"

"She's got a pulse…" Raging, boiling, churning, everything inside of me is a mess of rage and pain and fear.

Mostly rage.

Words are blurred as Gray takes Lucy and lies her down in front of me, moving her so that Wendy and Chelia can get to her and start healing her.

"What a scornful expression." I twitch as Minervs's voice wafts over. "You can glare at me all you want if it makes you feel better. But remember that I acted in full compliance with the rules of the competition.

Erza puts herself between us and Minerva. "That may be true, but you went way outside the bounds of basic human decency."

She laughs. The heartless bitch laughs. "I was simply trying to entertain the crowd, that's all. To be quite honest, you should be thanking me, she got second place, didn't she?" _Thank you? She should thank you!?_ "She could have ever done that without my help."

Her teammates foolishly join her on the ground, and the crowd…they have no idea. They just want to see us fight. They want to see a Fairy Tail vs. Sabertooth throw down right here.

That's not what they're going to get.

 _Kill them._

I get to my feet, my hands unclenching as my whole body relaxes, the boiling rage becoming a sea of pounding bloodlust.

Pushing Natsu aside, I cock my head at the soon to be dead tigers. "If you have any last words, speak them now."

* * *

Sting's P.O.V.

We're on the ground and ready to rumble. But…there's something seriously wrong. When Ciara gets up, there's dark streaks in her pink hair, and the whites of her eyes are pitch black. And that darkness I felt…it's way more powerful now.

Not to mention the bone-chilling bloodlust.

Lady Minerva chuckles. "Last words? That's quite presumptuous of you."

Ciara's head straightens, her eyes cold and dead, and glimmering only with pure fury. I've never seen anyone look like that before. It's like…she's not even there anymore, like something else is controlling her body.

"I see." She raises her hands to the side, magic power suddenly erupting from her in violent gusts, rising in an almost endless pillar towards the sky. "Then let's see you try to survive this."

She raises one of her hands to the sky, bringing the other in front of her as magic glows. And then, she speaks in a language that I…recognize, but I can't remember where I've heard it before. It's like a half-forgotten dream.

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

With Ren's help, I jump over to Lamia Scale's gallery and grab Lyon and Jura. "We have to get down there now! It's happening again, and she's going to destroy the Sabertooth team!" There's no time for long explanations.

Blinking at me in confusion, Lyon makes a slide of ice from the gallery to the ground, and I hop on it, being careful to keep y balance as it takes us right to where the action is. "It's Nirvana! I thought the effects on her were gone, but-"

"You're saying that she's still under its control?" Lyon slides along behind me, with Jura bringing up the rear.

"I don't know! It must have done something to her! And if we don't stop her now…" Then who knows just how much destruction she's going to cause.

I skid across the ground as I race towards her, her own team already trying to calm her down, and not getting any results. And they won't get any, not like this.

There were hints of that darkness still there during her recovery, but I naively thought that they would just go away with time. Instead, it looks like that darkness latched onto her magic, and has only grown. Maybe been dormant for a while…but now, it's back with a vengeance. And if we can't stop her now…there's a good chance that we're all going to die.

"Gray!" Lyon races ahead, a plan already in motion as he puts his hands together and starts casting.

"Right!" Gray does the same, the two of them unleashing their ice magic around Ciara's body, trapping her legs and forcing the ice up her body, slowly immobilizing her as the ice fights for ground against the gusts of wind constantly shattering it.

I raise Archive's shield function, getting in front of her, while Jura gets behind her and physically holds her upper body back. This is probably not the smartest place to be, but honestly, if we can't calm her down now, there isn't going to be a place within twenty miles of here that's safe.

I keep my voice level and steady, but very firm. "Ciara, calm down. You're letting your anger control you again. Killing them is not going to help Lucy recover." Maybe by addressing what set her off in the first place, we can find a way to placate her anger before anyone gets seriously hurt.

It doesn't work. The winds only pick up, and magic circles start to appear and glow around us. She watches me coldly. "Hibiki. Do you think that this is enough to stop me? These fools picked this fight, not us. I'm ending it."

"Think about what you're doing! Is this really how Fairy Tail fights!?" Maybe appealing to her sense of pride will work better.

"To protect or avenge our family, we would make anyone our enemy. And enemies of Fairy Tail…must be destroyed." She may look like she's not all there, but the fact that she's this focused means that she's at least a bit more clear-headed than she was last time. Then, she glares at Natsu. "And stop trying to get into my head. You're not welcome there."

"That's cause you're goin' off the rails ad letting that thing take over again!" Natsu looks like he's about ready to punch her in the stomach to make her listen. Which would be appropriate, since the last time this happened, Gray stabbed her in the back. "Come on, we'll get these assholes back later!"

"Natsu, step away from your sister, child." My eyes widen as even Fairy Tail's master, Makarov, arrives to deal with this situation, floating I front of her face. "Ciara…you know very well that using ancient magic for murder is against the rules. You will fight to protect Fairy Tail our way, not like this."

"You think I care?" Her tone hasn't changed at all. "If you stand in my way I'll-" She freezes, as if paralyzed, and her eyes drop down a foot and half. "Master…Mavis…"

The ice around her shatters, and Jura releases her as her body starts to glow. And the brightest spot is her left shoulder, from around her guild mark and down her arm nearly to the elbow as her sleeve tears itself apart. There, glowing as she drops to the ground, is…something almost like what I saw on Cana yesterday.

I'm not sure why, and I'm not sure how, but the black in her hair fades, and her body trembles less as the glow starts to diminish. The bloodlust is gone, and the dark aura in the air has vanished as well.

It looks like we got lucky.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

My arm burns as Mavis drives the darkness back, using the Fairy Sphere tattoo on my arm as the conduit. But that's not what hurts the most. _I lost control…again…_

I was going to kill them. Minerva, Orga, Rufus, and Sting. I was so angry that I was going to kill the four of them in cold blood. And who's to say that I would have stopped there? What if I'd gone on a rampage, like last time? Could I have leveled Crocus? Would they have been able to stop me once I passed the point of no return?

What is my point of no return?

Mavis' warmth touches me gently. "Natsu, take your sister from here. Calm her down, and she'll get another chance to show them what happens when you hurt Fairy Tail."

"Right." Natsu's arms curl around me, lifting me from the ground as he starts walking away from the commotion. "Come on, Lucy is gonna be alright, and then were gonna show them that you don't mess with Fairy Tail. Okay?"

"Okay…" I need to lie down right now. I just feel so…drained. "Natsu…I'm sorry."

He nuzzles my cheek with his nose. "It's gonna be okay, I promise. Just…try not to go all psycho again. That was scary shit."

"I know…" After all, I remember what happened the last time that happened. I turned into a monster.

And now I've gone and done it again.

Natsu must have booked it here faster than I thought, because he lays me down on one of the beds in the infirmary, which gives me a chance to catch my breath without half the city watching me.

"So…are you feelin' a little less pissed now?" Natsu's fingers brush through my hair as he tries to sooth the emotions still whirling inside me.

"A bit less homicidal, yeah." Mostly, I'm mildly horrified at what I did. Well, almost did. Fortunately, they stopped me before I blasted those four out of existence. Though...a small part of me wishes that they hadn't. Minerva deserved to bite it.

"Good." Gray walks in, carrying Lucy in his arms. "They might have deserved whatever you were gonna throw at them, but it's probably a good idea to wait until you're somewhere you won't get nailed for murder in."

"Yeah…" I laugh wryly. "I've really got to rein in my temper, don't I?"

"A little bit, yeah. You're lucky that Gramps and the others stopped you." Gray glances at me with what looks like sympathy. "Lucy's gonna be fine, so don't sweat it. We just gotta focus on beating Sabertooth into the ground for this."

"No joke. Those guys are goin' down." Natsu punches his palm, sparks flying all over my lap. "They're gonna pay for the shit they pulled."

"Yeah…they are…" I sit up and watch as Erza walks in, followed by Happy, who hops up onto the bed next to Lucy.

Our little blue buddy stares at Lucy for a second. "She's gonna be okay, isn't she?"

"Yeah…she's stronger than people think." My head clears a bit more as I watch her chest rise and fall. Breathing is good. And I don't want to think about the alternative.

The door opens, revealing Juvia. "Is there any word on Lucy's condition?" And behind her is our entire B team.

They file in quickly, and a few greetings are tossed around before Gajeel gets to the point. "So, how is she?"

"She's not out of the woods yet, but she'll pull through thanks to Wendy." If nothing else, Porlyusica knows her healing and tells the truth about it, no matter how bitter the pill may be to swallow.

Wendy shakes her head. "It wasn't just me. We were lucky Chelia was there to help out too."

Natsu's earlier grin fades completely. "They're gonna pay."

"You can sure bet on that one." Hearing Laxus say that makes it sound like a prophecy thats going to come true.

Then, Lucy stirs, and Happy's fur puffs up. "She's awake!"

"You guys…" She looks so sad. "I'm sorry…"

"Say what?" Natsu blinks at her. "Why are you apologisin'?

"Because I screwed up again." She hides herself under the blankets in shame, even though she has nothing to be ashamed of.

Gray scoffs and shakes his head. "Are you kidding? Second place is nothing to be sorry about."

"Yeah,you did amazingly well Lucy." I smile at her and shift off the bed in order to gently tug the blankets down. "You did us proud. It's not your fault that Minerva is a heartless, sadistic witch who deserves to get vaporised." She stares at me, confusion in her watery brown eyes. "I…may have gone a bit off the rails after she tortured you and almost murdered the Sabertooth team in the middle of the arena."

Her eyes widen at me. "You did what?"

"Yo should have seen her." Gajeel smirks a bit. "I've never seen Pinky that pissed, ever. It took Gramps, the Wizard Saint, that Blue Pegasus guy, and both Ice Strippers to hold her back, and the First Master to stop her before she went on a rampage."

I flush scarlet at his words. "Thanks Gajeel…a very flattering description."

"Hey, you're the one who went psycho in the middle of the games, not me." He holds up his hands and wisely backs up a couple steps.

"Yeah…" _I really have to stop doing that._

The mood I the room quickly starts to get kind of dark and vengeful. Kind of like how I was feeling earlier. Then, Gramps walks in. "Unfortunate circumstances, but I'm glad both teams are here. I have something to tell you." He pauses for a second. "I was just contacted by the games' organizers. Though I'm not sure if it will be a help or hindrance to us, we've been asked to consolidate our two teams into one." And there's a lot of shock and resistance to that suggestion. "Since Raven Tail's been disqualified, there are seven teams remaining. Having an odd number makes it difficult to match up competitors for the battles. Therefore, we've been ordered to do away with the A and B groups, and form a single five person team for the rest of the tournament."

"So we're losing five members…" I suppose that Erza's conclusion is one way to look at it.

Carla shifts on her paws. "But how will this affect our scores?"

"We're only allowed to keep the lower one. And that would be the thirty-five points from Team A." Well, Gramps' news just means that we can pick the strongest possible team now. I just hope that I'm on it, because I have a serious bone to pick with Sabertooth.

Gray frowns at the news. "Well, I wish this would'a happened a little bit earlier. Because the only thing we have left are the two ma battles, right?"

"You're wrong." All eyes fall on Porlyusica. "Traditionally, there's a mandatory day off, followed by a battle involving all members. It's important to choose carefully."

Natsu gets to his feet. "No matter whathappens, I'm gonna get revenge for Lucy. If they think they can treat her like that, I'll show them that they're dead wrong!"

"And I'll be right there with you to watch your back." Plus, I have a few things that I need to drill into some thick tiger skulls. I stare Gramps down determinedly. "Put me on the team. I have a few things to knock into Sting and Rogue's heads."

Laxus raises an eyebrow. "That sounds pretty personal. What's up?"

Everyone's eyes fall on me, but I don't recoil under them, I can't. "Sting and Rogue sniffed me out last night. We talked, it ended badly." I touch the earring in my right ear. "Whether I meant to or not, I set them on this path. And I intend to correct it."

"I see…" Gramps regards me sternly. "In any case, the decision as to your participation is out of my hands. For today's final match, I've been told that the king himself has requested to see you and Natsu fight together."

I let that sink in for several long seconds, before breathing a sigh of relief. "Good…" If it's me and Natsu fighting back to back, then nothing like what happened earlier should happen again. After all, I doubt that either Sting or Rogue is going to be able to start torturing Natsu like Minerva did Lucy. "Then who else is on the team?"

Gramps looks around, his eyes stopping only a few times. "Erza." She straightens as he calls her name. "Laxus." His grandson nods at the selection. "And Gajeel."

Our iron dragon grins. "Looks like the final round is gonna be interesting."

It's quite the selection, actually. Made up of S-Class and dragon slayers. This is a powerful team. Gramps' eyes streak over to Gray. "I want you to stay on reserve, Gray, just in case something happens."

"Sure." Gray takes not being included in the starting line-up well. Though I'm not sure if it's because he doesn't feel like fighting, or if he thinks something is going to go wrong.

Knowing us, it's probably the latter.

Natsu holds out his fist and grins. "Alright Team Fairy Tail, let's go!"

"Right!" I hold mine out to his, touching our fingers together.

And armored hand joins ours, followed by Erza's determined smile. Then, Laxus' huge hands, and a rugged hand connected to an arm pierced with iron studs.

We are team Fairy Tail.


	107. Four Dragons

**Holy shit, ChaosofTime, I think you can read my mind. Now, most of your theories are quite interesting, and you're raising a lot of interesting points. Some, I will reveal in the coming chapters, and some, I will shoot down without mercy.**

 **There are no magic barrier particles involved. And…Edo-Ciara has nothing to do with this in any complicated, convoluted way. The parallel is that she's dead, and Future Ciara is dead too, that's it (though to be fair, most people in Future Rogue's timeline are dead). The significance surrounding WHY and HOW is important. As well as the aftershock. And it has to do with the darkness of Nirvana still hanging out inside her...a** **nd Rogue (there's your little hint to mull over for a few more days).**

 **Antibodies? Nope. Other protection? …Nope. Extrapolate what you will from that.**

 **Ciara was altered by Zeref? …In a way, yes. And that is what the ribbons are there to guard against. Though only to a certain degree.**

 **Now, as for the reading my mind part…I've been trying hard to come up with something to call the Unison Raid, because I figure that's something that the two of them could do instinctively. And I think…you'll like what I came up with. Oh, and one firestorm coming up!**

 **Now…we had a reaction requested from Sabertooth. Let's start with that, shall we…in my longest chapter to date.**

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

"Well Sting? Rogue? Tell me, was that a trait shared by dragon slayers?" Minerva's interrogation starts as soon as we've left the gallery to regroup for the battle portion.

I shake my head slowly. "No, I've never seen anything like that before." I've never seen anything quite so…terrifying, let alone felt that much bloodlust coming from anyone. And I certainly never expected to feel it from her.

But the fact of the matter is…she was ready to kill the team. Or at least give it her best shot.

Minerva's eyes don't seem to detect any lies, so she nods and crosses her arms. "Very well. In any case,today is the day that we put Fairy Tail in their place." Her smile is…unsettling. "Show them the true power of Sabertooth."

"Yes, Milady." Sting shifts next to me, almost imperceptibly, but I can tell that he's feeling just as unnerved as I am. Maybe even more than me, since he decided to go and get in the middle of Minerva's battle.

I know that Fairy Tail is our enemy, but what she did to that girl…leaves a bad taste in my mouth. She fought her hardest, and Minerva still… That was more blood than even I was comfortable with.

Maybe those two were right to storm in the way they did. Not that it matters, because we're still going to win. Nothing is going to stop us from defeating Fairy Tail in the tag-team battle. Nothing.

And now, the organizers are supposedly forcing the two Fairy Tail teams to fuse together. Which means that they'll have to cut out half their members.

 _So…who are we facing today…?_

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

It's time. We're ready.

I glance over at Natsu and smile, my blood pumping in a whole different way now. _You ready to kick their asses later?_

He grins back at me. _Yeah, we'll show those Sabertooth jerks what it means to mess with Fairy Tail!_

 _Yeah…_ Sting and Rogue's faces come to mid as I tug on my red hooded vest, having changed out of my bloody clothes earlier. Sometimes, I wish that I could change outfit as easily as Erza. She's got a million of them. Still, the silvery gray sleeveless high necked shirt underneath is comfortable enough. I can easily fight in this, and that's what matters.

Now, it's time to get out there, and I can hear the crowd cheering as the five of us approach the arena floor. Erza's eyes are fixed on the light ahead. "Let's show them the true power of our guild."

"Sabertooth isn't gonna know what hit them." I stand jut to Natsu's left, Gajeel standing at the end of the line, while Erza and Laxus stand to Natsu's other side. It's truly a lineup of some of the best our guild has to offer.

The crowd's cheers are deafening as we walk out into the sunlight, and all eyes are on us as we emerge from the tunnel and arrive on the arena floor. And across from us are just the faces we wanted to see. It's a stare down between Fairy Tail and Sabertooth.

"With that kind of entrance, I'm not sure the audience will be able to handle the anticipation leading up to today's final match." And judging by the screams of the crowd, I'd say that Chapati is right.

But Sabertooth, they have the gall to be smiling at us, after what happened earlier. Well, except for Rogue, but he doesn't seem to smile much in the first place. I'm not sure if that's a good sign or a bad one, but it worries me, nonetheless.

Natsu's magic pulses beside me. "I'm all fired up, now."

"Me too." I grab his hand and squeeze it tightly. "We'll show them exactly what happens when you put the two of us together in battle.

With the introductions over, our team heads back up to our gallery, but I pull Natsu back down the hall before calling out to Erza. "We'll be back in a bit. Natsu and I need to talk strategy."

"Salamander, talk strategy?" Gajeel raises one studded eyebrow. "That'll be the day."

Erza smiles slightly. "Now Gajeel…Natsu is perfectly capable of understanding strategy."

"He just doesn't bother with it most of the time." Laxus snorts with amusement. "Maybe this time, he'll actually pay attention to it."

"Hey! I pay attention to stuff!" Natsu goes to lunge at Laxus, so I grab him by the scarf and drag him off.

Natsu struggles as I drag him insistently down the hallway. "Come on, this is serious." Sabertooth isn't going to be like most of the battles we fight, where we can win by just overpowering them. If nothing else, I imagine that Sting and Rogue are strong now. Too strong to just knock out in one attack.

I release him far down the hallway, and I lean against the wall as he flails a bit. "What was that about!? You know not to grab my scarf!"

"And you know not to grab my ribbons. But that doesn't stop you." But that's not what I'm here to argue. "Anyway, we'll be going up against Sting and Rogue later, which means that we're going to have to pull out all the stops. Well, within reason. This isn't going to be like with Cobra where shutting off your brain gives you an advantage. And it's not an army of opponents that we can just mow down with huge attacks. We're going to have to go in with a plan."

That cools Natsu down quickly. "Okay, then what were ya thinkin'?

"Well…I was thinking that I should keep my ribbons in, and not use any ancient magic. After all, we're trying to beat them, not kill them." And after my outburst earlier, I really don't want to risk killing anyone. "But we should keep our eyes linked, and use our telepathy to coordinate our attacks."

"So, you wanna do a tumbling routine?" Natsu raises an eyebrow at me. And I can't blame him, we haven't fought like that since we used to go on jobs together.

"Yeah, we'll do better by fighting back to back. It looks like Sting and Rogue like to fight together, which means that they'll probably use a lot of combination attacks, and coordinate their regular attacks to hit in quick succession."

"Hm…" Natsu crouches down, his thinking face on as the crowd's cheers grow louder. The first match must be over now, which means that we don't have much time. "Think we should use that?"

It takes only a flicker f thought to know what he's referring to. "If we're trying to destroy Domus Flau, maybe." Then again, we're going up against a couple other dragon slayers, so… "Let's test them out first and see if they can survive it. If they can, then sure, we can pull that out. But let's not jump the gun." There's also the issue of… "Lightning Flame Dragon mode and Storm Dragon mode should be off limits."

"Yeah, no joke." Natsu laughs wryly. "So, test em out first and then see how far we can push em?"

"That sounds good." After all, I doubt that they're expecting most of the weapons we've got.

Natsu pauses, before grabbing my hands and pulling me towards him to press our foreheads together. "What's with you and them, anyway? There's something weird going on."

So…he felt it, huh? "It's…complicated. I found Rogue when he was nine years old, stranded in a forest, and about to become food for vulcans. And Sting…well, he jumped in on one of my battles about three years after that. So I remember them when they were kids, ad they were jut so…different. They were wide-eyed and cute, if a little prideful." I stop and laugh. "Well, I guess all of us are, really. It's the flaw of a dragon slayer. But they weren't so…cruel and cold. I just…"

"You wanna beat them and prove a point?" Natsu smiles softly. "Alright, then we'll show them good, I promise."

"Yeah." I lean my head back and look into identical onyx eyes. "Let's show the whole world what Fairy Tail's Dragonslayer Twins can really do."

"Right!" We hear the crowd roaring again, and Natsu's grin fades a little, becoming a lot more serious. "Looks like it's our turn."

"Looks like…" It's a bit surreal, actually, the two of us getting ready to fight side by side. It's not something that happens often, at least not without a larger group around. Now, it's just going to be me and him back to back. And that's a danger unto itself. "You wanna visit with Lucy for a minute before our match starts?" I've been getting the feeling that he wants to check on her before we get going.

He nods. "You wanna come?"

"Nah, I'm fine." I freaked out enough earlier. Seeing her covered in bandages isn't going to help me focus now. "I'll be waiting by the floor, alright?"

"Okay." He lets go of me and heads down the left stairwell, while I head down the right.

Alone in the tunnel, I can smell them, the scents wafting across the arena as I walk to the tunnel leading out. And I'm certain that they can smell me as well. The crowd is roaring excitedly, probably because they're about to see four dragon slayers going at it. It's not something that happens often. And there is a good reason for that.

I breathe slowly, psyching myself up for the fight. _It's Sting and Rogue…but even if it's them, that doesn't mean that I can just lie down and let them win because I don't wanna hurt them. We're doing this for Fairy Tail. And if Sting and Rogue want to stand in the way, then we're going to have to fight our way through them too._

"Alright, let's win this thing and make everybody in Fairy Tail proud." Natsu pops up next to me, his hand on my shoulder. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." I touch our foreheads back together and magic flows around us, connecting our optic nerves to each other's brains. "Constant contact, out loud and in our heads at the same time. We can confuse them like that."

Natsu laughs, before pulling me further down the tunnel. "Then let's get out there and grab our team a win!"

Chapati's voice rings out as the two of us walk out of the tunnel. "And now, at long last, we come to the battle that everybody's been waiting for. One guild was considered the strongest in Fiore seven years ago. And the other currently holds the title. This is going to be a great match. It' Fairy Tail's Natsu and Ciara versus Sabertooth's Sting and Rogue. We're about to witness a showdown of epic proportions. These aren't just any wizards, they're dragon slayers!"

Sting stares at us, a small determined smirk on his face. "I've been lookin' forward to this all my life."

"I bet you have…" My eyes flick between the two of them, focusing in on Rogue. "Sorry that Gajeel isn't here. I know that it's him you were hoping to fight." Rogue just blinks at me, not saying a word.

"This is it, ladies and gentlemen, the dragon slayers are on the battlefield! Now, the only question is who will be triumphant! The Fairies or the Tigers!?"

I hold my hand up and raise my voice. "Before we start, I want to know if the organizers thought to put magical barriers around the stands, just in case of a dangerous fight. Because…" I lower my hand slowly. "You're gonna need them."

The pumpkin backs up a little. "A-are you sure?"

"Yeah." My hand falls by my side. "After all, if Natsu can accidentally demolish a whole port, just imagine what's gonna happen when all four of us get going."

"Uh…right…" He backs up a little and there's a flash that seems to indicate the shields going up. "Everyone's dying to find out who's gonna win this round! No pressure! Remember, you've got thirty minutes! Let the match begin!"

 _Now!_ Natsu and I mentally shout it at the same time as wind dances under our feet and shoots us forward just as Sting and Rogue move to attack first. We beat them to it, Natsu nailing Sting in the face with a moderately powerful punch, while I duck down and slam my shin into Rogue's stomach, hurling him back just as quickly.

I hear a single grunt from him as he flies back, only to hear Natsu's voice in my head, along with a confusing image of white zooming past his face. _Jump!_ I waste no time, jumping ten feet into the air and narrowly missing having a bright white laser beam smash into me.

And thanks to our joined vision, I see Rogue coming at me from behind, through the air, with a punch cloaked in shadows. Spinning around, I catch him by the arm and smirk. "Nice try." And I hurl him over my shoulder, propelling him with the wind and sending him flying across the arena, straight at Natsu. _Here's a present, big brother!_

Natsu gets into position quickly at my warning. Flames shoot from both his hands as he plucks Rogue out of the air and slams him into Sting, sending the both of them flying with those wings that belong to a fire dragon.

"Whoa! I can't believe what's happening right before my eyes! The illustrious Sting and Rogue, the Twin Dragons of Fiore's mightiest guild have been overwhelmed by Fairy Tail!"

The two of them are back on their feet in seconds, and Sting wipes some blood from his mouth as he grins. "Well, you guys are tough, that's for sure."

 _Hey sis, back off for a second._ Natsu takes a step forward, just ahead of me. "Tell me something, did you guys really defeat your dragons with that measly power of yours?"

"We didn't just defeat them." Sting looks so obnoxiously proud of himself. "We killed our dragons with our bare hands."

"But didn't you think of them as your parents too?" Natsu's anger is starting to churn, though all I feel really…is disgust.

"That's none of your business. But if you losers wanna see our dragon slaying power, I'll be happy to show it to ya." Sting's magic power starts to pulse, and then, so does Rogue's, and the two of them are cloaked in light and darkness.

 _Be careful Natsu, they're letting their magic form auras around them. Make sure to defend properly!_

 _Yeah, I know!_ He sinks into a more solid stance, bracing himself. _Time to test these posers out. You with me?_

 _Time to hold back, huh?_ Well, I do have to admit that I'm interested in seeing just how much power they have. And not giving them a chance to attack back isn't going to tell me much. So…I can go along with this for now. _Fine, but make sure to watch them. The more information we have on their habits, the better. Oh, and Natsu…_

 _Yeah?_

 _Kick Sting's ass. I'll take Rogue._

 _Alright, fine._ Natsu raises his hands in front of him just in time to block a strike to his face. One that, if it had hit, would leave Natsu with a very black eye.

Black wisps color my vision, and I strike out in all directions, driving it off, before flipping through the air to get some distance. "Well, someone's gotten a lot faster." The shadow appears behind me again, so I whirl around with a kick, only for it to be intangible.

Then, there's that same feeling just over my shoulder. "Try as you might, you can't catch a shadow."

"Really?" I smirk as wind swirls around me. "Then how about you try and catch the wind?" I take off, my form a blur as I race in a circle around the arena, with the shadow on the ground hot on my heels.

 _Hey sis, watch out! Sting's speed and power go up a ton like this!_

 _No shit, Natsu._ I resist the urge to roll my eyes. _Same thing over here, except Rogue can melt in and out of shadows, and he's as fast as Laxus!_

 _Seriously!? Shit, that's awesome!_

Now, I really do roll my eyes. _That's cause you're not the one he's chasing around the damn arena!_ Speaking of which, I've had about enough of that. So I race up the side of the wall, still going in circles, before kicking off and racing the wind as I turn around and unleash a roar that bounces right off the wall, ripping along the stonework and tossing Rogue out of his shadow form as he goes skidding across the dirt.

But from the looks of it, Natsu is having a few problems over there with Sting. Well, not actual problems, but he's still not cutting loose yet, not even a little. In fact, he's barely at bar fight levels.

So, I race towards him, Rogue quickly pursuing me. "Natsu, now!" _It's tumble time!_

"Yeah!" He leans back, letting Sting's next punch fly over his head, before flipping back on his hands and crouching down as I fly over his head, slamming my foot into Sting's shoulder, giving him the chance to punch Rogue right out of the ground. It took split second timing, but that's not something that the two of us are unfamiliar with.

Sting grunts and gets back on his feet after rolling through the dirt. "Lucky shot."

"Not at all." I stand with my back pressed to Natsu's. "Our optic nerves are wired into each other's brains with magic. Whatever one of us sees, the other can as well. And ever since I can remember, we've been able to speak through telepathy. So what you call a lucky shot is instinct, planning, and good timing on our part."

"Hah, it's still a lucky shot!" He moves in to punch me with a fist full of light, and from Natsu's side, Rogue is mimicking the movement, their timing perfect.

Well, it would be, against anyone else. I lean back, making as though to just try and dodge the blow. Natsu leas back at the same time, only to the other side, leaving the two of us to hook our right legs together as we whirl around, trading opponents again as I kick up into Rogue's chin, sending him flying just as Natsu does the same to Sting. Then, we unhook our legs and smack our hands together behind our backs, pushing off each other as we go after Sting and Rogue.

At least, that was the plan. But that plan goes sideways when I've suddenly got both of them on me, Rogue in front of me, and Sting just behind. And worse yet, it looks like they're both going to hit me at once. That's not going to be fun.

Still, I pick my target and focus magic straight into my feet, both of them, just in case I get the chance to hit Sting too.

"Ciara!" Natsu's voice rings loud in my head and my ears as his warm hands push me aside, and I see a flash of light behind me. In that split second, I bend my hands back and jump, using his shoulders as a level so that I can spin high enough to kick both Twin Dragons in the face with my Wind Dragon Talons.

As the two go flying again, I hear Natsu mentally groan. _Natsu, what's wrong!?_

 _I can't move!_

 _What!?_ I look down, still perched upside down on his shoulders, and I see a blindingly white magic circle on his stomach. _A magic circle!? Is it paralysis!? I have to think fast, or there's no chance. Do you think you could-_

 _Yeah!_ Natsu reads my mind before I even have a chance to say it, and his magic flares, going to work on the magic circle keeping him still.

"It's useless, my White Dragon Claw is infused with holy magic. And anyone branded with the stigmata is paralyzed!" He looks so proud of himself, like there's nothing that could possibly go wrong. "Now, I just have to deal with her, before making you into my new punching bag!"

"Like it'll be that easy!" I hop off Natsu's shoulders, landing lightly on the ground and sliding across the dirt as I head for Sting.

Only for Rogue to cut me off by materializing from a shadow right in front of me. "You should know that a shadow dragon always gets its prey. And you'll never see it coming."

I smirk and whirl around in a flurry of violent gusts of wind. "That may be so, but I smelled you coming." And my leg comes up and around, my hands tearing up the ground and giving him no place to run to as I slam my leg into his side.

He rolls out of the strike and aims a punch at my stomach, probably looking to wind me. But speed isn't just his advantage, it's mine too, and I block to punch, sending it off to the side while I return one of my own, the gusts in the arena getting steadily more violent by the second. His knee slams into my side, forcing me to roll away from the impact of an attack that I didn't see coming until literally the last second.

And through our shared vision, I see Sting take a perfect hit right between the eyes once Natsu burns that paralytic stigmata away. "Looks like it's time to stop pulling so many punches." I pull my hand back and wrap it in a tornado, slamming it straight into the middle of Rogue's chest, throwing him against the opposite wall, right next to Sting.

The two of them don't stay down long, and they both lunge at Natsu. Fortunately, they've lost track of me, giving me the chance to sweep Natsu's legs out from under him. He flips backwards, slamming his palms into the ground and swinging his legs up to clip their chins, giving me an opening to spin between them and send them flying off in opposite directions with a powerful wing attack.

I do have to give them this much, though, they're pretty resilient. Because in seconds, they're on their feet again. And Sting is still grinning. "You guys are pretty awesome alright, no shock there." Magic starts to pulse around him again. "Looks like we'll have to give you everything we got. When we decide to go all out, there's no way fire and wind can stop us!" He's focusing his power all into his right hand. "Here it comes, Natsu."

Natsu moves just a little bit, putting himself between me and Sting. _You keep an eye on the other one, I got this!_

 _You sure!?_ That looks like it'll hurt more than a little if it touches Natsu.

"Yeah…" His voice is merely a whisper on the wind.

"HOLY NOVA!" The ground under us gets ripped up as I swing around, and the light is too bright to really see anything. Nevertheless, Natsu catches the punch with just one bare hand.

Amused, I streak forward, looking for the one patch of darkness among all this light. And I find it. I'm on him in an instant, dragging him out of the shadows and into the light as I flip him over, sending both of us rolling across the ground as I try to get up the speed necessary to hurl him towards Natsu. He glares up at me, both of his ruby eyes glimmering with determination as he tries to overpower me.

I take a deep breath and smile. "So, little lion, what was that about not being able to catch a shadow?" I flip him over and pin him beneath me, using all of my strength to keep him down.

"And what did you say about not being able to catch the wind?" He pushes me off of him, only to get us rolling again.

Once underneath him, I smirk. "It doesn't count if the wind catches you!" I bring my leg between us and kick him into the air, rolling over and crouching on hands and knees as I flip over quickly, kicking him off towards Natsu. I follow as he slams back into Sting, and together, Natsu and I coordinate our kicks perfectly so that we send them flying off in a hurry.

This time, the two of them struggle to get up. And for a second, I worry that we might actually have hurt them badly.

Still, Rogue is the first on his feet, a slightly feral look on his face. "We're not finished yet."

"He's right, it not like we expected this to be easy, ya know." Sting's on his feet next, battered and bruised, but not giving up yet. "Give us some credit."

"Well, like anyone else, if you want credit, you gotta earn it." I stand next to Natsu, my arms crossed. "So, round two?"

"Yeah…somethin' like that." Magic pulses around both of them again, this time much more powerful than it was before. "I'm not gonna lose!" White marks appear all over Sting, similar marks in black appearing on Rogue. "I made a promise to Lector, and I intend to keep it!" They're scales, dragon scales.

My eyes widen at the sight. Then, my blood starts pumping even harder. "Dragon Force, huh? I didn't know that you two could activate that at will." _So…they can do it too, huh? Maybe I should…_ I shake my head. _Nah, bad idea. If I do that, I could end up leveling this place like we did Hades' ship or the Tower of Heaven._

Natsu looks a bit pale, which means that I must have projected my thoughts by accident. _Yeah…let's not do that again. We'll get in even bigger trouble this time._

 _True._ I wasn't thinking about the trouble so much as the sheer destruction, but there's that too.

Sting steps forward, skin covered in white scales. "Hang back, Rogue, I got this. I can handle these two by myself."

"Oh…no you can't." Even Dragon Force isn't all powerful, and if Sting thinks that a power-up like that is all it's going to take to beat us, especially two on one, then he's got another thing coming.

"Careful, hang back and cover me, okay?" Natsu's serious expression surprises me a little. But it just means that he's got some kind of half-baked plan in his head. One that just might end up working. Or not, it's a toss-up.

Sting charges us, so I hope back about fifteen meters, getting well out of range of his and Natsu's fist fight. And now I can see why he wanted me out of the way. _He's…as fast as I am, now._ Which shouldn't be possible, even though Rogue came pretty damn close. _Which means… Rogue must be faster now than my basic wind-powered form. That could be a problem. Maybe…I could just let the lightning out, and that's it? I mean, that's not going to kill anyone, they're pretty tough._

Which also means that Natsu might get his wish for our special move. A Unison Raid that would blow the top off this place, if it had a ceiling.

I don't have much time to contemplate it, because as soon as Sting bowls through Natsu, he comes straight for me. It gives me barely enough time to throw up my wind wings and start a storm right here in the middle of the arena.

He punches at me hard enough the blocking it still drives me back about twenty feet through the dirt and rock. "You and Natsu are goin' down!"

"You sure about that!?" I push back against him, only for him to disappear from in front of me and throw my balance off. Then, I feel a harsh blow to the back that sends me flying head over heels towards Natsu.

He catches me and puts me down on the ground just in time for us both to look up and get showered in a huge column of light. It shatters the ground underneath us and pushes us down through the floor.

 _Natsu!_ I reach out for him blindly, trusting my nose to find him for me.

 _I'm still alive and kickin'!_ He reaches out for me and touches my hand, pulling me towards him, and then pushing me far away. _We can totally pull off our inferno down here, right!?_

 _Right…our Unison Raid._ That's an interesting idea. If we draw the two of them down here, get them to take the bait, then we can ambush them and not risk hurting the civilians. _Then we're gonna have to play dead at some point, lull them into a false sense of security, and then hit them when they least expect it!_

"You can't leave!" Sting's voice calls out above us. "Cause we're not done yet!"

I know that I'm going to have to take a dive, and judging by the speed we're falling at, and the power Sting's got, it's not going to be a fun one. But…I'm pretty sure that I should be able to make it out with just a few bruises. I just hope that I don't end up accidentally breaking a couple of bones.

"Fire Dragon's Sword Horn!" Natsu shoots up off a piece of rubble, slamming into Sting with one hell of a headbutt.

Then, it's my turn. "Wind Dragon's ROAR!" I bounce off the wall, unleashing my roar as Sting falls past me, shooting him down towards the ground. But still, we can't go all out until Rogue gets down here. Because it's best to take them both out at once.

"Holy Ray!" That's all I hear before a flurry of white lights shoot up towards us, bombarding us, and shooting me straight into the side of the chasm.

I hit the wall hard, cracking the rock and concrete, bringing it all down on top of me as I fall, burying me under what feels like ten tons of rubble. _Ugh…not again…_ Whether it was the battle against Phantom Lord, or bringing down Nirvana, it seems like I always end up buried under a mountain of rock.

 _Hey sis, stay down there for a bit. I'll keep him busy for now!_ Natsu's voice cuts out suddenly, which probably means that he and Sting are going at is pretty hard.

Then, it all goes quiet, and I breathe in shallowly, trying not to dislodge the rocks and let them know that I'm still conscious. And Sting's voice cuts through the din. "See that, Lector? I won!"

So he thinks.

The rocks above me shift a little under a new weight. "Change is inevitable, and there's the proof. The old generation battered and beaten at the hands of true dragon slayers. Their era was grand, but now it's come to an end." Rogue…he's so wrong. About us, about dragon slayers.

Because we're both still kicking. And I can hear their voices, even from so far away. Our family is cheering us on. _Do you hear it Natsu?_

 _Yeah, I hear em._ There's a smile in his voice. _Just gimme a minute, he hit me pretty hard._

 _Alright. And I'm done testing them out, you hear me?_ I start shifting carefully, pressing my weight to the ground as I get ready to spring back up.

 _Yeah, I hear ya. It's time to take down Sabertooth._

 _Aye, sir._ I grin to myself, the rocks around me already trembling quietly.

"Good fight, that's the toughest I've ever had. Thanks, I mean it." Sting sounds so sincere. And that alone is enough to make me smile fondly.

"Sting…" Rogue's voice gets quieter, and his aura dies down a bit too, along with Sting's.

"Sorry, I grabbed all the action for myself. But…I did it. I kept my promise." He sounds so proud of himself that it almost hurts to burst his bubble.

"Not so fast, pal!" Natsu's voice echoes through the chamber. Then he laughs. "Hey sis, get up! I'm done testin' em out now!"

"Finally." I blow the rocks off in all directions, wind lashing out like a bunch of whips. "Remind me, whose idea was it to test them out first?"

He stretches out his muscles, groaning a bit. "Hey, you're the one who said that we should look out for their habits and quirks! And you also said that Lightning Flame Dragon mode and Storm Dragon mode were off limits!"

"That's because I don't wanna kill anyone! Besides, I agreed to your request! And that's our strongest move!" Honestly, you'd think that Natsu would shut up and not let them know that we've got even more tricks hidden up our sleeves. At least I'm being semi-covert about it. "Have you forgotten that when we go all out, we bring down towers made of lacrima, giant battleships, and walking cities!? Not to mention all the cities you wreak havoc in!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever!" Natsu waves me off. "Anyway, now, I know all your little quirks. The timing of your attacks, the way you stand when you defend, even the rhythm of your breathing."

"Not to mention your speed and strength, and the rate at which they multiply when you use your various power modes." I lean against the rocks and stare down at them. "Like how Sting has more raw power, but Rogue has superior speed. And while your drives and Dragon Force amplify those, your powers are not the foremost in speed types. Which is weird, because you'd think that the two of you would move at the speed of light, if it were possible."

"That's…impossible." Sting stares at me, before turning back to Natsu, wide-eyed. "I used my Dragon Force! You two shouldn't be able to stand!"

Natsu cracks his shoulder back into place. "Yeah, you're definitely strong. I feel like a train ran over me."

"Keep your composure, he's just bluffing." Rogue seems so sure about that.

"Well, at least you don't feel like you've been riding a train." I hop down and land next to Natsu. "That would have been worse. Now…" We stand back to back, our emblems out on full display. "Let's get the real battle started."

"Yeah!" Natsu lights his fists on fire as my wind swirls violently around us. "Are you gettin' fired up?"

"Oh, you know it." My knuckles crack loudly as I flex my fingers. "We don't have much time left, so let's finish this up, shall we?"

"You insist on continuing to fight?" Rogue's eyes widen. "Why? The powers of the third generation are far superior to yours."

"So you say. But I wonder just how different our interpretations of generations differ…" I watch carefully as their magic pulses one last time, their Dragon Force reactivating.

Sting growls. "Did you forget we have control over Dragon Force!? There's nothing in the world stronger than a dragon! And both of us have that power!" He springs forward, aiming a solid punch at my brother.

Natsu catches it, grinning. "I don't think you're all the way there yet, pal.

All through this fight, something has occurred to me. Sting and Rogue profess to be strong, but maybe…they could be a lot stronger…if they found an inner balance. If they found something to ground them, to push them, then maybe they would fight for something other than self-worth.

Like maybe each other.

"This is the power of a true dragon slayer! It's how I killed Weisslogia!" And there it is, that hint of pain in Sting's voice. And…it's around the name of his dragon. _Did he really kill his dragon in cold blood? Or…_

"Is that so?" Natsu laughs. "Then I should use the same kind of power that I use to fight for my friends you laughed at. The power I've used all these years to protect my little sister!" He smashes his fist into Sting's face once again, throwing him across the pit while I face down Rogue.

Wings of wind spread on my back as I race forward, meeting Rogue in the middle. "And don't you dare think that his protection goes one way, because I'm here to watch his back!" I twist on the spot, wind swirling tightly around me. "Wind Dragon's Wing Attack!"

The resulting swirls slam into Rogue, tossing him a clear fifty feet, only for him to skid to a stop, almost on his knees. And I like the spark in his eyes as he glares defiantly at me. "I'm not giving up now!"

"Oh yeah?" Natsu and I grin together. "Bring it on."

When they rush at us, the tumbling begins once more, and I roll over Natsu's shoulder, kicking Sting in the shoulder and sending him careening off to the side while Natsu pummels Rogue with a flaming fist. And when they come back for another round, fire and wind stream from our hands as we twirl them around, beating the Twin Dragons back with ease. It's fun, and Natsu's enthusiasm is contagious.

Just for the hell of it, as they come racing back in, Natsu grabs me by the elbow, swinging me around in a circle as wind races out from my foot, smacking them both down by using me like a magical bat before shooting me into the air.

That's when they make the mistake of coming into the air after me. And I just grin away at them. "Nice try, but no!" I spin quickly, unleashing a tornado that picks the two of them up and throws them against the sides of the pit.

Landing back down with my hands on Natsu's shoulders, I twist around, blowing a roar in all directions in conjunction with Natsu, nearly blowing the both of them away as well. It's fun, really. There aren't many people who can keep getting up so much that Natsu and I can break out moves like this.

The two of them are battered and bruised, and panting hard from the exertion of trying to make their attacks fast enough to get through our guard. But our defensive offense is basically flawless as the two of us tumble around, blocking punches and kicks, and returning several of our own as we switch partners every couple of seconds.

Finally, the two of them back off, with half-crazed expressions of frustration on their faces. Rogue moves first. "Now Sting!" A huge bubble of shadow magic grows behind him, expanding every second.

"Yeah!" Sting does the same, only his orb is an incredibly bright white in contrast.

And I have a feeling I know exactly what's going on. _Natsu! This is a Unision Raid! Watch out!_

 _It's alright, I can get this no problem._

I pause, not wanting to doubt my brother, but very concerned anyway. _Are you sure? I can throw up a few barriers instead._

 _Yeah, it's cool._ He grins at the charging attack. _Just leave it to me._

The two magics slam together, before shrinking down in an instant and merging together between the two of them. The concentration is incredible as they aim it straight at us, a huge funnel of concentrated magic. "White Shadow Dragon Flash Fang!"

 _Get behind me._ Natsu brings his hands together, fire engulfing them. And as the attack flies towards us, he cuts it right in half with his secret arts.

All of the magic down her dissipates, leaving the four of us still standing, doing nothing but staring at each other for about three excruciatingly long seconds. Then, I move. _Come on, Natsu. They've had the courtesy to show us their combined power, so let's do the same._

 _Yeah._ He holds out his hands, grasping mine as we stand back to back. "The flames of my left hand, and the flames of my right-" His hands light on fire, the flames not burning me in the slightest.

I add the wind that races all around our bodies. "And the twisting wind that soars free through my heart-"

"Put them together, and you get-" Fire and wind race around us, growing faster and hotter every second. "The Blaze Dragon's Firestorm!"

The next ten seconds are nothing but a blur as fire races outward and upwards in an unstoppable wall of wind and fire, engulfing everything in sight, and traveling all the way up out of our little half mile hole in the ground. Anything down here that isn't a dragon slayer gets scorched like a marshmallow left way too long over the fire. Or too long in front of Natsu's mouth.

But still, when the dust settles and clears, Sting and Rogue are on the ground. And high above us, I can hear the muffled announcements.

I sigh, a happy smile on my face. "You know what this means, right Natsu?" He looks at me, blinking bewilderedly. So I grin even wider. "We just took first place."

He digests that for a second, before his gin matches mine. "Yeah! We did it!" He dances for a few seconds, before looking over his shoulder at the two and calming down a little. "Let's do it again sometime!"

I chuckle. "I think I could get on board with that." Then I grab hold of Natsu and let the wind push him upwards. "Now you get going, I'll clean up down here."

"Alright! Seeya later, sis!" He takes the ride I give him, his flame propelling him even higher into the sky, until he reaches the top about a hundred stories up. Well, maybe not a hundred, but still, we're in a really deep hole.

That leaves me down here with the two boys who have finally stopped running their mouths about first and third generation dragon slayers. Now, everything they said…doesn't seem to matter much anymore. Not now that they're face down in the dirt.

Still, I should rectify that. So I approach them and kneel right by their heads, before gently lifting my hands, the wind following the motions and lifting the two of them up, gently flipping the two of them over onto their backs. "Are the two of you suffering very much?" Both of them look up at me, sapphire and ruby eyes gazing dully at me. I sigh and pat their heads, running my fingers through their hair. And as I do that, it feels like what little magic they have left is resonating with mine, particularly Rogue's. "I'm sorry that you got so badly injured. We just…were having so much fun that we kind of let go a little too much."

"You held back." It's a statement, not a question that comes out of Sting's mouth.

I know that it's not very respectful to hold back against an opponent who is fighting their hardest, but… "Yes, we did. Because this was for fun and to prove a point, not a life and death battle. We fight harder if our friends and family are in danger. Like earlier…I could have killed most of your team without really meaning to. And I wouldn't want to risk that happening again, or through other means. So yes, we held back. But only because we didn't ant to seriously hurt anyone. A fight to the knockout is one thing, a fight to the death is another."

"I see…" He grows quiet again, his blue eyes drifting away from me.

"If it makes you feel better, the two of you put up an incredible fight." I smile down at them, still stroking their hair, trying to calm their hearts. "That was the first time we were ever pushed to combine our powers that way. And we don't usually fight in sync like that unless our opponents are really strong and the conditions are just right. And Natsu's right,it would be fun to do this again. Just…without all the rules and expectations. That part's not so fun. Oh, and without ruining the day by condoning torture. That's bad." Sting is silent as that slowly sinks in.

"Why don't you just leave us down here?" Rogue's eyes stare into mine, like he's trying to see into my soul.

"Well…because that would be cruel." I look up, my ears straining as I listen to the audience making their way from the stands. "And it sounds like we're almost alone in here. I'll take you two back up once there's no one around to see." That way, I can at least spare a little of their pride.

The two of them seem to be deeply lost in thought as the last of the audience clears out, and they barely even twitch when the wind lifts them off the ground and up into the air. I accompany them up, taking us at a leisurely pace as we ascend to the surface.

It's long and slow going, since I'm being very careful not to even jolt them, let alone drop them. But once we arrive at the surface, a familiar wizened face and head of pink hair greets me. "Hello Ms. Porlyusica. Would you mind looking after these two for a bit? They're banged up pretty good, and I don't really trust their guild to look after them properly."

"Hm…I see." She looks down critically at them as I gently lay them down on one of the few pieces of intact arena floor."Go on, then, I can take care of these two."

"Thank you, Ms. Porlyusica." I pat their heads one last time before standing up and stepping away. "I'll see you guys later, okay? Just make sure to recover for the last day of the games." After all, tomorrow is for exactly that, recovering before the last day's huge battle round. They're going to need their strength. We all are.

They look up at me,and I could swear that there's there's a slight glimmer hidden deep in their eyes. And as I walk away, that glimmer bothers me. Because that glimmer…was fear.

But still, after that fight, I feel...better, lighter, happier, less angry, and less burdened than I have in a long time. My heart feels free. And it's a funny feeling, because I didn't really feel caged until the feeling went away. _I wonder what that was..._


	108. Secrets

**Wow, I'm so glad that the battle chapter went over so well (and no, that later comment of hers was not shipping Sting and Rogue, it's meant to parallel the relationship she has with Natsu, silly). I held…sort of to the canon timeline of the battle (since certain things still needed to happen). Such as…the bottom of Domus Flau opening up for a sensitive dragon slayer nose.**

 **Now ChaosofTime has more theories. Yeah, little Ciara and little Natsu were inseparable as little kids, so when Natsu got almost annihilated, well…Ciara did not somehow magically survive. The reason she's kicking now does have to do with their telepathy, but the telepathy is more of an accidental side-benefit. The "change" has to do with her Chronic Magic Deficiency Disease. And with the Rogue part…you're close, just not in the way you think. Or rather, not at the time you think.**

 **As for the hint from last chapter (that people really seem to have missed for the most part)…for anyone who has read the manga and seen the anime recently, or remembers well enough to know…tell me, when does "Rogue's shadow" actually speak to him for the first time? Where the heck did that thing come from, anyway? Seems to me that it just popped out of the ground like a gopher. ;)**

 **Now, let's go to Gajeel! Then, it's on to Sabertooth for some not so fun times, and then the graveyard. Long chapter ahead! Lots of canon content, with some extra stuff added early.**

* * *

Gajeel's P.O.V.

Jeez, Salamander and Pinky annoy the crap out of me. They're so high on their victory that they didn't even notice the funky smell down here. But whatever, we've got a day off tomorrow anyway. I can afford to do a little exploring now.

I push aside some rocks, walking deeper under this damn arena through the abandoned mine shafts. You know, full of those little contraptions that look like they'd be sent straight from hell to give us motion sickness. Why am I climbing down a mine shaft? Because something smells down here, and I don't like it. And I know to trust my nose. The further down I go, the stronger the smell gets, and the more my stomach twists up.

When I see the first pile of bones, I freeze. "No way…"

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

While the rest of the bar goes borderline insane, I hang out near the barkeep, getting myself suitably tipsy. And unlike the first night, where he looked rather uncertain about serving us, there's now a smile on his face. "Looks like you guys had a good day today."

"Yeah, we did." I swirl around my drink with a smile. "And just think, once we're all cleared out of here at the end of the week, you'll be getting more business than you can handle."

"Oh? Why's that?" He quirks an eyebrow at me, not seeing what I'm seeing.

I throw back the last of my drink and place the mug back on the table. "Well, just think about it. This is the bar that Fairy Tail threw a party in every night of the Grand Magic Games. Win or lose, this has been our party place at the end of the day. So, when we win…" I smirk at the barkeep. "You can tell everyone in Crocus that your bar hosted the parties for the strongest guild in Fiore while they were here in the capital."

"Well, I suppose that's true." He wipes out a glass with renewed vigor. "I should hang a sign!"

Noise over my shoulder alerts me to Erza breaking up a fight between Natsu and Gray, again. But it's weird…I would have expected Gajeel to get dragged into the fight as well, but he's been out of sight since this afternoon. Seems like he was gone as soon as mine and Natsu's battle ended.

Then, my nose twitches. Well, speak of the devil. I turn towards the door as it opens. "Hey Gajeel, where have you been hiding? The party started hours ago."

"I wasn't hidin', Pinky." He approaches the bar, an unusually stern look on his face. "You and Salamander were so high on your win that you didn't notice the funky smell comin' outta that hole in the middle o' the arena."

"Smell?" _That explains where Gajeel was…_ "So, what did you find?" He must have found something, otherwise he would either have been back much sooner, or still be sniffing it out.

He nods towards the door. "Go get Salamander and the kid. You all need to see this."

"Right." If it's the four of us specifically…then I have a feeling that it's something very particular.

Something to do with dragon slayers.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

The last time we were gathered together like this, it was the day that Yukino was kicked out of Sabertooth. Everyone lines up in rows, the master in front of us with a terrifying look on his face.

Only this time, it's Sting and I at the front of the room, awaiting judgment. We knew that this was going to happen, realizing it not long after we lost. Honestly, I'd rather be back with that grumpy old healer instead of here.

Anything is better than standing here in front of the others in our failure. And I would much rather be back in the arena right now with Ciara's fingers in my hair, instead of here, about to endure the horrors of the next couple of minutes.

I do my best not to flinch when Master opens his mouth. "Well, Sting, Rogue, what should I do with you two?" Sting stays as quiet as I do, an attempt at not enraging Master further. "No answer, huh? I thought you were true dragon slayers? You used to love reminding us, always telling us you're the epitome of strength. Isn't that right? So imagine my surprise when you shamelessly got your asses handed to you by a couple of dragon slayer brats. And then, that bitch took pity on you, when she should have left you laying there in the dirt! What do you have to say for yourselves!?"

I twitch at the way he refers to her. She had no reason to see us with anything but anger, hatred, and disgust after everything that's happened the past few days. But still, she cared enough to help us. Nevertheless, I tuck away my anger, since an outburst will only get us killed. "You spelled it out clearly, we were defeated. The twins were able to subdue us without using the full extent of their powers. They possess strength far beyond what we imagined. I…see no way that we could have defeated them." And it's a bitter pill to swallow, in hindsight. We acted so arrogantly, lording our power over them, and for what? They put us in the dirt almost effortlessly. We thought our teamwork gave us the edge, but theirs was like having one mind in two bodies. It was perfect.

Master gets to his feet and shatters the floor in front of us. "That sounds like the whining of a weakling to me! Is that what I'm hearing!? Well!?" He towers over the two of us, a giant, to put it another way. "I don't recall asking to hear your pitiful excuses, Rogue! And I never asked you to embarrass me like this! You've disgraced our name as the mightiest guild!" There's a flash of light and a surge of magic power, and that's all the warning I get before being thrown against the wall so hard that the impact leaves a crater, and I feel like I've split my skull open. "Worms like you aren't fit to call themselves members of Sabertooth!" I leave a second crater in the wall seconds later. "Get out, I don't want to see your faces here again. Our guild has no room for losers, that's how we remain strong."

"Aw, come on, Master! Sting and Rogue did their best, and isn't that what counts the most?" Lector's little paw is in the air as he sticks up for us. "I know Sting lost, but that's okay! He still gave the fight his all, and I'm proud of him. If you want my opinion,you gotta lose sometimes, or you'd never grow as a person! This defeat gave Sting a chance to learn a lot about himself and his opponent. So why not just let it slide?"

"Who the hell are you?" Master's tone has me reaching for Frosch, instinctively trying to hide him from sight.

"Huh!?" Lector pulls up the back of his vest. "What do you mean, Master? I'm a bonafide member! I've even got the Saber crest to prove it! Don't you…see…?" He titters off as the magic in the room becomes stifling.

"This is a total abomination!" Master's voice is thunder. "Who defiled our guild's sacred crest by placing it on this mangy little creature!?" The thunder becomes a roar as his magic power fills the room, and Lector's echoing scream is all that's left as Sting's cat disappears in a flash of light.

In my arms, Frosch starts to shake and cry. "Lector's gone! Master killed him! Why did he do that!?"

"Frosch…" I wrap him tightly in my arms, shielding him from sight, as well as any attack that might come our way next. No matter what, nothing will happen to him. If nothing else, I will protect Frosch with everything I have.

"It got what it deserved." Master's vice is cold and cruel, not caring that Sting is crying his eyes out across the room. "If you're smart, you'll remove your emblems before you join the fleabag." Sting's cries only grow louder. "Would you stop your damn blubbering!"

"What have you done!? WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE!?" Sting gets to his feet, his sorrow almost tangible.

"Silence! It was just a lousy cat." And that…is Master's last mistake.

Shadows reach out around me, lashing out and wrapping around Frosch and I, just in case we're forced to fight or flee. And Sting…he sets it all off in an instant by punching a hole straight through Master's stomach. I've never seen him display that much raw power before.

Frosch peeks out from behind my sleeve, so I hush him gently. "Stay close to me."

"Mark…my words…Sting." Master struggles to move on the floor. "You will pay, I swear it."

"I doubt that." Minerva emerges from the crowd. "Your reign of terror ends here, Father, and not a moment too soon. And don't worry about your seat, it will be filled by someone worthy." Theres a glint in her eyes that I don't like. "Since he's beaten you, I think Sting should have the honor."

Sting moves to protest, cut off by Jiemma's growling. "Minerva, you insolent witch, how dare you?"

"What's your mantra?" Minerva ignores him smoothly. "Sabertooth has no room for losers. Or is there suddenly an exception to that rule?" I narrow my eyes at her as she turns to Sting. "Look Sting, this is your power. The power of raging emotions! It's the very advantage the twins held over you.

"I-I'm not sure that I understand." Sting's eyes soften in sorrow,his anger draining away.

Minerva smirks. "It seems you were influenced by my father's dogmatic views on power. Friends are unnecessary, strength is everything. But deep down, you're different. Your feelings for Lector are what give you strength."

"His power lies…in his emotions?" It's almost a foreign concept to me, after so many years in Sabertooth. _Then…those two…they were fighting for each other…for their friends. And that's why they were so strong._ It would certainly explain why they kept getting back up, and why their instincts seemed so sharp. _So…if we draw on that too, can we fight harder than they do?_ I can feel it in my gut, that there's truth to that.

"Rejoice, that strength is yours to cultivate however you see fit. You can even surpass Natsu now." Minerva is so focused on Sting's newfound power, that she's forgetting that her own father just annihilated Lector.

More tears course down Sting's cheeks. "I'm sorry…but I don't think I can."

Minerva's sly smile widens. "Don't worry Sting, your Lector is alive and well. It may have looked like my father's magic disintegrated him, but he was just teleported. He may be shaken, but he's safe, nonetheless."

"You mean it, Milady? He's still alive!?" Sting drops to his knees in relief.

A profound sense of relief washes over me as Frosch snuggles against me. "So Lector didn't go bye bye?"

"That's right…" I hold him close, petting his head softly. _Lector is alive…and Sting's going to be okay…_

"Thank you, thank you for keeping him safe,Milady!" Sting wipes his tears, a smile on his face. "You can bring him back, now. Thank you!"

"Don't be naive!" My heart drops into my stomach at Minerva's words. "You'll see your dear Lector again, but only after we've won the Grand Magic Games." _I should have known…_ I hold Frosch a little tighter, fearing that Minerva might decide to use him as a hostage too, if I let him out of my sight for more than a second.

"W-what are you saying, Milady?" New tears course down Sting's cheeks. "Please stop! Bring Lector back now! Why are you doing this to me!?

"You should be thankful I'm not like my father. The Sabertooth guild is destined for greatness, and I won't let our status as the best in Fiore be taken from us!" Minerva's proclamation…it feels like it spells doom and destruction. "Yes, you and Rogue were defeated, however, losing Lector seems to have given you new strength. In that respect, you could say you've been reborn. Surely you can feel the difference. Your sense of loss turned into power. One strong enough to leave my father in a helpless heap on the floor. But if we're to survive, you must show the world your newfound strength. Only then will our guild's reign be secure." Then, she turns away fearlessly. "Oh, and before you get it in your head to blow a hole through me, remember that Lector's life can still come to an end if I will it."

Sting gets to his feet, his voice monotone. "Milady, if I win, you'll return Lector unharmed?"

"That's right, just win the games. Use those feelings to crush our enemies for good." She walks through the crowd, raising her hand into the air. "You are all dismissed."

I keep a tight hold on Frosch as the rest of the guild files out. This was not the outcome I'd expected when we walked in here. And honestly, I think it might be even worse than I was expecting. I expected to get expelled,kicked out onto the street like Yukino. Instead, Lector is a hostage, forcing Sting's hand, and by extension, my own.

Even if Fairy Tail is clearly stronger than us, we can't lose.

Sting and I are the last in the meeting room, and when he looks over at me, his eyes are cold. "We've got no choice. We gotta win, no matter what."

"I know…" I look down at Frosch, who is still trembling and sobbing in my arms. "I'll help you get Lector back. Just help me keep Frosch safe." There's no one I'd trust with Frosch more than Sting.

"Course…" His eyes look so dead, with only a glimmer of hope left in them. "Gotta keep Frosch safe for when Lector gets back."

"Yeah." Well,it's definitely decided. I'm not getting much sleep tonight. And I'm locking our bedroom door up tight. Because like hell is Minerva going to threaten Frosch as well.

And then there's that heaviness that refuses to go away, so familiar, but also...not.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Well, Gajeel is right about the funky smell down under the area. But that still doesn't explain why he insisted on bringing us down here. It also doesn't explain why Gray and Lucy felt the need to tag along on this little dragon slayer adventure.

Finally, after what feels like hours, Gajeel stops us on the edge of an open cave. "This is it." He looks ahead, and what he shows us is…

Dragon bones. Full skeletons belonging to nothing but dragons.

Gray steps back in alarm. "What are those things!?"

"They look like…giant bones." And I can't fault Lucy for not recognizing dragon bones. It seems like dragon slayers are the only ones who've ever seen real live dragons.

"Those aren't just any bones." Natsu grabs hold of my hand. "These are all dragon remains."

"There's gotta be…dozens of them here." I start counting up all of the skulls I see. "Why the hell would there be a dragon…graveyard underneath Domus Flau?" There's no other way to describe the sight before us.

Pantherlily hops a couple of feet ahead, examining the site. "If you ever wanted proof they existed, here it is."

"But what are they doin' here?" Gray finally gets over his initial squeamish reaction and follows along as we start walking through the piles of bones.

Gajeel shrugs. "Who knows."

"Well I sure do." Natsu frowns as we pass by several large ones. "Why would there be piles and piles of them like this?"

"Something bad must have happened here." Lucy's words warm my heart a little. Most humans would think that dead dragons are good dragons. That's not always the case.

"Who knows…maybe we'll find Igneel here." Happy just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. I blame Natsu for that. Though I'm sure Natsu blames me for that too.

Natsu shakes his head. "Nah, he ain't here."

"Yeah, it's only been fourteen years since our dragons vanished." Gajeel's point sounds promising. "These bones have been here a lot longer than that."

"Yeah, plus…" I sniff the air, finding a lot of different scents, just barely here as they waft from the remains of dragons. "I don't smell anything remotely close to Igneel. He had a…almost a spicy charcoal kind of scent. And if we're judging by Gajeel, then his dragon smelled like iron, oil, and old rust."

"Hey!" Gajeel growls at me. "I do not smell like rust!"

"Yes, yes you do. But it's alright, I'm sure that Levy would be willing to oil you up." I smirk over at him from behind Natsu.

"Hey!" I could swear that there's a faint blush on his cheeks. _Interesting…I can totally use that later._

"That might work." Wendy mumbles a bit behind us, drawing all of our attention. "The Milky Way spell, it's one of the secret arts Grandina passed down to me. When I first learned it, I assumed it was some kind of attack, but I just had a thought. What if it's something else entirely? It's possible the spell could allow us to hear the voices of dragons who have passed on."

I raise an eyebrow at the suggestion. "You want to call up the spirits of ancient dead dragons and have a conversation with them?"

She nods. "If we can somehow commune with the spirits of these dragons, then one of them might be able to tell us hat happened here. Then, we might finally be able to find out why our dragons vanished!"

"Well, if you think it'll work, then go for it." I back away from her, giving her room to work her magic.

I lend her a light pen from the large collection of items in my pockets, and she goes to work writing up the complex magic circle used in her dragon-speak spell. "Just as I thought. I got these characters wrong before because I thought they were used for an attack spell. There we go…" She stops drawing the circle and tosses me back the pen. "Now, I need everybody to step away from the circle."

"Alright…" Still, I tense up a little just in case something goes wrong and we need to defend ourselves.

Wendy sits in the middle of the circle, slowly casting her magic spell. "Of wandering spirits of dragons long past, reveal yourself and share your wisdom with me. Milky Way!" The circle glows brightly around her, little stars spreading out in all directions like they're…searching for something.

"Talk to us, Wendy. What's happening!?" Gray glances around uncertainly as the cavern begins to rumble.

Wendy, on the other hand, is perfectly calm. "I'm trying to contact a dragon spirit. But the residual thought energy lingering down here is weak, it's incredibly old, and it's fading." Her face screws up in concentration. "I found one!" And before us forms a vortex, and out of it…comes an enormous dragon.

He roars, scaring the shit out of most of the other, before laughing as I sink down into a defensive stance. "Even in death, scaring the pants off humans is hilarious!" Then, be backs off just a little. "My name is Zirconis. They called me the Jade Dragon back in my day. I'm impressed you were able to conjure my spirit, seems like the handiwork of the Sky Dragon, Grandina. Which one of you was it?" He looks around, spotting Wendy. "Aw…how adorable, so it was this tiny dragon slayer who woke me, eh?"

"Back off, creep! Don't even think of touchin' her!" Natsu goes head to head with this guy…obviously not remembering that this is a spirit, not an actual living dragon. And their argument…is stupid, to say the least.

Lucy sighs next to me. "All these bones and we get the crazy person."

"Dragon." Gray corrects her. "It's a dragon, not a person."

I shoot him a sour look. "Hey, dragons are people too. Or did you forget that half of us here were raised by them?"

"Well then your parents are nuts!" Gray glares up at the giant green dragon.

"Well obviously he's not one of our parents!" I would think that seeing as none of us are called the Jade Dragon Slayer, that would be pretty obvious!

"My name is Zirconis. They called me the Jade Dragon back in my day." The dragon repeats himself, seemingly not remembering that he already told us his name and title. Must be going senile…

Carla interrupts the dragon's monologue. "Can you tell us what happened here?"

Happy cuts in once they have Zirconis' attention. "We were wondering why there are so many dragon bones lying around."

"Learning their fate is the reason we decided to summon you in the first place." Pantherlily sums it all up quite nicely.

Zirconis turns his nose up at us. "I have no interest in talking with you humans."

"Then how about some of us who aren't quite human?" I nudge the ribbons in my hair. "Four of us are dragon slayers. Surely you can make an exception for kin."

"Kin?" He sniffs at me. "Your kind slay mine. Why should I talk to any of you?"

"Maybe because we were raised by dragons?" That's as good a reason as any in my eyes. "Wendy is Grandina's daughter. Gajeel is Metallicana's son. And my brother Natsu and I are the children of Igneel."

"Igneel?" His attention focuses sharply. "The two of you are the children of the Flame Dragon King?"

"King!?" Of course Natsu would latch onto that word. "What the hell are ya talkin' about!?"

"You didn't know?" The huge dragon frowns at us. "He was known far and wide as the king of the fire dragons."

Natsu and I glance at each other uncertainly. _I didn't know…_

 _Well neither did I! Igneel never told us shit about that!_ Natsu seems to be more uppity about it than me, though I have to admit that I'm still rather shocked.

Still, we have to know what's going on. "Okay, so Dad being the kind of the fire dragons aside, could you please tell us what happened here, Zirconis?"

He frowns at us, before leaning down to look at us better. "Let's see…must have been over four hundred years ago. Dragonkind once ruled over every corner of the globe. We soared through the skies, raced over the land, ad swam the great oceans. Everything in the world belonged to dragonkind, including humans. You race was plentiful, and an excellent source of protein. But, there was one dragon who felt our reign was unjust. What a fool. It zealously spread the idea of a world in which we coexisted with humans. And as with any fanatic idea, there were some who fully agreed, and some who opposed it outright. It wasn't long before war broke out. I, myself, fought against the fanatics. Now, true, I'm not fond of your kind, unless properly cooked, medium-rare, of course-"

Natsu snickers. "Didn't your parents tell you not to talk to your food?"

"Hey! Show some respect to the dead!" The dragon looks rather comical as he takes offense to the insinuation. Then, he rumbles and begins again. "Both sides were fairly evenly matched, the fighting was so brutal that entire continents were left barren and scarred. Until finally, the dragons supporting coexistence came up with a plan that doomed us all. They granted humans what would come to be known as Dragon Slaying Magic. And with this new power in hand, mankind joined the war."

"So the first dragon slayers were some kind of ancient warriors?" Happy seems to be trying hard to wrap his head around it all.

"Mm-hm. The dragonslayers' immeasurable power quickly turned the tide of the war. We were so overwhelmed that victory seemed certain for the dragons on the other side. But…no one predicted the travesty that would come to pass." And now, his story really sounds bad. "The dragon slayers became so powerful, they eventually turned on the very dragons that had given them their strength. It was a massacre. There was one man whose power was so terrible, he bathed the countryside in the blood of my kin. The very mention of his name still scares me. This man slew countless dragons and soaked in their blood. He used his power so often that his skin turned to scales, his teeth sharpened into fangs, and he stopped being human altogether."

My blood freezes with fear. _He…used his power so much that he started turning into a…monster?_ That can't possibly be right, Igneel had never told us anything about dragon slayer turning into monsters.

Lucy starts shaking. "Are you saying…that he turned into a dragon?"

"That is the fate of all who practice Dragon Slayer Magic." Zirconis' words feel like a death sentence. "All the bones you see here belong to the victims of that monster. Despite his human origins, he became the king of all dragonkind. And the war that he gave rise to came to be known as the Dragon King Festival. His name was Acnologia. Once a human being, now a dragon cloaked in wings of darkness."

Now that's a name that we know well. _So…then he was one of our kind, and he killed dragon after dragon…bathing in their blood, and turned into a dragon himself? That's…terrible…_

"You're sayin' it used to be human?" Gray's shock is more shocking than the news itself. After all, we've got a dragon telling this to us, not some history book.

Zirconis starts to sparkle and fade. "Most of my race now rots in the ground, thanks to Acnologia. All of this happened in the distant past, thanks to the war led by your father, that damn fire dragon." His form is almost completely gone. "But you and I, ar-" He's gone before he finishes his sentence.

"What happened!?" Natsu growls in frustration.

And Gajeel is no better. "Hey! We weren't done with you yet!"

The magic circle around Wendy fades as well. "I'm sorry, any thought energy he had left is completely gone now. But…I'm sure, wherever he is, he'll finally get some long-needed peace."

He may be getting peace, but… The rest of us definitely aren't. That old bastard just dropped the biggest bombshell ever on us. _We're turning into dragons!? Why!? How!?_

"So we're gonna turn into dragons too!?" Natsu is freaking the hell out, and I can't blame him, I'm freaking out too, just a lot less loudly.

"That's not very likely." A new voice approaches us, one that I don't recognize at all. "I took the liberty of eavesdropping. It appears that our research is in line with historical fact after all." A knight appears on one of the higher ledges. "Tell me, have your heard of the demons of the book of Zeref?"

I glare up at the stranger and scoff. "I'd say so, we've fought and destroyed a couple of them. Lullaby and Deliora."

"Acnologia is similar to them. For it was Zeref himself who turned the dragon slayer into that creature of death. That means, if you wish to conquer the black dragon, you must first find a way to subdue the black wizard, Zeref." And…I'm calling bogus on this guy's information, because we just heard a very different story, and Zeref had nothing to do with it.

Gajeel's suspicious nature is handy in a situation like this. "Who are you?"

"How do we beat Zeref?" Of course Natsu wants to know about the fighting first.

"Yukino!?" Lucy stares at the figure next to the knight. "Is that you!?"

This is all way too fishy for me to swallow. "And…why exactly should we believe you? Zirconis just told us that dragon slayers turn into dragons through overuse of our magic. Zeref never got a mention. And I would think that a dragon knows more about their own magic and history than a human does four hundred years after the fact."

"Why indeed." He and Yukino make the short trip down to where we're standing. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Colonel Arcadios, leader of the Sacred Cherry Blossom Knights, the Crocus garrison force of the Royal Fiore Army."

"And I am Yukino Agria, acting Sergeant in the Cherry Blossom Knights." It seems that she's stepped up from being a simple guild wizard, then.

Gray twitches. "So what business does the military have down here, anyway?"

"I don't get it, you're in the army?" Lucy is just as perplexed as the rest of us at Yukino's seemingly sudden change of allegiance.

Pantherlily catches it too. "But weren't you with the Sabertooth guild just a couple of days ago?"

"Did you join the arm after those guys kicked you out?" I really need to teach Happy some tact one of these days.

Yukino nods slightly. "Yes, in a manner of speaking."

Arcadios cuts her off. "Please allow me to clarify. For the past several years, I have been working on a highly classified project. But its success required the power only a Celestial Wizard can provide. Luckily, Sergeant Yukino is able to lend her assistance in this undertaking."

"Excuse me!" Wendy interrupts politely. "So you specifically needed that type of magic power? To do what though?"

"Get to the point, would ya! I'm runnin' really low on patience. So skip the formal crap and tell us what you're doin' down here!" Natsu is always running low on patience, but at leas he knows how to get to the point, even if we're getting very far away from the question I asked. There's still been no explanation for mentioning Zeref.

"The one and only Natsu Dragneel, it's an honor to make your acquaintance. I applaud your recent victory in battle. Both of you." He glances at me, completely ignoring either of our questions.

Natsu doesn't take that well, stepping right in front of him and getting in Arcadios' face. "I said skip the formal crap and tell me what you're doin'. While you're at it, tell me why the hell you were tryin' to get your hands on a Celestial Wizard." Natsu's face gets downright scary. "And when I ask somebody a question, I expect an answer right away." He's in protective mode because Celestial Wizard means Lucy too.

While the others disapprove, I'm on Natsu's side. "Stop dancing around. You've told us nothing of value so far, and all you've managed to do is hike up my brother's threat level by mentioning Celestial Wizards, seeing as I'm sure you know that we have one of our own." I cross my arms and glare at the knight. "I suggest that you start explaining, or we're out of here. And if you make a move that either of us don't like, you'll regret it."

He turns around and starts walking away. "Follow me, please."

Despite my suspicions, I follow along quickly. After all, if this guy turns out to be a fraud or a danger, I'll be among the first to know it. And I can react quickly to protect the others if I have to. Come on, Natsu, let's go.

Arcadios leads us out of Domus Flau and off to the royal palace. And while his initial explanations surrounding trying to kidnap Lucy in order to fill the Celestial Wizard requirement, and the siphoning of magic power through holding the Grand Magic Games every year make sense, they still make me even more suspicious about just what exactly these people are trying to do.

Everything changes…when he shows us the giant magical gate. He approaches it proudly. "Eclipse, the door that will change the world. Without massive amounts of magic power, it never could have been constructed. When the sun and moon intersect, we will then use the zodiac keys to open this door. What lies beyond it is time itself. It will allow us to travel four hundred years into the past and slay Zeref before he gains the power of immortality. His destruction is our ultimate goal."

"Tell me something." Yukino interrupts our shock at seeing the door. "Is it true that time flows differently in the Celestial World than it does in ours?" And to this, Lucy nods. "We'd like to use the unique dimensional properties their world possesses, therefore to open up this door, we need Celestial Magic."

"Since Celestial Wizards are scare these days, we though we'd have to resort to a substitute source of power." Arcadios makes me feel more uneasy with every word. "But now that we've located the two of you and all twelve zodiac keys, the lan can proceed as it was intended. The time for action is almost upon us. When the sun and moon intersect…this will occur three days from now, on July seventh. We ask for your help, Lucy." And there it is again, the seventh of July. Another damn seven. And we're in a year that's another multiple of seven. I'm really starting to hate the number seven.

 _Go four hundred years into the past in order to kill an innocent person before he becomes immortal and unleashes demons on the world? Trusting that the door will send them precisely where they want to go? And trust that nothing unpleasant will come out on this side of the door?_ "You guys…are insane." I have no words to describe just how insane their plot is.

"The Eclipse." An older voice comes out of nowhere, accompanied by the sounds of a hundred pairs of armored feet. Soldiers. And they've got us surrounded. "It would be wise of you to surrender quietly before things get messy, Colonel Arcadios."

It looks like the knight wasn't expecting this interruption. "Defense Minister Darton, what is the meaning of this!?"

"It's you who should be answering that question. Why are you here? You are aware that revealing state secrets to outsiders is treason." And yet, somehow,I get the feeling that the old man is after a lot more than a traitor.

"You're making a mistake! These people are not outsiders, they are an essential component to the Eclipse project!" And Arcadios is intent on coercing our help. Caught between a rock and a hard place. Especially when they start debating the less than finer points of whether to let this project go through or not.

Natsu stands back to back with me and Lucy. "What the heck are they talkin' about?"

Lucy shakes behind us. "It looks like no everyone's on board with this plan."

"No kidding. I'm not on board with it. These people are nuts if they think that they can just change the future and everything will be okay. A change like that could bring our whole world crashing down." Because if they really do take out someone as powerful as Zeref, it'll rewrite the history of the world, and it might change so much that all of us will cease to exist. After all, for good or ill, Zeref's magic helped to shape our era. Removing that from history…might sign our death sentence.

"Colonel Arcadios!You are under arrest for treason against the Kingdom of Fiore!" And while I have no issue with him being taken in, this Darton guy takes it too far. "And take the Celestial Wizards into custody as well! They are accessories to this crime! Remove the others at once!"

I click my tongue and move back to cover Lucy. "Looks like the kingdom wants to pick a fight with Fairy Tail. Not their brightest move."

Natsu lights his fist on fire in a second. "I'm warnin' you, if you want her, you gotta go through me!"

"No! Stop, you can't use magic here!" Arcadios' warning comes too little too late.

The gate rumbles, then shines, and in seconds, Natsu's magic is drained from his body. "Natsu!" I know from personal experience that having your magic drained like that is enough to almost kill someone. Sometimes, it's enough to finish the job.

"Oh, did the colonel not inform you?" Darton's tone is almost…condescending, and I don't like it. "The games are just a way of stealing magic power to feed the Eclipse. It is an extremely effective tool, in fact, if a wizard were to activate a spell this close to the device, the Eclipse would completely drain all their magic power."

Natsu falls over, and I catch him while two guards grab hold of Lucy. "Natsu! Dammit!" I take his pulse, some of my anxiety disappearing when I feel it. It's weak, but there. And as long as it's there, he'll be okay. He's strong.

"I hope you won't cause any more trouble." He signals the guards to surround us closely. "After all, a wizard incapable of using magic is hardly a threat to a group of royal soldiers."

Just like that, the bastards kidnap Lucy and force us out of the palace while they take her and Yukino away. And worst of all, they've knocked my big brother out of commission and damn near killed him with their evil time portal.

Gajeel glares at the old man. "You bastards." Aptly put, in my opinion.

The old man faces away from us. "Please, you must understand that my intention was never to harm anyone. But there is simply too much at stake." This man's words are as false as he is. "However, I can offer you something of an olive branch for your trouble. I'll have you know that his majesty is extremely fond of the Fairy Tail guild. If you can manage to claim victory in the Grand Magic Games, I shall grant you a private audience with him. The king is a rather kind-hearted man. Who knows, he may even be persuaded to pardon your comrade." Empty, useless words the lot of them. "I wish you the best of luck."

Still, I glare at them with righteous fury. "And I wish you the best of luck as well." He turns, and my glare becomes harsh and scathing. "Because you have made an enemy of Fairy Tail today. And if anything happens to Lucy while she is under your care, then as the villains who kidnapped her and attacked our family, you may just not live to regret that mistake." They disappear from view as wind swirls around us, lifting us into the air and far away from that damn prison they call a palace.

That right there was no empty threat. Eclipse or no Eclipse, if they hurt Lucy, they'll have a hurricane over their heads to contend with. One that will raze the palace to the ground.


	109. The 'Grand Magic Game' Begins

**My Author's Notes are starting to get really long nowadays.**

 **Wow that's a heavy theory. And very elaborate. So much so that it makes me feel kind of bad to shoot it down. No, Ciara and Natsu do not each have half a brain, and reviving her didn't involve quite so…complicated a process. As I had Porlyusica say very early on, there's something INSIDE her that's draining her magic, something foreign (so an inside AND outside source simultaneously). That said, I'm enjoying your theories, even if some of them are way off. Not only because it shows that you're thinking hard about how my brain works, but because it shows me how crazy your brain is too (because to be fair, we need a certain level of crazy in order to come up with this stuff). It amazes me that this is what you come up with from a slowly building base of details.**

 **But…sorry, its nothing that complicated. I look forward to your next theory. And I will give you this tidbit, since one thing you said was headed in the right direction. She was dead longer. That much is true. Though you have given me an idea for this whole issue later and how I can tie it in to the dragonification process. Because, let's face it,if she turns completely into a dragon, she's kind of screwed.**

 **If anyone else wants to throw out theories, feel free. I doubt there's only one person with them.**

 **Alright, so for those wondering, no, I'm not going to be covering what's happening with the rescue team. I will reference what's going on in passing through Ciara and Natsu's telepathic connection, and the emotions that bleed through. But for the most part, Natsu might as well be on another planet during the Grand Magic Game over the next two or three chapters.**

 **I'll also be switching up a few encounters for comedic effect. Well, once we get through the heavy stuff. So, let's start with the heavy stuff.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I'm seething as we give our report of events to Gramps. In fact, I'm so pissed off that I have to let Gray do the talking, otherwise I'd be liable to lose my temper. Which leaves me to tend to Natsu.

I remember that when I was a kid, he'd share his body heat with me when I was sick, and by extension, his magic. So, I apply the same principle here, and I try opening the telepathic channel despite his unconscious state, and pour magic through our connection. Regenerating magic from almost zero is more difficult than doing it from low levels. Magic multiplies, and if I can jump start Natsu, then he should be able to spend tomorrow recovering, instead of a whole week.

And while the others are a mix of surprised and outraged by Lucy's kidnapping,Gramps manages to keep his cool, for the most part. "To think that she would be involved in some sort of top secret plot is utterly ridiculous."

"Let me get this straight. We take the top spot, we can ask for her back, but that's only if his highness allows it?" Laxus spits the words out distastefully.

Gray agrees. "Personally, I have a hard time believing anything that old guy told us.

Natsu wakes up in a hurry. "Are we just supposed to put up with this crap from those jerks! Untie me and I'll go up and get her right now!" And from the looks of it, he was able to follow the conversation, even while unconscious. He can be pretty surprising at times. Stupid, at others, but we're used to that.

"Natsu, cool it." I bonk him lightly on the head. "I already threatened to level the castle if they hurt her. So stay put for now and recover your strength. You can stage a rescue mission later."

I can see the sweatdrop growing on Laxus's forehead. "You really need to stop threatening to mow buildings to the ground with those storms of yours. One of these days, you're actually going to do it."

"Well, it's not like they don't deserve it." I click my tongue and fiddle with the ropes binding Natsu to a pole. "So, what are we doing now? Are we doing this the legal way? Or are we going to send the kingdom a message that screwing with Fairy Tail is a very bad decision?"

Gramps hums for a moment. "We can't afford to take reckless action against the kingdom. And they surely wouldn't want word to spread that they mistreat innocent civilians. But I suppose we should consider her a hostage until this Eclipse project of theirs is called off."

And that doesn't sit well with any of us, especially Gajeel. "I don't get it. If all of us know about this big secret they're tryin' to hide, why'd they let us walk away free?"

Natsu growls. "You expect them to make any kind of sense?"

"Well, we already know that both sides to their little inner conflict are insane. So no, they're not going to make any sense on principle." At least, that's how I see it.

We debate about it for a couple of minutes, before Mira cuts in. "Well, actually, you're all on the first place team in the games, high profile. It would be pretty suspicious if you all just didn't show up for the final match."

It's certainly an idea, and it prompts another round of discussion that's quickly cut short by Natsu bursting free from the restraints. "We need to quit flappin' our gums and do somethin'!"

"Simmer down!" Gramps promptly flattens him with a giant fist. "A member of our family has been taken against her will. Believe me, we all want justice right now." And now, comes the announcement. "That being said, we can't just charge headlong into conflict like we usually do, it's too risky. However, we are not cowards, and we will not let them get away with this! We are Fairy Tail!"

Now that's what I wanted to hear. "Natsu, come here."

He blinks, before lifting Gramps' fist off his back effortlessly. "What is it?"

I press our foreheads together and close my eyes. Y _ou wanna go save Lucy, right?_

 _Of course I do!_ A predictable reaction from my loyal and hot-headed big brother.

I nod. _Alright. But if you're busy rescuing Lucy, you might miss the final round of the games. That palace is huge. Who knows how long it might take you to get in, grab her, and get out. Plus, you'll have Eclipse and the army in your way._

 _Who cares about the games!?_ _Lucy is in trouble!_ Natsu has an adorably one track mind sometimes. I really do need to lock these two in a room together eventually.

I smile. _I know, which is why…we should split up._

Natsu goes quiet for a minute, and I know that his brain is going over all of that in a million different ways. _You wanna stay and try to get the audience while I break in and rescue her?_

 _I think that's the best way to do it. Then, we don't lose too much power in our lineup, and we can have a backup plan as well._ Honestly, that's the only way I see us getting Lucy back, because I definitely don't trust that minister guy. _I'll take over the team, and I'll make sure that we win. So don't worry about us, and focus on Lucy, okay?_

"Right!" Natsu grins at me as we end our secret planning session.

Gramps eyes us warily. "And just what kind of convoluted plan have the two of you come up with?"

I smile at Gramps. "One that has the highest chance of success." My gaze turns on Gray in an instant. "Be ready for the final round, you're replacing Natsu in the final line-up."

"Wait, I'm what!?" He looks rather poleaxed by the announcement. "What do you mean I'm replacing Natsu?"

I ignore him and gesture to Natsu. "Alright, you should pick a couple of people to go with you. You'll need someone to watch your back if you're going to get into the castle."

"Yeah…" Natsu looks around at the wizards gathered in the bar. "I want Wendy and Mira, Happy, Carla, and Lily."

"That works." I can definitely approve of those choices.

Gramps catches on to what we're planning. "You plan to launch a rescue mission while the games are going on?"

I blink at the suggestion. "Well, I hadn't thought about timing it like that, but that works."

"I can totally use you as a distraction!" Natsu grins at the prospect. "The royal army isn't gonna know what hit em!"

Laxus smirks at the two of us. "Looks like someone's already got a plan."

"Such impatience…" Gramps sighs. "Well, I confess that I was thinking along those lines as well. Very well, Natsu, you and the others will go to the palace and work to retrieve Lucy while the final round is in progress. And Ciara…" He looks sternly at me. "I trust that you will provide the distraction Natsu needs by winning the games?"

"Yeah." I grin eagerly. "We'll definitely win the games. And I already have a few ideas on how. My telepathy to keep us coordinated for starters, and-"

"I think I can help with putting together a plan." Mavis pops out of thin air, her little fairy wing ornaments twitching like they're alive.

While I doubt that the others will know just how much help shell be, I remember a lot from during those three months of training. "Of course, we'd be glad to have your help."

"Then follow me!" She hops off the bar and moves towards a back room, something that has been set aside just in case patrons of the bar need to have a private meeting.

One by one, we all sit down, and Mavis smiles widely at us. "We'll call it Operation: Fairy Stars."

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

Tomorrow is the final day of the Grand Magic Games, and we're a point away from first place. But there's never been so much pressure on us to perform. Not only do we have to overtake Fairy Tail tomorrow, but if we fail, Minerva is going to kill Lector.

We're rid of one dictator, only to have him replaced with another.

Sting lies silently on his bed a few feet away, as awake as I am. I can't blame him, if it were Frosch instead of Lector, I wouldn't be able to sleep either. I don't know if I'd even be able to function if I lost Frosch.

I don't want to even think about it, either. Because thinking about it brings very dark thoughts to mind.

 _Rogue…_

I sit up, looking around for the source of the whisper. I could swear that someone said my name. "Who is it?"

Sting rolls over, glaring at me slightly. "What is it, Rogue?"

I swallow down a pang of anxiety. "I thought…I heard someone say my name."

"No one said your name." He rolls back over, his back turned to me. "Go to sleep. The last round is tomorrow. We're gonna need our strength."

"Yeah…" He's right. Still…I can't shake this heavy feeling. I feel like…something's watching me.

I hug Frosch tighter to my chest, closing my eyes to try and sleep through the long wait.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

We stand once more in the tunnel leading out to the arena floor, which has been repaired since our little…incident during the fight against Sting and Rogue. Though I do have to wonder how they managed to get that much damage fixed so quickly.

Probably magic.

Fireworks go off outside, and Chapati yells over the sound of them with his magical microphone. "This is what we have all been waiting for, folks! It has been an exciting week! There have been exciting matches and incredible moments we will never forget! But today, one guild will be crowned number one in Fiore, and the winner of the Grand Magic Games!"

"Looks like it's just about time…" I glance out into the light and smile. _Can you all hear me?_

 _Loud and clear._ Gajeel is frighteningly good at sounding out a smirk. I've gotta get him to teach me how to do that one of these days.

 _Yeah, I can hear ya._ Gray's mental voice is accompanied by a grin shot my way.

Erza nods. _Yes, we should have no trouble communicating this way._

 _As long as we don't all drive each other crazy, you mean._ Laxus scoffs loudly. "All that matters is that you're able to keep track of who we've taken down and how quickly. If all goes according to the First Master's plan, we'll be the only team left standing when it's time to take on Sting."

"I know." I take a deep breath and push myself away from the wall. "You'll all probably be pretty injured by that point. I get all the easy targets until I meet up with Gray, so I'll be in the best shape when we fight Sting. So just leave it to me…"

"Hey, we're gonna be there to help you, remember that." Gray puts a hand on my shoulder. "No matter how much they bruise us up, we're not giving up, got that?"

"Yeah." The faith bolsters my own. "So, it doesn't really matter who we pick as our five point captain, so who wants it?" When all four of them stare at me, I groan. "Seriously? You wanna paint the target on me? You're evil…"

Laxus shrugs. "You and the First Master are the ones runnin' this show."

Erza pats my shoulder. "According to the plan, you are the one who will face the easiest opponents at first. It only makes sense to reduce the risks like this."

Well, I guess if they put it that way… "Okay, fine. But all of you have to stay safe out there. We're not losing anyone today, got it?" I'm met with a quiet, but fierce determination as the light in our tunnel blinks. "Looks like it's show time. Let's go."

As we walk to the edge of the tunnel, Chapati's voice filters down to us. "And now, in first place! The guild that is making a historic comeback after literally falling off the map seven years ago! Let's welcome Fairy Tail!"

We walk out to thunderous cheers, definitely different from the greeting we got on the first day. We're now the crowd favorites, and for good reason. We're definitely going to put on a hell of a show for them. And while we distract them, Natsu's team is going to rescue Lucy.

"What's this!?" Chapati sounds confused. "Oh my, it looks like we have a roster change! Natsu Dragneel of Fairy Tail is nowhere to be seen! After the impressive showing in the last round, what could be the reason for removing him from the team!?"

There's shocked faces everywhere, so I wave up to Yajima and Chapati in the commentators' box. "Sorry about that! We had a bit of a wild party yesterday, and Natsu thought it was the greatest idea ever to invent something we like to call…barrel surfing." I shrug guiltily. "Turns out that barrels are vehicles! He's been hurling since last night." I laugh and shake my head, making up a story that I know is realistic, in terms of Natsu anyway. "Alcohol and motion sickness don't mix very well."

"I…see." Chapati eyes me bemusedly. "Well, I hope that he feels better soon."

I make a show of rolling my eyes. "Yeah, don't worry, he'll probably be burning down the bar by the time we're done with today. We've got ourselves a powerful line-up, so I promise that you won't be disappointed by the show!"

"Well, if you say we're in for a show, then we're all set to go. It's been an exciting week, but we're finally at the last day of the games. Let's take a look at the current standings!" Chapati transitions smoothly into the next segment. "In sixth place is the newly dubbed Quatro Puppy with fifteen points! In fifth place is Blue Pegasus with thirty points! Next on the roster, the two teams currently tied for third place, Lamia Scale and Mermaid Hell, both with forty points! In second place, with forty-four points, the reigning champions, Sabertooth! And in first place, with forty-five points, give it up for Fairy Tail!"

 _Natsu…_ I know that he's strong, but still, I worry about him. He's leading a covert mission, and he's not exactly the sneakiest of people. Knowing that, I raise my hand into the air, index finger and thumb pointed to the sky. _Good luck, Natsu. And know that whatever happens, I'm with you._

Natsu's presence surges faintly through the connection. _I'm with ya too, sis. And I'm looking your way._

 _Yeah…_ I look around to see Erza and gray holding up their hands, and even Laxus and Gajeel are sucking it up and throwing hands in the air. Not to mention the rest of our guild in the stands.

"We'll win this for sure." Erza speaks low and calmly. "Fairy Tail will be whole again soon."

"Alright, guild mates! Show us your skill! Your magic!And the bonds that tie you together!" ell, if there's anything Fairy Tail is good at, it's that. "This is it! The last round of the Grand Magic Games will feature a full-team survival game!"

"Strap in, pumpkins, cause there's a special arena for our final fight!" Great, the pumpkin is in the commentating box too. "The entire city of Crocus itself!"

A magic circle appears under us, clearly designed to teleport us away from Domus Flau. _Right…because letting us loose in a city full of people is a good idea._ I don't think that they thought this game through very much. They should know full well that putting us in a city and expecting us to fight full on battles is going to level buildings.

We appear in a courtyard with a large fountain in it, a perfect place for waiting to implement the first stage of the plan. And Erza inspects the area quickly. "Listen, we have to win this, just in case the rescue plan fails. Lucy is counting on all of us."

"She's not the only reason we're fightin'." Gajeel makes a good point there.

"Gajeel's right. We're winnin' this thing for all of our friends in Fairy Tail." Gray looks so determined that I'm surprised he hasn't started stripping yet.

Laxus smirks. "It's the very least we can do to thank em. After seven years of heartache, they deserve nothing short of victory."

"Which means that we leave things to Natsu for now, and stick to the strategy that we worked out last night." I walk over to stand by the fountain. "We'll win this for Fairy Tail, and leave everyone else in the dust!"

Now, all we have to do is wait. And that is precisely what we do as we line up, close our eyes, and stand perfectly still, waiting for the precise moment at which our plan will commence. It will be on the word of our guild's First Master, Mavis Vermilion, the Fairy Tactician.

Though it's definitely amusing to think of how shocked people must be by our may be far from the arena, but they're probably yelling at us to get a move on. Oh, we'll get a move on, but only when it suits us, and only when it's time for us to dominate the other teams.

 _So…the leaders of the other teams are probably going to be Jura for Lamia Scale, Bacchus for Quatro Cerberus, Ichiya for Blue Pegasus, and Kagura for Mermaid Heel. They're the strongest in their respective guilds, so they make the most sense. For Sabertooth…I doubt that Minerva would allow anyone other than her to be the leader._

By now, Jura, Lyon, and Millianna will be taking out Quatro Cerberus, and Sting will take out Bacchus to kick their team out of the final round. Kagura will show up to take out Yuka and Toby, while Sting gets the hell out of there. He's not stupid enough to try fighting her one on one right off the bat. I did my best to memorize who would take out who and where when Mavis told us all of her predictions.

Then, her tiny voice comes through my telepathy. _Operation: Fairy Stars, begin!_

I raise my hand into the air as our eyes flash open. "Team Fairy Tail, it's time to move! Split up and find your targets!" I drop my hand quickly as the five of us spring into action.

While the other four take to racing across the ground, I take to the rooftops, jumping from one to the next as I wait for Rufus to pull out that Night of Shooting Stars spell. At ninety-seven percent odds that he'll do it, I'm ready to take that head on. So, I stop and give him a prime target.

The sky lights up with five surges of magical energy, one of them heading straight for me. Laxus will put up a guard to take the lightning attack and drive it into the ground, the other three will dodge it, and me…in a demonstration and application of psychological warfare…

 _Alright everyone! Take action now!_ The lightning based attack zooms towards me, and I grin as I open my mouth, my voice ringing across the city. "Never underestimate a dragon slayer's appetite!"

The lightning attack gets sucked right into my mouth, and scarfed down like a plate of Mira's homemade pasta. It's thanks to Laxus that I can eat it now without puking my guts out. His power settled inside me during those three months of training. Which means that Rufus' attack…has been made into a snack. "Thanks for the food!"

Hopefully that psychs him out enough to give Gray the edge he needs to beat that pompous twit. And Erza should be running into Jenny right about now, while Gajeel makes a beeline for Rogue, and Gray head towards Rufus' location in the library. After all, for a memory wizard, a library is his safe haven, it's where he'll go to collect himself.

It's time for me to start giving directions according to our plan. _Gray! Head to the west, the library is in that direction! Erza, you need to head south so you can run into Minerva. Gajeel, Rogue should be near the courtyard of the Merchant Guilds' Association headquarters! That's off to the north! Laxus, head east into the residential district near the small clock tower._

 _Which leaves me…_ "Hello boys." Smirking at three very familiar faces. Hibiki, Ren, and Eve. "Looks like I found you right on schedule."

"What!?" Hibiki stares at me, astonished by my sudden appearance. "This city is enormous! How did you find us so quickly!?"

"I found you because I knew you'd be here. And even if I didn't…" I tap my nose. "Never underestimate a dragon slayer's nose." Then, a shock comes through the connection, and I smile. _It looks like Gray has found Rufus right on schedule as well. Good luck, Gray._

 _Thanks._ His voice cuts out, leaving only the Trimens in my most immediate awareness. Hibiki takes a step back. "Ren, Eve!"

"Too late." I raise up my hands, surrounding the four of us in a whirlwind. "You're in my domain now, and if you don't give up, then I won't play nice." As soon as Ren and Eve move to cast their spells, I'm on top of them, knocking each of them to one side almost before they can blink. "Too slow." And my Wind Dragon's Wings put them on the ground and out of commission in an instant. Hibiki tries to run, but I grab him by the arm and whirl him around, dispelling the whirlwind as I pin him up against the side of a building. "Too bad you're not a combat type, Hibiki, because there's nowhere for you to run or hide. So would you surrender for me?" I smile sweetly at him. "Pretty please?"

He gulps, panic in his eyes. "Yeah…yeah! Okay, I surrender!"

"Good." I release him and take a step back. "Fairy Tail is going to win the games. Just thought you should know."

Hibiki smiles wryly. "With all of you back in the action, I can see why."

"Yeah…" I turn away from Hibiki and wave goodbye. "Alright, now I've got a Sky God Slayer to run into, an ice wizard to double team, and then a fellow dragon slayer to take down."

"Wait!" Hibiki grabs my arm. "How do you know all that? Do you have someone who can out-calculate my Archive?"

"Yes, we do, and it's what gives me the confidence that we'll win." Not that I can actually tell him that our long dead First Master is the one moving us from afar. "After the games, why don't we all go out and party together to celebrate the good fights we've had? There'll be plenty of alcohol to go around, I promise." Because if there's anything Fairy Tail is good for, it's getting hold of alcohol at any time of the day.

I leave Hibiki behind, feeling a cheer of victory in my head only a few minutes later as I run through the city. And I know full well what that cheer means. _Looks like Gray won. And by now…Kagura and Millianna are the only ones left of Mermaid Hell, there's still Jura, Lyon, and Chelia to deal with, Ichiya should be getting smashed by Jura right about now which takes Blue Pegasus out of the equation, which leaves…Minerva, Sting, Rogue, and Orga for Sabertooth._

Preferably, I would have Jura take out Orga, and then Laxus take out Jura, but if something happens and Laxus can't do it, well…then it's the same thing as if it turns out that Erza can't take out Minerva. All the stops will have to come out.

I just hope it doesn't come to that. But if it means winning the games and rescuing Lucy, then I'll do what I have to.


	110. Onward Towards Victory

**Hello Chaos. You're getting warmer with the body link. Not quite there yet, but you're definitely out of the freezer and into the fridge (maybe out onto the counter). Still off, but definitely getting closer. Not quite into the hot water tank yet.**

 **Alright, since it's about time I get more explicit in certain details, I'm going to do a segment of Rogue and Gajeel's fight from both Rogue and Gajeel's P.O.V. This is a point I've been building up to and holding on to for a while, and I hope it comes across well. Remember that I mentioned the resonating magic at the end of their tag team fight? Yeah, keep that in mind this chapter, along with Nirvana, Ciara's dark side, Rogue's shadow magic, and whatever you know about the next arc.**

 **I will wait for the "Ohhhhhh…" moment.**

 **Also, Ciara and Gray double team. I hope you all enjoy that part (and please try not to read into it wrong, it's all about letting go, not them hooking back up again later, which is NOT happening).**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Natsu must have run into some complications, because I can sense his magic flaring from across the city. _You couldn't get through one rescue mission without getting into a battle, huh…? Typical._ I just hope that he doesn't send the whole palace up while trying to escape.

If he does, there'll be nothing left for me to destroy.

My nose twitches as I head towards where Mavis told me I'd meet Chelia. And from there, Lyon and Gray will come upon our battle, allowing for me and Gray to take both of them out at once. For now, I just have to buy a little time. After all, we're trying to provide a distraction, and Natsu isn't done with his mission yet.

One more twitch as a tiny voice echoes behind me. "Sky God's Boreas!"

"Wind Dragon's Shining Claws!" With a flick of my wrist, blades of wind tear the coming whirlwind to shreds, dispersing the black wind. I smile at the tiny form before me. "Hello there, Chelia."

"Hi!" She lands behind me as I turn to face her. "Wow, you're really strong! You tore my attack apart!"

"Well, I think there's something to be said for experience." After all, I know for a fact that even with the seven year stasis, I'm still older than her.

 _Ciara! Come in!_

Erza's voice stops me in my tracks, my calm starting to break a little. _What's going on, Erza!?_

 _It's Kagura! She appeared where I am to meet Minerva!_

That means that Mavis' calculations were wrong. _Can you take on Kagura by yourself? Or should I lead Chelia to where you are so that we can fight back to back!?_ It would mean leaving Gray to deal with Lyon alone, but…

 _No, I can fight Kagura. Gray will need you after having fought Rufus._ She's got a point there.

I dodge a couple of close strikes by Chelia. _Alright, but if I see Minerva, I'll take a shot at her. If she's not where she's supposed to be, then she could be anywhere._

 _Very well. In that case-_ She cuts out for a couple of seconds. _That won't be necessary…Minerva has shown herself here._

 _A three way battle?_ That definitely wasn't in the battle plan. But…actually, it might work out better that way. Erza can knock off two opponents at once. _Alright, do what you have to. I'll take care of things over on my end._

 _Understood._ Erza's voice quiets, but her magic, along with two others, surges dramatically. They must be getting serious. This is where the real battle begins. And the resulting explosion just proves why we shouldn't be allowed to fight in the city.

Laxus chuckles through our connections. _Sounds like Erza's getting all worked up._

 _No joke, Titania's going insane over there. Count me out of that cat fight._ Gajeel's decision to bow out of whatever's going on over there is a smart one. _Oh, and I just found myself a dragon brat._

 _And it looks like I've got the Lightning God Slayer to dance with. See you all later._ Laxus' line dims as his focus goes into staring down Orga. And soon enough, I'm guessing Jura will find the two of them, and we'll have another three way on our hands. Not to mention that it's Gajeel's turn to take down Rogue.

I just hope nothing happens to them.

"Stop ignoring me!" Chelia nearly lands a hit to my face, only for my reflexes to move faster than my brain. There's definitely something to be said for having sharp instincts.

I grab her by the arm and swing her over my head, tossing her away in a flash. "Sorry about that, I was busy talking to the boys." But, since it would be rude to leave her hanging, I let the wind swirl around me in violent gusts, a grin on my face. "If you wanna dance, then let's dance."

She hurls a breath attack at me, which I dodge by jumping straight up into the air. Though I do wince slightly as I see the three buildings that it blasts apart. _Jeez…I'm so glad that we're not paying for the repairs. It'll be enough to bankrupt every guild in the country._

"Take me seriously!" She hurls wind blades at me next, which I dance and dodge my way through.

I counter her attack with my own wind magic, meeting the second attack halfway and creating a giant whirlwind between us. "Trust me, you don't want me to get serious. I'll fight and have some fun, but I refuse to fight a duel with you." That would end badly, no matter how I look at it. "Besides, these are supposed to be games, right? So let's forget about harsh fighting and just have some fun." She's like Wendy, so that should help with the whole buying time plan. "So…" I hold up a hand with shining wind blades around it. "Let's see what you've really got."

She does the same, her annoyed look softening into an eager smile. "Well, come on, then!"

* * *

Gajeel's P.O.V.

 _Not as strong as Salamander and Pinky?_ This brat is gonna learn the hard way that I'm every bit as powerful as those two. And that's why he's on the ground, not me. "Oh man, my ears must be playin' tricks on me. Coulda' sworn you said I'm not as strong as Natsu."

There's something weird going on. I can smell it. This kid…something's changed.I don't like it. It's like there's something…dark clinging to him, and it's not just those shadows of his.

What's really weird is that the kid starts laughing. "What's funny?" He's really getting on my nerves.

"I always wondered why you decided to join Fairy Tail." Well, that's random. "It's taken me a while, but I think I finally figured it out.

"Oh yeah?" _This should be good._ "Let's hear it."

"You've probably forgotten all about it by now…and I don't blame you, because it was such a long time ago." He looks weird, sitting down there on the floor. "I was just a kid back then, a snot-nosed punk who looked up to your guild, Phantom Lord. As a kid, my biggest dream in life was to become a member of that guild when I grew up." Wait…I think I knew a kid back then… "Unfortunately, I never got the chance. They were forced to disband when they challenged Fairy Tail and lost. And of all the guilds you could have joined, you chose the most despicable. You joined Fairy Tail. I was absolutely heart-broken. I couldn't believe you picked the scoundrels who destroyed Phantom Lord."

Jeez, the kid can yap. If it were the old me, I'd pound his face in before he got five words out. But I remember…I remember being at this point too, when the old man came to find me sitting in a trash heap. He gave me a chance, so I'll let the kid get his issues out.

"I was…confused. Deep down, I knew there had to be a reason, but I couldn't figure it out for the life of me. That is…until now." It's the first time he's smiled this whole week, as far as I remember, sullen kid.. "You wanted friends, didn't you?" Well, no, I went there for work, getting all chummy with the rest of the guild just kinda happened. "Such a notion of friendship doesn't exist in Sabertooth. We were nothing but our master's foot soldiers, forced to follow his orders or else…if we were defeated, he'd make us pay. I don't really know what it's like to be in a guild…because I don't have friends. I'm so lost, I have no idea what I've been fighting for all this time. I've realized that friendship is what makes your guild so powerful. That's why we never measured up. The only exceptions are Milady, who's unbelievably strong, and Sting, whose true power awoke for Lector's sake."

 _Ugh…this kid._ "Dumbass. That's the biggest load of bull I've ever heard." After all, even I've got a kitty cat of my own. "Sure looks like you've got a friend to me. That frog."

"Frog?" He blinks. Then, he's on his feet and in my face. "Frosch is a cat, you idiot!"

"Well, if you wanna get technical, he's an Exceed. Ain't he?" Geez, this kid really needs to lighten up. He's as uptight as I used to be. Or maybe Laxus, talk about a guy with a pole shoved up his ass. Then again, he's fun to mess with.

That little smile returns to his face. "You know…you're right. Frosch is my friend. Thanks for reminding me of that."

Well, that sure clears a few things up. And it looks like this fight is just about over. "No wonder Pinky's been agonizing over you two. Looks like you're not as much of a prick as you pretend to be." And that's saying something, cause I've been there, done that, and got my ass handed to me by Salamander. Laxus too. Seems like getting smacked down by the flaming freak is the best cure for that.

"Pinky?" He blinks a few times, before that pale face of his darkens. "Ah…you mean her…"

"Who else? I swear, she spent most of her free time this week wandering off, at the bar, or starin' into space. Doesn't take a genius to figure out who she was thinkin' about. An' I doubt she knows that she did it, but she rubbed that earring of hers a ton whenever she was thinkin'. You know,the one that matches your partner's. That was a big clue." I shake my head at the kid. "Looks like she and Salamander pounded the lesson into your head pretty good during your match."

"Yeah…" He sounds happy for a sec, before the kid frowns again. "There's something I want to ask you, though. Have you ever noticed a…darkness in her?"

"Huh?" Darkness…? "Oh, you mean that Nirvana crap." I'd eavesdropped a few times and managed to get the gist of it. "Well, yeah, of course I noticed. It's just kinda there. Well, sorta. I haven't felt it around her the last day or so, but…yeah I know what yer talkin' about."

"So it wasn't my imagination…" The kid seems worried, but I don't see why. This is Dragon Wing we're talking about, Ciara Dragneel. Nothing's gonna happen to her.

Scoffing, I shake my head. "Long as you don't pull something stupid, she's fine. Cross the line, and that's when she'll clock you hard enough to make yer ears ring."

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

"You're not kidding…" she smacked us around hard enough to almost give me a concussion.

 _Rogue._ I freeze. It's that voice again, the one that called out to me before. I look around, trying to locate the source of the voice. _Face forward._ I do as it says and turn around. _That man standing in front of you is your enemy._

"Where is that voice coming from!?" I can't see it, I can't smell it. I can only hear whoever this…very dark presence is.

"Uh…you okay, kid?" _Gajeel can't hear it!?_

 _Rogue…you must kill Gajeel._

I clench my fists, my eyes trying to find the source of the sound. "Who are you? And why can't I see you?"

 _You have to kill him, it is your destiny._

"Show yourself!" I will fight this voice if I must. I never planned on killing Gajeel. I only ever wanted to defeat him.

 _You fool…_ The voice comes out clearly now, coming from my left. But when I look down, it's my shadow that moves instead. _That's right, I am your shadow. I will lend you my strength, now go and strike him down._

"No! I won't!" There's a pounding in my head and spots in my eyes. "What are you!?"

 _I am you, your deepest desires, your darkest secrets, given life by the magic of shadows and one touched by ancient magic. Now…go on and kill Gajeel. You must…for it is my destiny. I will lend you my strength!_

The shadow surges towards me, crawling up my legs as I hold my head, trying to will away the splitting headache. I feel as though my head has been split by an axe, and every place that the shadow touches burns.

The last thing I remember…is throwing Gajeel away.

* * *

Gajeel's P.O.V.

Okay, something seriously stinks here. All of a sudden, the kid got a lot stronger, and it feels like…the same kind of darkness and bloodlust that Pinky was throwing off a couple days ago.

Still, if he thinks that this is all it's gonna take, he's got another thing coming. "You don't wanna mess with me."

"This is the kind of power that we can wield together, Rogue. So let us strike him down without anymore hesitation." Okay, scratch that, he's even crazier than Pinky. Or…whatever this thing is.

"Who are you?" Better ask, so I know whose ass it is that I'm kicking. And so that I can ask Pinky about this later. Shes busy with her own fight now.

"Who am I?" That smirk is familiar, though I've seen it on a very different face. "One who controls destiny, a shadow."

"Tch, what kind of nonsensical crap is that?" A shadow that controls destiny? Yeah right?

The brat kicks me back, but if he thinks that even stung, he's dead wrong. And if it's a fight he wants…it's a fight he'll get.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I grin at the girl in front of me. "You're a pretty talented fighter for someone who doesn't like to fight much."

She pants about thirty feet down the street from me. "You…even stronger…than Wendy…"

"Well, I would hope so, I mean, I'm five years older than her and got more training than her. Besides…" I walk leisurely over towards her, my nose picking up a familiar scent headed this way. Make that two. "I taught her to fight offensively. So I'd like to think that I'm stronger than the one I mentored for a bit. Besides, I'm more suited to offensive magic than you two. Support magic is more your thing, and that's okay, every good team needs that kind of specialist. It's just not my thing." Wind swirls around me for what feels like the hundredth time. "Well, I'd ask if you wanna go again, but we've got company."

"It's been a while since we last faced each other, hasn't it?" Lyon strides up behind Chelia, his eyes on me.

"Yeah, the last time we were on opposite sides of a battle, Natsu and I were temple-tipping. Good times…" I smirk at him, before looking over my own shoulder. "Hey Gray, good of you to join us."

My badly beaten, but still victorious teammate approaches the battlefield, looking a little winded, but in high spirits. "Good of you to wait for me. You didn't have to, you know."

"I felt like it, after all, it's been even longer since the two of us have fought together." Doing combos with Gray is…very different to doing them with Natsu. There's still the instinctual sense of timing, but there's a lot more effort that goes into putting wind and ice together in just the right way to get it to do what we want. With Natsu…well, the wind just makes the fire faster, hotter, and together, we decimate everything in sight. Not so in cases like this.

"So, you wanna split up or tag-team em?" Gray stands next to me, staring down Lyon.

I'm about to answer him when a giant blast of light comes from elsewhere in the city, shooting high into the sky as I hear Rogue scream. "The hell!?"

Gray blinks. "What was that?"

"Gajeel…that was a breath attack." I shut down for a sec, focusing solely on Gajeel. _Hey! What the hell happened over there!?_

There's a moment of silence, before Gajeel's gravelly voice comes through. _Rogue, he got possessed by some kind of shadow. It just scurried off to who knows where. But…_

 _Possessed by a shadow!?_ I can't even begin to imagine how that's possible. _But what!? Is he alright!? Tell me that you didn't kill him with that breath attack!_

 _Calm your tits, I didn't kill him. He's fine…a bit bruised and bloodied, but he's a dragon slayer, he'll heal up fast._ There's a pause in his response. _But that shadow that just hightailed it outta here…it felt like you._

 _Like me!?_ _Last I checked, I'm not a shadow!_ I don't understand what he's trying to get at, but it doesn't sound possible.

 _I meant that it felt like when you went batshit crazy a couple days ago. That Nirvana stuff._

 _Nirvana…stuff?_ Does he mean that…darker part of- I freeze in place. I knew that I'd felt lighter the last couple of days, minus being around that Eclipse gate, but maybe… I shake my head. _We can't deal with that now. Right now, we finish the games and get Lucy back. Then we can figure out what's wrong with Rogue._

 _Right…I'll head to the rendezvous point._

 _Good, Gray and I will finish up here and meet you there. Laxus and Erza should be done with their battles soon._

Snapping out of the telepathy, I find Gray staring at me. "You done in there with Gajeel? Because Lyon and I are done out here."

"Yeah, I'm done." I guess it's lucky that whenever Gray and Lyon come face to face,they always have words for each other, otherwise I wouldn't have had the time or freedom to spend that minute talking to Gajeel. "Now, we were discussing an ass-kicking, right?"

"Yes, we were. Your's." Lyon touches his hands together for a second, creating a flock of ice eagles to shoot at us.

"Not likely!" I spin quickly, wind slicing the eagles into ice cubes. "Gray!"

"Right!" He gets some distance behind me, his magic flaring. "Ice-Make: Shotgun!"

I bend down close to the ground, dodging the ice bullets that race over my head and breathing up at them, giving them some extra speed.

"Sky God's Dance!" Chelia swirls in, destroying the ice bullets on the spot.

"Wind Dragon's ROAR!" I blast the both of them back, hurling them against the side of a building. As well as ripping up all of the paving stones between us and them.

"Ice-Make: Hammers!" Gray drops half a dozen hammers on the spot, only for them to be fended off by a giant snow gorilla. Lyon must have pulled that move.

Chelia gets in front of Lyon quickly. "Sky God's Bellow!"

"Wind Dragon's Wing Attack!" My attack collides with hers, canceling both of them out. I smirk at the sight. "Round and round we go. If you attack, we defend, if we attack, you defend." It's a wind and ice showdown, and unless we pull out several stops, it's probably going to go on forever.

Chelia doesn't like that one bit. So, she turns to Lyon. "Come on! You're stronger than both of them! Take them out already!"

"I will deal with Gray, and you can handle Ciara. I prefer not to hit girls." Oh…and Lyon's preference is going to get him hurt at this rate.

While the two of them continue to argue, Gray leans towards me. "Well, it looks like their teamwork could use some work."

"No kidding…" I'm actually stunned that two teammates can be so uncoordinated. "So, you wanna finish them? Or should I? If we hit them both at once and knock them out, Chelia's healing ability won't help them."

"Right…there's that…" Gray frowns, before nodding his head. "Alright, let's hit them together."

"Together?" But we've already combo attacked them, so what could Gray have in… "Hold up, you want to try a Unison Raid with me?"

He nods. "You and Natsu looked pretty cool doin' it, and our magics should be able to mix together pretty well. We just need to get it right."

"I guess…" I'd never considered doing a fusion attack with anyone but Natsu before. This would be delving into new territory for me. But, if Gray wants to give it a go… "Alright, put your hands on my back and pour your magic into me. I've got an idea."

"Alright!" He steps behind me, putting his hands on my back as I crouch down and ground myself. "Ready!?"

I breathe in and out, feeling like time around me stops for a moment. And in that moment, I conjure up every feeling I've ever had for Gray. With Natsu, this is easy, it's just always there. For anyone else, it's a bit harder. But still…I manage to bring everything to the forefront as his magic trickles into me. The friendship, the trust, every argument, every job, the love, both romantic and sibling-like in their affections. And the key…is letting go. Releasing them and allowing them the freedom to ebb and flow, wax and wane. And it's easy, like there was something that was blocking me, but now it's gone. I feel...free, and that's the feeling I like the best.

One breath in. Bringing all of the feelings close to my heart. And one breath out, letting them go, letting everything float away as his magic takes it place. There's a kind of balance, a harmony achieved between two people who've known each other forever, who can trust without thinking, to whom fighting side by side is as natural as breathing. A brother and sister in arms. And I will have his back no matter what, just like he'll have mine.

"Breath of the Frost Dragon!" The funnel that blasts its way out of my mouth is unlike any that I've ever produced. It's powerful, yes, but pure white, and freezing cold as it passes my lips and makes my fangs tingle. And it coats the entire area in front of us in giant crystals of ice, blowing away anything and everything in its path, before freezing it solid. That includes two unconscious Lamia Scale wizards, covered in a thick layer of frost and stuck to the side of a building.

Gray stares at the result, quiet and in awe of it, before a grin splits his face. "That was awesome!"

"Yeah, it was..." I guess…this means that I'm just really good at fusing magic. A useful skill, but not always all that applicable in most situations. Because me being good at it is one thing, other people…well, I can't expect that of them. "Okay…now that that's done…" _Laxus, how are things looking on your end?_

Silence. Then…a tired reply. _Jura's down. I'm heading to the rendezvous point now._

 _Good, Gray and I are done with Lyon and Chelia, we'll meet you there in a bit. Gajeel is already on his way. Which just leaves-_

 _Minerva stands no more._ Erza's voice cuts in. _I will meet all of you in the plaza. Be ready, there is still one opponent left._

 _Yeah…_ Mine. _Sting._

That's when the firework goes off.


	111. The Mightiest Guild

**Hi Chaos, good to hear from you. On the first point, hot water tank. On the second part…got a couple of blankets, but yeah, Zeref did preserve her the same way, same time. Just think…the demons were all failed attempts, right? So…what would happen if, in the end, he did perfect the process after trying it on Natsu? Hm?**

 **Now, I did say not to read too much into last chapter…but whatever. At least the Unison Raid seems to be going over well. There seems to be some interest in seeing more combinations in the future. If you'd like to weigh in on that, leave a review, or I might start a poll with options that could happen during the next arc, since we're about to transition into that.**

 **So…in canon the shadow never really got explained properly (it popped literally out of nowhere), in my opinion, which is why I took some liberties with it. I will be explaining more about it in future chapters. And I'll be doing some stuff with it as well. But I'm glad to see putting two and two together on what happened.**

 **Also, I was thinking for further along in this arc, of showing a "future vision" similar to the one Future Lucy gets to Future Rogue, showing the brighter future that he'll get, instead of the dark one. Anyone wanna guess at what I'll show, or give an idea or two that I may or may not have thought of yet? Because that's when it's going to get…mushy.**

 **Sorry, no fight, just fluffy stuff (because canon, and because I'd rather focus on the fluffy stuff). And gonna switch some details around (because I don't understand the logic of Minerva releasing Lector at the same time as Millianna, because then she would lose her leverage prematurely). Still, we all know that Ciara is almost as studious as Zeref (and guards her books "religiously" as was said in a comment back like sixty chapters ago), and studies a little bit of spacial magic, so it's all good. She just has lousy aim sometimes.**

 **The crazy ass fights come in the next few chapters, because we're headed into the Dragon King Festival.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

As he's still pretty injured from his fight with Rufus, I help Gray along under the darkening sky as the stars begin to come out. There's no need to wonder where that firework came from. There's only one person who would shoot off a bright white magic firework right now.

And there he is, waiting for us just below where the firework went off. There's a strange combination of seriousness and eagerness on his face. Like he's looking forward to the fight, but also like there's something else on his mind.

 _I wonder what it is…_

I spot Gajeel, who looks like he's been beaten half to death. G _uess Rogue gave him a lot of trouble. Not that Laxus and Erza look any better…_ Our Queen of the Fairies and leader of the Thunder Legion look like they've been hit by a couple of trains, and then a stampede of magic-mobiles. In fact, I could swear that Erza's right leg is broken.

Which means that I'm the only one in any shape to put up a fight.

Sting's eyes flick over each of us as we approach, stopping when we stand in a line in front of him. "Now there's a sight. It's weird…bing surrounded by heroes from my childhood really isn't all that grand."

"Enough chit-chat. We didn't come here to make pals." Gajeel's growl is enough to tell that he's in pain, though he's hiding it pretty well.

Gray shifts his weight off of me. "We'll fight you one on one. Pick somebody."

"Why not all at once?" Sting smirks. "With all those injuries, one on one'll be boring."

I grit my teeth angrily. "You're underestimating our team like that? That's not smart."

"Wouldn't dream of it. I'm tryin' to treat you with the respect you deserve." The look on his face changes into a terrible smile. "That's why I'll destroy you all together! I've been waiting for this moment! I'll show you how strong I've become! I'll do it for Lector!"

"You wanna fight us by yourself? Are you serious?" Laxus can't believe that Sting would want to fight all five of us at once, since even with most of the team heavily injured, we're not to be trifled with.

"Of course I am! I'm more than a match for you!" And here I thought we'd beaten some of that arrogance out of him. "Losing Lector brought me pain, but it also granted me new power! For Lector, for my best friend, I'm gonna beat you and win it all!"

"Very well." Erza steps forward. "If you're determined to see this to the end, we'll give you the fight you want."

"Now you're talkin'!" Sting watches us eagerly, his magic power swirling around him in a bright flash. "Prepare to witness the awakened power of a dragon slayer!"

But…I can't let this happen. "No. We're not going to give you the five on one fight you want." I step away from Gray and move in front of Sting, much closer to him than the rest of the team. "I'm the team leader, the one worth five points. I'm the one who isn't injured. Fight me, and you can have the nine points. Just leave the rest of my team alone."

 _Ciara, no!_ Gray, he really doesn't need to feel so concerned about me. I can take Sting.

 _You don't need to do that…we're perfectly capable of fighting._ She says that, and yet Erza is the one with the injured leg. She can barely stand anymore.

 _Oi Pinky, don't take this guy on by yourself and forget the rest of us._ Gajeel, you'd think he'd want a break after being tossed around by Sting's partner before pulling out a win.

 _Hey kid, we're on this team too, and if that means fighting injured, then that's what we'll do._ Laxus, always stubbornly playing the tough guy.

 _No. I said that I will fight him. And if that's what it takes to protect all of you, then that's exactly what I'm going to do. No ifs ands or buts about it._ I stare at Sting, cutting the telepathic connection so that I won't have to listen to any of their mental protesting.

If Sting wants to get to them, then he will have to first face my wrath. Wrath equal to that of a dragon.

Sting's smirk is glued onto his face with magic. That is…until they flicker over my battered and bruised teammates, before locking eyes with me. Sapphire eyes widen, and his hands start to shake as his magic dies down. He takes one shaking step forward, but he hesitates to engage me. In fact, I'd say that he can't bring himself to launch the first attack.

I wait quietly, watching him as he tries with all of his might to take that step and launch his attack. But he just…can't do it.

He drops to his knees only a few feet in front of me. "I can't do it. I can't beat you." His whole body stops shaking at those words. "I surrender."

"Sting…" But I know that with those words, he's just ended the games. We've won. But… "Sting, what's wrong?What happened?" I kneel down in front of him and lift his head up to see tears in his eyes. "What do you mean you lost Lector? What happened to him? To you?"

Sapphire eyes glitter darkly as they look up at me. "Milady…Minerva…she took Lector away. She used her Territory Magic and sent him away."

That…doesn't make any sense. If that's true, then wouldn't beating us be the key to getting into Minerva's good graces. "Then why did you surrender?"

"I…was so sure I'd win. That's all I had to do, and I would see him again. But…all of a sudden, it's like I just lost hope. I don't know why exactly, but I know I don't have your strength. And I guess I felt like I didn't deserve to see him yet." That's…really sad, but also kind of stupid at the same time.

Stupid in that…he should never doubt whether or not he deserves to see his little buddy.

I put my hands on his shoulders and push him up into a proper kneeling position. "Okay. Minerva's Territory Magic is dimensional magic, right? Spacial Magic?"

He nods. "Yeah, that's right."

"Good." I reach into my pockets and pull out five books, two light pens, and a snack I'd stashed in there earlier for good measure. "Okay…I spent some more time studying spacial magic while I was on Tenrou Island before the games. I can't really slip through dimensions the way Minerva can, but if it's just retrieving something small from a pocket dimension, which is probably what she stashed him in, since it takes less energy and effort, then I should be able to open it up and pull your little buddy out."

"You…what?" Sting blinks at me, stunned out of his tears. "You mean…you can-"

"Maybe. I cant promise it since it'd be easier if I had a personal connection to Lector, but…" I flip through the books until I find one of my bookmarked pages. "Yeah, maybe. After all, I've used dimensional magic on my pockets so that I can hold a bunch of stuff and not have to cart around luggage. I've got a small library in there, along with a bunch of other cool stuff. Hell, I probably have some monster horns in there somewhere that I forgot to take out and carve into earrings." I glance up at him and smile. "Maybe I'll make another one for you, huh?"

"Sure…" His eyes are all over the books. "Are those all magic books?"

"Mm-hm. And I've got a whole library of them at home. I like to collect and study magic books. The older the better. Which is why…" I find precisely the formula I remember practicing with Mavis. It worked well enough on coconuts. I just hope that it'll work on an Exceed, which is about the same size. "Okay, now I just need to write up the magic circle…" My hands grab both light pens, writing in both directions around myself until I reach the halfway point, before turning around and doing the same. And, of course, I check the formula three times before deciding that it's done. "Alright, let's do this."

"Uh, right…" Sting backs up a little, his eyes wide and shining with hope. I just hope that I can deliver.

Taking a deep breath, I focus as hard as I can into the spell, using Sting, sitting just four feet away from me, as a focal point of sorts. After all, he's got the biggest connection to Lector, and maybe connecting to his magic will actually help to make this work. "Here we go…" I clasp my hands together, focusing hard on just the image of that little red-furred kitten. _Come on…_

Magic swirls around us, and I feel a tugging inside me, like something is trying to gently drag my organs out of my body, and is failing miserably. Then, there's a flash of light, and a yelp from somewhere behind us.

I open my eyes, and see nothing in my arms, where I expected there to be an Exceed. "It…didn't work…?" _Damn it…_

Sting's eyes drop to the ground. "It's okay…thanks for tryin' anyway…"

"Erzy!" A familiar voice calls out behind us, the same as the yelp from earlier. And we all turn our heads to see Millianna, with a familiar bundle in her arms. "You'll never believe it! This little guy just popped out of nowhere like five seconds ago! He's so cute!"

I blink at the sight of the Exceed in her arms, before sagging to the ground. "It worked after all…"

"Gihi…looks like someone needs to work on their aim." Gajeel shoots me a freakish grin. "You dropped him on Cat Girl, not the idiot."

"Oh, shut up." I roll my eyes at Gajeel, before nudging Sting out of his stupor. "Go on. Go get him."

He blinks at me slowly, before turning his head towards Lector, the little Exceed jumping out of Millianna's arms and racing towards him, his body moving faster than his brain as he trips his way over to his little cat. "Lector!"

"Sting, it's you!" The little guy looks like he's about to cry out of sheer happiness.

And speaking of crying happy tears, Sting's got some streaming down his cheeks. "Lector! You're okay!" He scoops Lector up into his arms, the two of them bawling for all the world to see.

I smile at the sight. "That…is honestly one of the sweetest things I've ever seen…"

"I agree." Erza limps over and extends her hand. "You were very brave, but very reckless too. Don't do that again."

"No promises." I take her hand and let her pull me to my feet. "I'll probably do it again before the week is over, knowing our habit of attracting trouble. Now…" I look around to see the four very injured wizards we have, and it occurs to me that most of the other wizards wandering around and waking up are injured as well. "I'll collect the others."

"Oh?" She looks at me quizzically. "What do you plan to do?"

"What I do best." I rise into the air, the wind carrying me high above the plaza. I breathe in, and then out, focusing on the various smells of our competition, wafting towards me on the breeze. _Found you all…_

One by one, the breeze picks up our battered and bruised competition, at least, the ones still lying around or limping through the city. I've got…Rufus and Orga, along with Jura, Lyon and Chelia. Hibiki, Ren, and Eve are easy to find, since they went down together and Hibiki stayed to look after them. Kagura is also easy to find, because of the pungent smell of both hers and Erza's blood. But Minerva…is nowhere to be found. Strange.

Ichiya and Jenny are a bit harder to track down, since they've been wandering the area, but I manage to catch them in a couple of wind bubbles as well. Luckily, Yuka and Toby are already on their way here with the three other members of Mermaid Heel, and most of Quatro Cerberus, who had gotten taken down and kicked out early on.

 _Which only leaves…_ I sniff the air and look straight down to see a shadow materializing from the ground. And out of it, pop Rogue and Frosch. "Glad you could join us."

He looks up at me, a new…gentleness to his gaze. "Yeah…but what are you doing?"

"Just watch." The balls of wind float towards me as I slowly lower myself back towards the ground. Bringing them with me, I carefully deposit and release all of the other teams onto the ground, making sure not to inflict even another bruise on them.

"You…brought everyone here?" He blinks at the sight of almost twenty wizards scattered about the plaza, most heavily injured. "Why?"

"So that we'd all be in one place. The rest of Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, and Quatro Cerberus are on their way right now." I rub my temples for a second to relieve the slight headache from using long range telepathy with multiple people, not my brother, for a few straight hours. _Master Mavis, if you can hear me, please have Porlyusica come to our location. Most of the other teams are here, and we're in need of a healer. I'll do what I can to tend to the injured, but we've got a few people with serious injuries._ Speaking of serious injuries… I reach into my pockets and take out the three first aid kits I'd stashed in there. "Chelia!"

The little god slayer pokes her head up from around Lyon. "Yeah!?" She looks like she's been healing herself and her teammate, which is good, because I need her to do something else.

"Here!" I toss one of the kits to her and point over to Kagura. "We've got a serious and potentially life-threatening injury over there. She's been stabbed." At least, that's what my nose tells me based on the smell of blood and steel.

"Okay!" Surprisingly, she doesn't protest one bit, and just runs off with the first aid kit to tend to a badly bleeding mermaid.

I toss the next kit to Hibiki. "You're not injured, so you can take that kit. Patch up as many people as you can before our healers get here."

"Right." I can see his Archive already hovering around him, probably bringing up the best ways to tie bandages and deal with wounds.

Everyone freezes in place, though, when a sound like thunder splits the evening. Gray grins as it turns out to be cheering from Doms Flau. "Man, that sound is incredible, we can hear it all the way from here!"

"Jeez, would somebody shut em up, the noise is makin' my wounds itch." Leave it to Gajeel to complain about praise.

Erza shakes her head. "Now don't be like that, they're cheers of celebration." Her eyes fall on Laxus. "I'll bet you the Master is beside himself with excitement."

Laxus smirks. "The old man aside, this makes up for seven years of humiliation our guild mates endured."

"I should hope so, especially after the mess we made of this place…" Though I still feel bad about screwing up Fairy Sphere so badly that it put us in stasis that long. "We should just be glad that Natsu wasn't on today's team, otherwise there'd be a hundred times as much damage, and half the city would be on fire."

"Don't forget that he'd have leveled Domus Flau by now" Hibiki grins at me from over next to Ichiya and Jura. "Probably would have turned the whole thing to ash."

"Not to mention the palace." Lyon laughs from over next to Chelia and Kagura. "A building that size…I doubt the pyromaniac would be able to resist."

 _Yeah…you might be even more right than you think…_ The rescue team still hasn't come back, which worries me greatly. Still, I roll my eyes. "Oh come on, some of us aren't that bad."

Ren turns up his nose at me. "Well, you flattened half the Worth Woodsea because you were a little upset. I mean, talk overkill."

"Wait, you were the one that did that!?" Millianna blinks at me, her expression comical.

"I didn't mean to!" And that's true, I just…kinda lost it for a bit. Still, that doesn't stop my face from turning pink to match my hair. "Fine, whatever. Besides, Fairy Tail invented overkill. We wouldn't be us if we didn't cause at least a couple million jewel in property damage…I mean, have you SEEN what we do to our guild hall on a daily basis!?"

That draws laughs from both Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale, and the rest of our team joins in as well. If nothing else, tales of our misadventures are good for easing the tension and getting laughs out of people.

Then, a lacrima flies overhead, displaying a picture of our team, along with the Fairy Tail emblem. "Just listen to this crowd roaring its approval! The mightiest guild in Fiore, Fairy Tail, is back with a vengeance! Fairy Tail has clawed its way from a last place start to a first place upset! And don't forget, the upstart guild was originally split into two separate, competing teams!"

"Even without the participation of Natsu Dragneel, an amazing sense of solidarity allowed Fairy Tail to triumph in the end." Yajima knows that solidarity personally, having once been a Fairy Tail wizard, himself.

"I certainly agree! Tell us Mato, what are your thoughts?"

"Me? Uh, well…yeah, they really put on a show!" Hah, what Mato calls a show, the Magic Council would call causing trouble again.

Though, back to a more immediate problem, or rather, a problem in my immediate vicinity, I turn to one bruised and bleeding shadow dragon. "Well, you look like you've been attacked by a crazy ax murderer with a chainsaw. Which…basically describes Gajeel when he's cranky."

"Fro thinks so too!" The little Exceed by his side raises his paw, stretching high to the sky. In a word, he's adorable, even if he's wearing mostly pink.

I crouch down and smile at the little guy. "Well, I'm glad that you agree with me. Now, let's get him patched up, alright?" I glance up at Rogue sternly. "Alright, get the cape off and take a seat. Knowing what looks like our common tendency to play down injuries, you're probably in ten times more pain than you're willing to admit." I've noticed that we dragon slayers are stubborn that way. Well, we're stubborn about a lot of things, and injuries is just one of them. Natsu participated in the Fantasia Parade with a broken arm, and wrapped up like a mummy after our fight with Laxus. If that's not proof of our stubbornness, nothing is.

He blinks, but reaches for his scarf and cape anyway. "Okay." And most surprisingly, he sits down without a fight. That must mean that it's worse than I thought.

Underneath is a tattered shirt soaked with blood, some of it dry, some of it not. "…I knew it, stubborn as dragons, the lot of us." Well, there's no saving the shirt anyway, and a few tiny blades of wind make short work of it, revealing a collection of cuts and bruises across some…very nice abs.

Rogue coughs. "Is…something wrong?"

I blink, before biting my lip and silently cursing myself for getting distracted. "Yeah, something's wrong, you were walking around like this!" I reach for the first aid kit and pull out a bottle of antiseptic, and a bag of sterile cotton balls. "Now lean back and hold still, this is going to sting." I note that he's also wearing the dragon pendant from so long ago. I mean, I knew that he still had it, but…it's different to see it lying against his skin.

"Fro likes Sting!" The little guy wiggles himself into one of the spaces between us, a smile on his face.

"Not that kind of sting, little buddy." I pause as I dip the first cotton ball in antiseptic. "Ah, sorry, he just reminds me of Happy. We call him our little buddy." I glance apologetically at Rogue before directing my gaze down and picking out the first cut.

"It's fine." He winces only slightly as I press the cotton ball to the first of the small gashes. "You brought Lector back, right?"

"Well, my aim could use some work, but yeah." If he wants to talk while I patch him up, that's fine with me. It'll probably help keep his mind off the pain. "Though I never knew that Sting was such a crybaby. Seriously, those two just started bawling as soon as they saw each other." I dab at a few more cuts, my hand becoming more confident by the second. "It was easily the sweetest thing I've ever seen. And…I think Laxus and Gajeel are on the verge of getting cavities. They've never really had much of a sweet tooth." Either literal or metaphorical. Though…Gajeel was rather sappy when he finally got his own not so little buddy.

 _That reminds me…I should really find some material for teasing him…_

"Can I ask…if Natsu really got sick yesterday?" Rogue's question snaps me out of my slight daze.

"Huh?" I reach blindly for the bandages as I finish with the last cut. "Oh…Natsu…well…no, he didn't actually get sick." I glance towards the palace, still feeling the slight tremors of Natsu in battle through our telepathic connection. "It's complicated." And since I don't really want to think about it, I busy myself with applying the ointment and wrapping the bandages around him, putting sufficient pressure on the injuries to keep them from bleeding again.

"I see." Rogue hisses under his breath. "That's tight."

"I know, but the bleeding has to stop." I bite my lip, focusing on tying the pieces together. "And it should stop hurting soon, the ointment has a numbing agent." Once the pieces are secure, I move up his right shoulder, where the injuries keep going, tending there as well and wrapping the bandages just as tightly. "Okay, where else are you hurt? I still smell blood."

"Here." He turns his arms over, revealing similar patterns of cuts and bruises there. He must have used his arms to shield his upper body as much as he could.

"Right…" I grab a few more cotton balls, soaking them in antiseptic and dabbing them all over his arms…noting the well-formed muscles underneath. Looks like he took his training seriously… Wendy is the only one who doesn't really show it, but the everyday training and magical exertion of dragon slayers really does wonders for the body. Especially the boys.

My nose twitches again, telling me that Porlyusica is here. She must have really booked it to come and help out with all of the damage. And the old lady probably grumbled the whole way.

My hands pull back as I finish wrapping the bandages around Rogue's wrists. "There, at least you don't look like a mummy." But before I can proclaim him patched up, my eyes move up to his face, catching sight of a rather deep gash across the bridge of his nose, hidden fairly well by his bangs. "…That's probably going to scar." Best to tell him that now. "Sorry, I should have treated that one first." Though that might not have made much of a difference, in the end.

"It's okay. I don't mind a few scars." He's so calm about it that I actually believe him.

Still… "In the middle of your face?" I shake my head. "Anyway, close your eyes and hold still, I need to disinfect it."

He closes his eyes as I hold up a cotton ball and move his bangs aside. Carefully, I dab gently at the cut across his nose, picking away the blood and revealing a slightly crooked line in his skin. It's deep, not deep enough to need stitching up, but deep enough to scar, that's for sure. Then again, Laxus has a scar on his face, that lightning bolt above and below his right eye, and it just adds to his looks. Maybe Rogue can rock his as well.

I fiddle with the bandages, sitting up and leaning in to wrap them carefully around his head the back of his head while minding the shaggy ebony hair. Most of the bandages, I can hide under it, that should make it look less weird. "Alright, all done." Pulling back, I note that his face, what's visible of it anyway, looks a little pink. "Are you alright? You look rather flushed."

"I'm fine." He says it quickly, which means that he's definitely not fine, but if he doesn't want to talk about it, then I won't push him. Maybe he's just embarrassed about something. "Thank you."

I smile softly at him. "You're welcome." I pick up the first aid kit, which still has enough supplies in it to do a few more people. "Rest for a little while. I'm going to go help the others take care of the wounded."

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

"Alright." I chance a look up at her as she walks away to provide medical support for some of the other wizards.

But seriously, how was I supposed to not turn red when she just…I mean, she almost had her…her chest pressed to my face! Thank whoever inspired her fashion choices that her shirt has a high collar, because if I had a nosebleed in front of her…not to mention everyone else here, I think I'd die from embarrassment. Or she'd kill me for what crossed my mind for just half a second. Not more than half a second, though, that would be highly inappropriate.

"So…why do you look so pissed for a guy who almost got a face full of what he's been fantasizing about for ten years?" I try not to groan at the sound of a voice as familiar to me as my own.

I glance to the side to glare at Sting. "Drop it, Sting."

"Why? Things are gonna be different now, right?" He sits down next to me, holding a sleeping Lector in his lap. "She's strong, she's hot, and as long as you aren't screwin' with her friends, she's nice to people. You've been starin' at her all week. Not to mention…" He points over towards Ciara, who has Frosch sitting on her shoulder. I never even noticed that he'd disappeared. "Frosch seems to like her as much as you do. And she's not complainin'. So what's the issue?"

"It's…complicated." Everything is just so complicated. After everything that happened, how am I supposed to just spring that on her and not have her recoil in disgust. I've had her shoot that look at me twice. Twice. And I really don't want to see it happen for expressing an…interest in her.

"Well, yeah, I know. But that just means that you gotta un-complicate it." Sting elbows me in my less injured side. "Come on, it's not like you've never been with a girl before."

"There is a difference between her and stress relief." I know full well what the latter is, even if I don't have a habit of indulging it. It's just…different if there's emotions involved, and I'm not really sure how to handle it, let alone actually go about acting on it.

That's going to have to wait for later, though, because my heart nearly stops when I hear her scream.


	112. Banding Together

**Well, that theory is way off base. Sorry Chaos. She is not a demon.**

 **Rya, you're close with the scream. Natsu didn't get…hurt, per say, but yes, he's the cause of it. And I'm about to reveal why.**

 **As for her Dragon Force, yes, everyone is going to find out about it soon. Very soon, in fact, next chapter. And while yeah, it's going to make her very powerful, maybe overly so, it's not without it's…drawbacks. Rather major ones. Does the Dragon Seed ring a bell? It should. She and Rogue are definitely going to have to have some rather serious conversations about that, and other things pertaining to her mental and physical health, later.**

 **Her Magic Deficiency Disease not cropping up lately is because of two reasons. 1) She hasn't been in any fights so major that she's been forced to discard her ribbons, and fight so hard that her magic drops almost to zero. 2) Her own store of magic is growing, as the stores of all wizards do, given time and practice. So she is overcoming that weakness to a degree. It's still going to come up, though, she's just been careful to avoid having it become a problem, especially in front of other people.**

 **Glad to see that the…ogling and innuendo came off well. I'll be doing more of that after they save the world.**

 **Any thoughts on Future Rogue's vision of a happy future?**

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

Her scream is a sound I never wanted to hear in my life. And my eyes find her as she drops to her knees near the center of the plaza, probably on her way to tend to another of the injured. She's holding her head in her hands and rocking back and forth, trembling like a leaf in a storm as magic swirls around her. Wind magic.

I'm on my feet before I realize it, and I cross half the plaza in what feels like an instant, kneeling in front of her and holding her arms. "What's wrong!? Why did you scream!?"

But it's like she doesn't even see me. "Natsu…Natsu! What's happening!?" Here eyes are moving back and forth quickly, and it's like she's having a seizure. "NATSU!" She sounds like she's in pain, a lot of it.

"Ciara! What's going on!? Can you hear me!?" The questions are fruitless, she doesn't answer me. So I look to her hands and pry them from her head, preventing her from pulling out her hair in her anguish. Instead, she clutches at her heart, breathing hard. I bite my lip and look to the elderly healer. "Can you help her?"

The old woman glances over at us, before shaking her head. "Were it an illness or injury of some sort, I could. But it seems that the source is not within her."

"What?" _What does she mean the source isn't inside Ciara?_ And she's not getting any better, which means that she obviously needs help. _Damn it, what's going on!?_

She gasps, shuddering on the spot, before going very still and dropping her head. All is quiet, until the soft plopping of tears on the ground breaks the silence. "No…"

I go to shake her, but a wizened hand stops me, and I look up to see Fairy Tail's master. "Easy now, child. What has happened to Natsu and the others?"

"Rage…" She gasps again, her body shaking violently. "H-he's so angry…I've never…" She hiccups loudly. "I've never felt him so angry before. Natsu…he's like…" She stops, taking a breath, and looking up to reveal tear-stained cheeks and fearful eyes. "The rescue team, they're in trouble. Something's gone really, really wrong."

"I see." The old master's expression grows stern. "Perhaps there is more at play here than just the powers we expected."

Ciara groans, shaking her head as she wipes away her tears. When she looks up, her eyes are much calmer and more focused than before. "He's calmed down a bit now. Sorry, the power of his rage…its like nothing I've ever felt before, so it caught me off guard." And terrified her, though she seems unwilling to say that out loud. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"Nonsense, child. This is a situation that none of us were expecting to have happen. Rest for now. Warren will continue to monitor the situation. And young man…" He looks at me with that same stern expression, as though daring me to fight him. "If you have any intention of causing harm to one of my children, I will incinerate you where you stand." He may be tiny, but this guy definitely isn't playing around.

I nod slowly. "I understand." Well, I think. But it was a pretty broad statement, so as long as I don't do anything to her…I should be fine.

But more to the point…I can see why he would say something like that. After this little…incident, it's obvious that there's some challenges that come with being bonded to someone through telepathy. One of those being that she can feel her brother's anger, which seems to be particularly strong now. And she looks so…scared, vulnerable, haunted even…

Her onyx eyes find me, before widening considerably. "Rogue? What are you doing here?"

"Ah…" Right, I'd forgotten that it must seem very odd that I would beat her guildmates to her. "Well, you screamed, so I…" Now is a really bad time to realize that she smells like exotic spices, a pinch of freshly broken pine needles, and a cool breeze stirring up the warm coals after a fire. It's making it kind of hard to think.

Her gaze softens, and much of the pain and fear in her eyes fades. "Thank you. And sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out."

"I-it's fine. I was just worried that something had happened. I mean, you weren't injured or anything,at least, not as far as I could tell, but there were a lot of battles, and it could have been an old injury so-"

She puts her hands on my shoulders, leaning in close to my face. "Rogue, you're babbling. Calm down and speak clearly."

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

It looks like he's still as awkward as he was when he was little. But I don't remember ever making him quite this…flustered. Maybe once all of this chaos blows over, I can talk to him about it. But right now is…really not the best time for a long-winded heart to heart. "You should rest a bit more. Moving like that is going to open up your wounds."

He coughs a little. "I'm fine. But…what happened?"

"Well…" Everything already seems to be going to hell, so I'm not entirely sure what secrecy is going to do for us now. "Natsu is on a mission right now, and that's why he didn't participate. But…" I shudder a little as another small surge of anger shoots through me. "It looks like something went wrong, which means that Fairy Tail is going to need to be prepared for whatever's coming next."

 _Ciara!_ Natsu's voice rings in my head, loud and clear. _Dragons! That's what the gate is for! They're plannin' to take down an army of ten thousand dragons that're gonna attack the city!_

 _Dragons!? Ten thousand of them!?_ I can't even imagine how that's possible. I mean, we haven't seen any dragons other than Acnologia in years. Where the hell could ten thousand dragons be hiding? They were supposed to have been mostly wiped out during the war, that's what Zirconis said, right? The casualties had been tremendous. So how could there still be ten thousand dragons still in existence, and close enough to attack us, without any dragon slayers finding them first?

 _Natsu, are you sure!?_ If he's wrong, then we would end up creating a panic for nothing.

 _Yeah, I'm sure! Some version of Rogue came from seven years in the future and killed the Lucy that came from the future to warn us about the dragons! He's crazy, though! We can't trust him!_

 _Wait, what!?_ I look at the Rogue in front of me. _But Rogue is in front of me right now._

 _Yeah! So keep that one safe! It's this future one who came through that time gate that's nuts! Oh, and did I mention that there's dragons coming!?_

 _Yes, you said that!_ I curse under my breath. "Great, just great. Can't he give me good news for once?"

"What's going on?" Rogue's expression becomes serious in about half a second.

I try to shoot him a reassuring smile, but I'm probably failing miserably. "I…wanna say that it's gonna be okay, but…" I shake my head. "Never mind, I have to go." I push myself to my feet, walking away from Rogue and towards my guild mates, who have been making their way here from the arena. "Fairy Tail, I just got an update from Natsu." I take a calming breath before continuing. "According to Natsu, there is reason to believe that we're about to be attacked by a thunder of ten thousand dragons. If his information is right…we'd better be prepared for battle."

Fear, that's what I see on the faces of my family, along with shock, and of course confusion. Gramps frowns. "And from where does this information come?"

"From the future, apparently." I glance at Gray and Gajeel, who both saw the Eclipse gate with their own eyes. "From Lucy."

"I see, then we should proceed under the assumption that we are about to go to war." Gramps has a bad habit of looking really scary when contemplating that possibility, and it's far from the first time Fairy Tail has gone to war. In fact, Fairy Tail made it's name over a hundred years ago during the Second Trade War. Mavis made a name for herself as a brilliant tactician in a war that was ten times bloodier than the first. More recently would be the smaller wars with Phantom Lord, and the ongoing one with the Balam Alliance. It's never been war against dragons, though.

The familiar sound of armored boots traipse into the plaza, and it turns out to be a contingent of royal guards. "His Majesty, King Toma E. Fiore requests that the guild wizards join him in the center of the city for an emergency meeting."

"Three guesses what that's about…" Gray glares at them, obviously still holding that grudge from what they pulled in kidnapping Lucy. To be fair, I'm not really over it either.

Gajeel sits up, now heavily bandaged from head to toe. "Should we go, or strike out on our own?"

"We should see if the king has a plan of action before deciding any of our own." Erza has a point, after all, going head to head with whatever the kingdom has up its sleeve to deal with this, if they have anything at all, isn't going to do us any good. Afterward, though, I hope that we give them a sound thrashing for the crap they've pulled.

"I agree wholeheartedly." Gramps points the way to the illuminated square in the middle of the city. "Fairy Tail, move out!"

It's an almost perfectly coordinated march to the square, and we're far from the only ones making our way there. In fact, I think that the guards have recruited every guild team that came to participate, along with every extra member of the various guilds that they could find. There's got to be hundreds of wizards here, maybe even over a thousand!

As for the king…he's a tiny guy, maybe two feet tall at most. I swear, his head is almost half his body! "Thank you all for coming! I hate to spoil the mood after the splendid display if wizardry we've seen today, but I fear Fiore's heart may soon be in the claws of a dragon horde. As we speak, a large-scale counter-offensive is underway at the castle. The Eclipse Cannon!"

 _The what!?_ Okay, now that sounds bad. _Are they going to try and use a time portal as a weapon?_

"We will use it to wipe out the attacking dragons, all ten thousand of them at once." His words prompt a lot of muttering, and a whole wave of fear in the crowd of gathered wizards. "I can sense your concern, regrettably, given the sheer number of the dragons' forces, we expect that at most, a few hundred will survive the attack. So, I implore you guild wizards please lend Fiore your assistance in dealing with this crisis! You are our best hope for slaying any dragons the Eclipse cannot!" Then, he actually goes so far as to bow his head. "I beg of you, don't let this kingdom fall into ruin."

I shake my head with a wry smile. _I hope you have some serious insurance on this city, because asking wizards to protect you is going to result in just as much damage as heroics. Especially when there's seven dragon slayers around, not to mention all of our Fairy Tail family._

Still, that leaves something rather important to do, so I motion to Gajeel and Laxus, and they amble over to join me in hushed tones. "Okay, so when the dragons show up, we're going to be on the front lines in dealing with them. In the end, most of the other wizards here are going to be either distractions or backup when it gets down to it. So we need a plan to deal with as many dragons as quickly as we can."

"True, everyone's going to need to split into large groups as support units and spread out to cover the whole city." Laxus glances upwards. "They're going to be coming in from the sky, so once that cannon does its job, we're gonna need to kill them one after another before they can rain fiery hell down on our heads."

Gajeel huffs irritably. "And how exactly do we do that? We gotta knock em outta the sky first. Most wizards can't cast their spells that high into the sky."

I look up at the red moon and the twinkling stars. "No, some of us can. And some of us have the ability and power needed to ground them. Then, we can let loose on them. But once they're down, we'll need to keep the high ground and stop them from getting back up in the air."

"Hey, if you guys are makin' a plan over here, we want in." I look over my shoulder to see Sting standing there, with Rogue in tow too. Both of them look eager and determined.

"I guess you could call it that." I open up our little circle to let them in. "Basically, what we've got so far is that we need to shoot the dragons out of the sky so that we can take the high ground and make everyone's spells more effective. Not everyone can shoot spells over long distances like we can. And most of our spells are for close combat anyway."

"That makes sense." Rogue frowns slightly. "So how do you plan on knocking them out of the sky? Or do you think the cannon will do it?"

"Should we leave that kind of thing to chance?" Laxus raises an eyebrow. "There's no guarantee that the ones that survive the cannon will go down."

"You're right." Well, there's one option I can think of, but they're probably not going to like it. "So what we need…is someone who can fly, and who has enough power to put a dragon on the ground to go up there and shoot them down from above."

"Okay, but who?" Sting blinks, utterly perplexed.

Laxus and Gajeel glance at each other, before staring at me. "Only one choice."

"I know." I look to the sky, the wind already swirling restlessly. "I won't let you guys down. I'll shoot down dragons until I run out of magic power, and then, I'll recharge and do it again."

"You're going to go up there alone!?" Well, someone's upset by that part of the plan, seeing as his ruby eyes are flashing with shock.

"Do you at least have a plan?" Sting looks about as shocked as Rogue, but significantly less upset. "Cause that's a lot of dragons."

"Of course I have a plan." As if I could possibly not have a plan if it involves the sky. "Use my wind to the best of my abilities and make nature itself my weapon. Everything above our heads will be working for me." Then, I grin sheepishly. "I just hope that the king has enough insurance to cover everything I'm going to end up breaking."

Laxus pats me on the head. "Kid, there isn't enough insurance in the world to fix everything that you and your brother break."

"Thanks for reminding me…" I swat his giant hand off my head and repress a shudder at the thought of what it would cost to repair the royal palace after my brother is finished with it. "I just hope that Natsu is done fighting soon, We're gonna need him out here to suck up all of the fire we're going to see."

"No kidding, Salamander had better get his butt out here and fast. As long as you two don't torch the city, we should be fine." Gajeel is…unusually optimistic today.

I scoff. "It's me and Natsu you're talking about, so I wouldn't be so eager about that. You might just get your wish if Natsu drags me into his…antics." Not that I need any help destroying things on my own, I just try not to most of the time. "Anyway, once I start shooting dragons out of the sky, you guys will need to injure them and keep them on the ground long enough to put them down. I'll join you once there's no dragons left in the sky, or I'll go find the battle that needs me the most."

"Got it." Sting grins. "You can count on us!"Rogue still looks very uneasy about this plan, not that I blame him, after all, it hinges on me being able to do that job. I can't afford to fail.

"Good." I glance over at the dispersing guilds. "Looks like it's time for you guys to move out. Fairy Tail will stay here until it's time to put the plan into action. Just…stay safe until then, and maybe we'll all make it through this battle." That's unrealistically optimistic. I know that this is going to be a devastating battle, and casualties are inevitable. I just hope that our power can be used to keep those casualties to a minimum.

"Right!" And I'm not sure if it's just the energy in the air, or a dragon slayer thing, but we each put up a hand, knocking them together in the center, before moving to take up positions in preparation for the battle.

And before Sabertooth disappears along with the other guilds, I feel a pair of red eyes on me. Eyes that I offer one more smile to before I look up to the red moon, and all hell breaks loose.


	113. The Stone Dragon

**Hello Chaos, good to see you. And wow was that a mouthful. I will eventually reveal what exactly is draining her magic, but that gets to wait for Zeref, cause he's the only one who knows about it. Anyway, you're right about her Dragon Seed not getting destroyed, and the Dragon Force-ribbons connection. And there will also be blood, plenty of it, mostly in the next few chapters. Finally, as for the vision of the future…well, you read my mind there, that's definitely one of the possibilities I considered, and am still considering.** **Anyone can feel free to suggest details for that, though, I'm sure that you all have plenty of good ideas.**

 **No, the wind dragon that provided the lacrima is not there, all of the other dragons are anti-human, not going around saving them and giving them magic.**

 **And yes, only the ones who went to fight the Oracion Seis, or who were at the Tower of Heaven know about her Dragon Force, everyone else is in for a real shock when she uses it.**

 **By the way, she's going to do something stupid. And whether it ends in death or just injury, I'll let you all decide that for yourselves. The fact is that her abilities make it possible for her to pull stunts that the others can't or would have a lot of trouble doing successfully (because she can fly all by herself).**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

The first clue is the rumbling, and the second is the pungent smell. I would know the smell of a dragon anywhere. And it's not coming from the sky, where you'd expect a thunder of dragons to appear from. No, it and the rumbling are coming from the direction of… _The castle!? But isn't that where-_

 _It was never a cannon._

I grit my teeth at the realization and look to the sky, seeing nothing flying out of the gate yet. _Of course they're coming out of the gate. How else would ten thousand dragons appear out of nowhere!? Bring them here from before they were all killed off by Acnologia!_

"Damn it!" I turn to Gramps, panic lancing through me. "It was a trick! Someone tricked the king into thinking that the Eclipse gate was a weapon! The dragons are coming out of it!"

And as though to confirm precisely what I've said, there's a deafening roar that echoes through the city. The roar of a dragon, accompanied by a wave of destruction that races right past our guild, just barely missing us, while mowing down a whole row of buildings.

 _Well, looks like the city is gonna get wrecked anyway. Dammit, this is what happens when you try to go to the past in order to fuck with it! It all goes wrong and something else comes to the present instead!_

 _One, two, three, four, five, six…_ "Seven, there are seven unique dragon scents." Judging by the sounds, there are that many different roars as well. And even just the sounds of their voices is enough to make buildings crumble.

Seven dragons in the sky. It could be worse, since we were expecting hundreds. But it means that their weapon has now turned on them, and we're going to have to clean up the mess. _I hope they've smartened up and closed that damn gate, otherwise we're all dead!_

Still, there's at least something I can do. I flag down the others. "Laxus, Gajeel! I'm headed up! Get ready, because I'm gonna send you guys a present or two!"

I turn in half a second, bending at the knee and streaking into the sky like a silver bolt of lightning, my magic pouring out as I climb higher through the atmosphere. It swirls the wind around me as I fly higher and higher, gathering it tight around my body as I race past a couple of raging dragons.

I stop about a mile above the ground, the city nothing more than pinpricks of light and scattered rubble from up here. "Alright, time to start putting these dragons down."

All seven of them soar around below me, wreaking havoc from the sky, and far out of reach of the wizards below. And it's my job to rectify that as a hurricane forms above my head, localized over the capital. Its winds grow more powerful with every second, making flying with things as big and cumbersome as a pair of wings difficult. After all, even Happy hates flying around in a storm.

Keeping myself hidden in the center of the gathering clouds, I allow nature to take hold as the winds begin to spin out of control outside of the eye. Where I hover, the winds are calm and gentle, allowing me a perfect view of the violent storm that is forcing the dragons closer to the city, and closer to the waiting forces below.

Then, the smell of blood wafts from behind me, along with the smell of…evil. And one other scent. Rogue. "I should have known that you would be up here. After all, storms always have been your specialty. You always loved the breezes high in the sky, almost as much as the ones from walking through Magnolia during the Harvest Festival."

I spin halfway around, keeping my face calm as I turn towards him, even if I'm not quite as calm on the inside. "Seeing as I only know Rogue a little, I can't help but wonder exactly how you know me as well as you seem to."

He's so…different. His clothes are a bit…well, the right sleeve's been ripped off, but apart from that, they're very…different. The waistguard is still there, but he's traded in black and gray for white and red. And his hair…the front part is still black and short, covering his right eye, but the rest of it is tied up in a long white ponytail. Not to mention the garish black tattoo that covers the left side of his face.

He stares blankly at me. "I know you much better than you think I do. In fact, I know more about you than you currently do. Including the fact that you are slowly turning into a dragon."

I nearly stop breathing in that instant. "You know?" Zirconis told us, but we still haven't gotten around to telling Sting and Rogue about it yet, so how would he know? _Did one of us tell him in the future? But…he doesn't look like he's turning into a dragon…so what gives? Did he stop it?_

He smirks at me, and just for a second, I think all sorts of things that I really probably shouldn't. "You look surprised. I know that you're already aware of it. You told me long ago what Zirconis told you and the others. And you swore that you wouldn't let the transformation consume you." He scoffs and the smirk fades. "Not that such a promise meant anything in the end."

"What do you mean?" _I made a promise not to let the transformation take over? And what end? Natsu said that he's from seven years in the future, so…_ "…I died. By the point in the future that you came from, I'm already dead, aren't I?"

"Millions of people have died by my time. Not that it matters." He holds up his hand, shadows swirling menacingly around it. "Ending your life now will save my past self a lot of unnecessary trouble. You have already given me all the power I need to make my goals a reality. You are no longer necessary. With these dragons under my control, I can accomplish everything!"

The second he shoots the shadows at me, I let the wind sweep me away, twirling me higher into the air as I dodge the attack. "What happened to you!? Rogue may have been an asshole most of this past week, but at least he hasn't tried to kill anyone!" I can't fathom any reason that the one who sat next to me earlier, checking to make sure that I wasn't losing my mind, would do something like this. _Did he say that he has the dragons under his control!? Is that why they're here? Did he trick them into opening up the gate so that the dragons could come through?_

Shadows swirl out in all directions, reaching fruitlessly for me. "I realized that what our parents taught us was for ruling the world, not playing house!" There's venom in his voice that I've never heard before, not even when he and Sting were acting like assholes.

 _Playing house?_ "What do you mean playing house?" I growl in frustration. "Start making sense, or I'll beat the truth out of you!" Just to make my point, I land on the dragon he's riding hard enough to make it shake.

"The truth?" He glares down at me. "The truth is that you could never understand the pain that made me strong."

"Well not if you don't tell me!" _Damn it! He talks more than Rogue usually does, but he's do damn evasive!_ "Are you still sore over killing your dragon?" After all, that's what he and Sting have claimed to have done.

"Nothing of the sort." He raises a hand towards me. "But I do have one lesson to pass on to my past self." Shadows rise up around me, but I have no fear, because I will blow them the hell away if they touch me. "A mate is nothing but a burden if all they can do is die and leave behind nothing but darkness. And now, you will die too."

Wind swirls around me as the shadows attack. But before any real test of strength can occur between us, a hand on my shoulder pulls me out of the reach of the shadows, and a familiar glare greets me. "Sorry, but my little sister is tagging out. You and I have a fight to finish!" He glances at me out of the corner of his eye. _Get out of here, this guy is crazy. Besides, I've got a bone to pick with him, so I'll handle him while you go help out with the other dragons._

 _You sure?_ I mean, I doubt that I'm going to learn much more from him, and it would give me a chance to mull it all over. But more importantly, there's six dragons down there, and they're one dragon slayer short.

 _Yeah, I'm sure. Now get outta here. I don't want you anywhere near this guy._ The glare still plastered on his face tells me that he's serious. And more than likely, he's going to tear this Rogue apart. _Go!_

 _Fine!_ I turn for the side of the dragon, leaping off the side and sailing down towards the ground, sniffing out the positions of all the dragons and dragon slayers, before heading for the only one not already taken care of. The one that looks like a giant pile of rocks.

And just my luck, the big dragon is already trying to tear Blue Pegasus to pieces, along with Mermaid Heel, Quatro Cerberus, and Lamia Scale. Well, I can't very well allow that to happen, now can I?

With a single gust of wind, I blow the Blue Pegasus wizards away from the Stone Dragon's mace of a tail as it comes down on one of the buildings. The building is demolished in an instant, but the whole Blue Pegasus team makes it out unscathed.

They all look around in confusion and Hibiki starts scanning the area with his archive magic. "What just happened…?"

"I saved you from getting squished like a bunch of bugs." I float over him and the Blue Pegasus team, glancing down at him. "Now stand back, this is about to get very dangerous very fast. And if you're within range of this giant's feet, you're going to get flattened."

The Stone Dragon turns its attention on me. "Oh, another wizard here to feed me?"

"One of the children of Igneel, here to put you down." The big lug should recognize the name, after all, it seems like Dad was rather famous back in his day.

"The Flame Dragon King. The traitor who fled here to gather support for his coexistence faction." The dragon rumbles discontentedly. "A fool. And with a fool of a child as well." Clearly an enemy dragon, then. I doubt that there will be any reasoning with this one. Well, I doubt that we could reason with any of them, but this one especially seems stubborn.

Natsu's voice rings out from high in the sky, from on the back on the dragon I just left. It seems sounds like he started a fight, judging by the explosions of fire above our heads. "Can you hear me!? Let's quit playing around and use our Dragon Slayer Magic! There are seven dragons! And we've got seven Dragon Slayers! We can do this! It's what we were born for! Our whole lives led to this day! Let's use our powers, and slay some freakin' dragons!" His yell echoes across the city. "Who's with me!? Cause I'm going dragon hunting!"

With that inspiring little speech the stone dragon in front of me chuckles with amusement. "That guy on top of Motherglare seems to be pretty worked up about something!" Well, at least I know that other dragon's name now.

I smirk at the dragon. "That guy happens to be my older brother! Mess with him, and you're gonna die. In fact, mess with either of us, and it's going to end badly. Because he's not the only one hunting dragons right now." In fact, all Natsu's enthusiasm has done is ignite the excitement inside of me as well. "Hibiki!"

"Yeah!?" He takes a few hesitant steps towards me. "What's up?"

"The fun and games are over. Take my ribbons, I won't be needing them for this battle." I fully intend on putting this dragon on the ground, no matter what it takes. Even if that means I start to turn into a dragon myself.

Hibiki inhales sharply. "Wait, you're going to-"

"Yeah." I crack my knuckles. "No more holding back for the sake of not killing people. Because I fully intend on killing this thing." As well as whatever it is that's falling out of the sky. They look almost like…eggs. And there's thousands of them falling out of the sky.

"What do you plan on doing?" Distracting me from the falling objects, Kagura seems to have recovered. Good, she'll be useful as back-up. "Is it possible for humans to beat dragons!?"

"No, it's not." I tug my ribbons from my hair in one smooth motion, before tossing them back towards Hibiki as pink locks fall almost to my knees, swaying as I walk forward. "Which means that it's time to stop fighting like a human, and time to start fighting like a dragon!"

Unrestrained, my power surges suddenly, cracking the ground beneath me as it rushes outward. Directed mainly forwards, it smashes against the buildings all around us, reducing them to rubble before my power draws back in on itself, almost like repressurizing a magic diving tank.

Most of the wizards here have never seen me do this before. In fact, the only one here who's actually seen me like this is Jura. He was there at the crown of Nirvana. He saw my scales.

Now, I hold out one arm to keep the other wizards back, and scales dance across my skin, shining an eerie silvery purple under the light of the red moon as my hair turns silver. When lightning sparks around me, gold spirals in wisps through the scales, along with streaking the silver of my hair. "Dragon Force. And…a mode change, Storm Dragon Mode!"

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

It's incredible, I've never felt such intense magic power before. The closest have been Sting and Rogue, and even Natsu, Gajeel, and Laxus. Maybe it's because we're so close, or maybe it's because usually, you wouldn't expect so much raw power to be coming from her, it just seems all the more incredible.

A growl emanates from her throat. "I'll take the Stone Dragon. But I smell grunts headed this way. The rest of you, take care of the soldiers, I've got this one." And just like that, she disappears in a flash of light, that flash being all that we can see as she flies around the dragon, smashing one attack after another into it's rocky scales.

Beside me, Kagura looks stunned. "What…IS that?"

"Dragon Force, the ultimate form of a dragon slayer." I mean, I knew that she could do it, but I've never actually seen…this! She doesn't even look human anymore. Barely any of her exposed skin is free of scales,and her hair…it's an unearthly silver, like polished moonlight.

"I've seen her do that before." Millianna steps up, almost hiding behind Kagura. "It was right after she and Natsu brought the Tower of Heaven crashing down. She was unconscious, and the scales went away quickly, but…that's what I saw…"

"That's wild…" Bacchus seems lost for words, and most of the other wizards here are just staring in shock, awe, and maybe even a little fear. I can't blame them, but still…I know her, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to see them reacting like that. They didn't react like that to Sting and Rogue's Dragon Force. Then again…she looks far less human than they did.

"Then why not use this form to win the Grand Magic Games?" Kagura frowns. "Like this, Fairy Tail could easily have taken out most of the competition in minutes."

"Perhaps, however, I believe that it is because she does not permit herself to use this power, unless in a life and death battle." Jura's analysis of her intentions is, I believe, very accurate.

"Yeah…" I smile at the sight. "It's because under all that power, she's got too kind a heart, she doesn't want to use it to hurt people. And that's why she holds back." I grip her ribbons in my hand, before stashing them away in one of my pockets. "Okay, she said that there are foot soldiers on their way, let's put together a plan of attack!"

Less than a minute later, the grunts come over the sides of buildings, and it's not much longer before there's whole battles going on around us.

And only one thing breaks through the chaos. "Storm Dragon's Roar!" A column of wind and lightning engulfs the Stone Dragon, obscuring it completely from sight as the magic shoots almost a mile into the sky and into the slowing hurricane. Through the eye of which we can see the bloody moon.

"What in the world was that!?" Chelia comes flying over, crushing a couple of the dragon soldiers with a well placed kick.

I grin as I keep an eye on the battlefield, telepathically sending out tallies and coordinates of enemies. "That would be a dragon slayer getting busy doing what she does best! Destroying everything in sight!" And it's true, because those attacks that miss are hitting buildings and bringing them down in seconds. In fact, she's causing almost as much damage as the dragon itself. Though I guess that shouldn't be a surprise, considering that right now, she's fighting like one.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I didn't actually expect that roar to disintegrate it or anything, but I'm mildly surprised that I managed to lift the fucker thirty whole feet off the ground. Though I'm quick to get out from underneath it as I charge up a second roar to hit it from above as it crashes back down to the ground.

And I have to say that my blood is boiling as I smirk at the sight of my handiwork. Wind and lightning are natural factors of erosion, and today is no exception, because chunks of the Stone Dragon's rocky scale have been cleaved away by my efforts.

Now, for something new. Following my instincts, I gather magic in my hands, bringing them together before slamming them down at the dragon. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art! Storm Dragon's Blinding Air Cutter!" It's a crescent moon shaped blade of concentrated wind and lightning magic, and it cleaves through several more spires of rock, almost getting down to the thing's skin. If this thing even has skin under all this rock armor.

I spot Kagura down on the ground, fighting a group of those dragonlings. But that's not the issue. No, the issue is that the Stone Dragon is about to turn her into a pancake. And that's not something I'm going to let him do.

Racing down, I annihilate the dragonlings with my claws, before pushing Kagura to the ground. "Stay down!"

Her eyes widen as the dragon's foot comes down on top of us, leaving me to brace myself just before it hits, using my enhanced strength to hold off the weight of it's body with just my own.

"Ciara!" Lyon yells my name across the battlefield, fear apparent in his voice.

Hibiki is almost as frantic. "Ciara! Where are you!?"

My friends seem to think that I've been beaten. So much for having faith in me. That said, in order to force the dragon off me, I make a semi-desperate move. "Storm Dragon's Flashing Claws!" The effort is enough to unbalance the dragon and send it crashing onto its side. I grab Kagura and race out from underneath it, wincing as I notice the open cut on my arm. "Damn it." An injury is only going to slow me down, especially if it keeps bleeding, along with the other hits I've taken from the damn dragon moving around and slamming spikes into me.

Attacking the dragon from the outside is taking way too long, and it's costing me a lot of energy, and more blood than I'm comfortable with. _Okay...what's the fastest way to get at its insides...AH!_ With only one weak spot that I can think of using that can't possibly fail, but that could also spell the end for me, I contact Hibiki. _Hey, I've got an idea that should work. So, I thought that I should let you know that I'm about to do something very stupid. If it works, though, it'll end the battle. If it doesn't..._

 _What? What are you planning to do!?_ His mental voice is frantic, worried. And I can't blame him, considering the stupid plan I came up with.

 _There's a way to hit a dragon where it hurts. It's pretty much the same for dragon slayers. We have very dangerous appetites that get us into trouble more often than not. It's my best chance to get at its soft, vital bits!_

 _No, you not thinking of-! Don't do it!_

 _Well, at least this way you'll know pretty much immediately if I've succeeded or failed._ It's definitely going to count high at the top of the list of stupid things I've done in my life, but I don't care. What I do care about is ending this battle as quickly as possible and preventing anyone from getting themselves killed by this dragon.

Out of nowhere, I get a flash of the future, like a premonition in the middle of this battle, or a daydream but more like a nightmare. I see myself being ripped in half by the dragon while trying to get into its stomach. I can almost feel my body being crushed between boulder-like teeth, just for an instant. _What the hell was that!?_

Something about that just felt…off, for some reason. But still, no matter what I saw, I have to do this. So when the dragon opens its mouth to roar, nearly mowing down all of us in the process were it not for some quick dodging, the opportunity arises to take advantage of it's attack to launch a counter-strike. A very…special one.

When the moment finally arrives, I blast towards the dragon at double the speed I was originally planning and make it past the boulder crushing teeth before it closes its mouth after its breath attack, tumbling across the rough tongue and straight down its slimy throat. As I tumble down the rather spacious throat, I wrap myself tightly in a ball of wind, just in case there's stomach acid down there. I'd really rather not deal with that.

Inside its stomach is a mess of pinkish walls and a small lake of stomach acid. The dragon's stomach is huge, at least the size of my bedroom. The folds drip with slime and acid, and the stench is horrendous. But with my mission in mind I unleash a hurricane of dragon slayer magic in all directions. I sharpen it and strengthen it, making it more powerful than I've ever tried before. And then, when the walls start to bleed and I get hot splashes of dragon blood all over my body, I let out a deafening roar that blasts right up the dragon's throat and into the sky.

* * *

Hibiki's P.O.V.

I can't believe what I've just seen. Seeing her fighting that dragon by herself was insane enough. Then she pulled the stupidest stunt I've ever seen.

She flew right down that thing's throat. She let a dragon EAT her! _Ciara!_ I try reaching out to her with telepathy, but it's no good, I can barely even sense her anymore.

"Hibiki, what's going on!?" Eve's been pushed back by the increasing numbers of these damned dragon soldiers. "Where did she go!?"

I look up at the dragon, who's at least stopped moving for the time being. "She…flew into it's mouth. I think that she's trying to take it down from the inside. She said something about a dragon's appetite being it's biggest weakness. And then she just zoomed in!"

"Is she insane!?" It's good to see that I'm not the only one questioning her mental state at the moment. Though her mental state is hardly our most pressing issue. We just lost contact with the only dragon slayer in this area! Our friend!

Then, the ground starts shaking, and the dragon seems more than just a little upset as it stomps around. "Damn you, spawn of Igneel! What do you think you're-"

But the dragon doesn't get to finish, because a silver cyclone comes blasting out of its mouth. I shoot Eve a wry smile. "Looks like she's still alive in there, at least."

"No kidding." His mouth drops open like he's never seen anything like this before. And to be fair, neither have I.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

The dragon's stomach convulses around me, blood and acid mixing together into an even more foul-smelling mixture. But on the bright side, it looks like my mission is a success. It may be hard to hit from the outside, but the inside…well, that's just a mushy mess of soft flesh and vital organs. I cough roughly as I inhale the stench of stomach acid and dragon's blood. Seriously, that's rank.

Then, the convulsions get worse, and everything flips around, sloshing all over the place as I'm pushed by the rising tide of blood back up the dragons throat, and out of its mouth. The Stone Dragon pukes me up at a dizzying speed, straight into a puddle of blood.

The blood burns as it touches my skin, and I blast air all around me, scraping away as much of the blood as I can, which isn't much without water. Thankfully, small parts of my skin are all that were burned, and solely from the heat of the blood, like running boiling water over my skin. _Looks like the blood diluted the acid enough…at least there's that. And my Dragon Force protected all of the skin under my scales That's useful._

I honestly feel like I'm going to die. Everything aches, and my blood feels like it's burning now that my skin's stopped. But the dragon seems to be doing even worse. It crumples to the ground, moaning and groaning. And for a dragon that tends to get very loud. The groaning makes the ground shake, making it rather difficult to get back on my feet.

With the dragon barely moving anymore and me covered in blood, I think that it is safe to say that this dragon is no longer a threat. Hibiki races over and pulls me to my feet, looking at me in amazement. "You are the most reckless person I have ever met, with the exception of Natsu."

I shrug tiredly. "Yeah, well I had to do something. And it worked, so don't jump down my throat about it." I laugh pathetically at my own bad joke. With this dragon down, it's best for me to take off and look for another dragon to help fight. "You guys clean up here, there are other dragons still running loose, and I'm sure one of my fellow dragon slayers is going to need some help. This dragon's not going to be any trouble for a while." Well, that's assuming that it doesn't bleed out all over the streets and die, in that case, it won't be any trouble until it comes time to move it, and that'll be for a whole different reason. That option would be preferable, though I'll take it being injured and unable to fight at a minimum. I'm pretty sure I ruptured at least a couple of its organs, not to mention shredding its stomach. So it shouldn't be getting up again any time soon. Not that I should be getting up any time soon, but I digress.

"Will do." Hibiki grins at me. "And thanks, we owe you one. Just...try not to get eaten by any more dragons."

"No promises. And consider this me paying you guys back for helping to find us!" I rise into the air, steadying myself carefully, before looking at the scattered wizards and grinning at them, before spinning around and shooting off into the sky.

First, I really need to wash off all this stinking blood so that I can start tracking people down without it blocking out all other scents and making my nose burn. And then...I need to figure out just what the hell that Rogue from the future was talking about.

* * *

 **Well, that's the only way I could really think of to have her put a dragon on the ground, if only for the rest of the battle.**

 **Now, who do you think she's going to go and back up next?**


	114. Eclipse Flattened

**No, Chaos, Natsu was standing on the steeple of a building after getting rescued by Ultear and Meredy and then jumped, that's canon. Natsu teaming up with Atlas Flame happens after his second confrontation with Rogue (and Lucy comes spinning at him naked through the air and knocks him off Motherglare and into the bell, and Future Rogue is like WTF JUST HAPPENED!?) Then the time magic comes into play. Which means that Natsu is with Atlas Flame in the sky, taking on Future Rogue and Motherglare. Gray just got his ass saved, minor characters are alive, Laxus has joined Wendy, and Sting and Rogue have hooked back up to fight back to back against two dragons. So that is a summary of the current situation (in canon).**

 **Frostfire, good point brought up. I always thought it was weird too that no one went for the squishy bits. So, that's why I had her use the strategy she did. Nothing softer, squishier, and more vulnerable than the one place with no scales at all. And obviously ancient dragon slayers could do it, and they managed it somehow. This might have been how. And the other squishy bits are next on the list.**

 **And yes, she replaces Eric, for anyone else wondering. And this arc is going to be shorter, seeing as the whole thing is mostly just showing the same hour from like a dozen different perspectives. It's not actually that long.**

 **I'll be basing Levia's elemental affinity on the powerful wind blast it showed near the start of the battle, since otherwise, there's no indication of a particular affinity.**

 **For anyone complaining or skeptical about her taking down a dragon. Here is my response. Natsu, Motherglare, Eclipse.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I take about sixty seconds to dip myself thoroughly into one of the canals in the city, scrubbing away as much of the blood left on my skin as possible and washing it out of my hair. My clothes are ruined, I know that much, and my vest…well, it's now floating down the canal in tatters. It's a shame, I liked that vest.

But there's something that concerns me far more than my ruined clothes. It's what Rogue said, the one from the future. The way he was talking…there's two things that stuck out.

The first is that he blames me for his darkness. Now that, I think I understand. What Gajeel said to me seems to indicate that somehow, Rogue's shadow magic absorbed my darkness, and created a sentient being out of it. At least, that's the running theory I've got.

The second, though…I know that love, loss, and pain can drive a person to do crazy things, but…he talked about how killing me would cause his past self less pain. _What's that about? I mean, unless… I freeze, a sheet of silver extending around me in the water. Okay, he said that mates are only burdens if all they do is die. Then…is his dead? If he's from seven years in the future, then he must be twenty_ _six. It_ _wouldn't be unreasonable for him to have a…partner. So…did he lose them?_

One explanation comes to mind, though it's a bit wild, to put it lightly. He didn't say it directly, but he implied that in the future, I'm no longer alive. He knows details about me that I haven't shared with the world at large, and personal things too. He talked like he knew me on a close, personal level. _…Is that why Rogue turned red earlier? Would my death…really screw him up this badly? No…there has to be more to it than just that, but what…?_

In any case, I don't have time to sit around pondering what ifs. For all I know, I could be way off, and he's just being spiteful and blaming me for something I had no hand in. I can wonder, theorize, and confirm things later. For now, the crisis takes precedence.

Now that I can smell something other than dragon blood, I sniff the air and pick up Natsu's scent over all of the smoke and blood hanging in the air. He's far away, but it's not like distance matter much to someone who can fly at the speed of sound when they really push it.

I shoot into the sky, following those traces of Natsu's scent, and the overwhelming scent of a fire dragon. They're mixed tightly together, which means that I had better approach with caution.

As the dragon and my brother come into sight, I notice something strange. Natsu's form can be seen on top of the fire dragon's head. As though sensing my approach, Natsu's voice rings in my head. _Yo, Ciara! I saw you put that dragon on the ground! Nice!_

 _Quick question. Is that fire dragon a friendly? Or do I have to worry about it shooting me out of the sky?_

 _What, Uncle Atlas? Nah, he's cool! It's that other dragon you gotta watch out for!_

 _Duly noted._ I fly over, hanging in the air turned towards the fire dragon. _So, how did you get yourself a dragon?_

I can already feel Natsu's smug grin. _Well, Uncle here was a friend of Dad's! His name is Atlas Flame! I started chowing down on him, and for some reason, he figured out that I knew Igneel! So I told him that Igneel is Dad!_

 _I see._ I stare appreciatively the impressive form of Atlas Flame. "Thank you for taking care of my brother. He can be a bit of an idiot sometimes."

"Brother…?" I think that if Atlas Flame has a visible nose, it would probably be twitching as he smells me. "Tell me, are you also a child of Igneel?"

"Yep!" I drift a little further away from him so that he can see me properly. "But unlike Natsu, I'm not overly fireproof. So while I'd like to go riding around on your head, I don't think that's a very good idea. Now…" _Know any dragon slayers who need a hand? I'm done with my fight, so I'd like to help out._

 _Well, there's a fight going on below us right now, if you're interested._ He points down over the side of the dragon at the ground far below.

I glance back down through the smoke and ash, and see two more dragons down on the ground. And despite the altitude, I can faintly see their opponents. _Sting…Rogue…_

"Go, daughter of Igneel, we will do battle in the sky, watching over your battle as long as we are able." Hearing Atlas Flame's voice is quite an experience. I haven't heard anything like it since Igneel disappeared. And he does have a pint, because it looks like Future Rogue is coming back for round…three? Are they at round four now? Well, if nothing else, dragon slayers don't give up easily.

Despite that, a smile blooms on my face, filling me up with his encouragement. "You got it, Uncle!"

I lean back and let the wind around me disappear for a few seconds, tipping me back as I fall through the air, listening to the wind whistle loudly. _Kick his ass, Natsu!_

 _Will do._

 _Now…_ I race down towards the ground at blinding speed. _Time to rack up the body count. But first…let's rescue two little kittens, shall we?_

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

It feels like it's been an eternity since the dragons appeared, and we're just not gaining any ground. We're holding against them, but…even with all of Sabertooth finding their way back to each other, I just don't know how much longer we can keep this up before everyone runs out of magic, or is too injured or tired to fight, or worse.

And that's not something I want to think about, not now when we're finally figuring out how to work together. This is supposed to be a new dawn for Sabertooth, not its end.

That dragon, the one with the fins, the one that's been trying to capture me this whole time…based on the way it looks, you'd think it was a water dragon. But you'd be wrong. No, that thing's been buffeting us with sharp blasts of wind this whole time. And he's torn this part of the city to shreds.

"Damn it, what do we do!?" Orga's been throwing black lightning at it and the purple dragon for a while, and not even our dragon slayer abilities seem to be having much of an effect. _How are we supposed to beat dragons like this!?_

Three dozen of us, and we're throwing everything we've got at them. We've fought to a standstill, and even that's being generous. What's worse, is when that finned one, Levia, I think the other one called it, starts charging up a breath attack. _Is this it?_

"Everybody, brace yourselves!" Sting calls out the order, but I' not sure how much good it'll do.

With a deafening sound, Levia unleashes its mighty roar. It cuts through the air, racing towards us with the power of a hurricane. And then…nothing? All of the wind goes racing over our heads instead.

"Thanks for the food, I needed to recharge after my last battle." I turn to see a figure standing tall on one of the buildings behind us, one who seems to glow in the darkness. Glowing with power, newly replenished by the looks of it.

"And who the hell is that!?" Orga isn't the only one confused. It seems like no one has any idea who it is.

Rufus spares a questioning glance at the figure. "I have no memory of a wizard with this power."

And neither do I, at least…not until I catch a whiff of spice and pine needles, almost hidden under the scent of a dragon's blood. _Could it be…?_

The purple one raises its head, I think Levia called it Scissor Runner. "This must be the spawn of the Flame Dragon King that the Stone Dragon was yapping about. The weakling…" There's a derisive snort to the voice. "To be brought down by a little dragon slayer. Pitiful."

"You wanna bet?" Her voice is a feral growl, but…it's still hers. "Go to sleep. Storm Dragon's…ROAR!"

A cyclone of sharp wind and crackling lightning erupts over our heads, smashing into both dragons and…actually putting them off balance. The sheer amount of magic power in that attack…it reminds me of when we fought Natsu.

"Sting!" Lector comes racing across the ground with Frosch in tow. "You'll never guess what happened! Frosch and I were surrounded by those little dragons, and she swooped in to save us!"

"She did?" Sting turns his head towards the figure, only for her to disappear from sight. "Wait, where'd she go!?"

"Right here!" Her voice echoes from just above the dragons as a flash of light comes streaking down straight on Scissor Runner's head, smashing it down to the ground with a hundred times more force than I though she could put out. But my nose can't be lying. _Ciara…? But how?_

A roar rips from her mouth, slamming into Levia's side as Scissor Runner groans and shakes her off his head. "Get off me, filthy human!"

"Who are you calling human!? She flips through the air, landing in front of us, crouching low to the ground. "I'm a dragon slayer, the child of a dragon." Wind whips around her, and a silver glow illuminates her features, revealing…a startling picture.

Eyes like pools of silver, hair spun from moonlight, and then some of it kissed by the sun. And scales…small, tightly packed and flexible scales extending all over her, only leaving a few soft parts, like her throat and the insides of her arms bare, along with the middle of her face. But that's impossible, because you can only look like that if-

"Wait a minute, is that Dragon Force!?" Sting's eyes widen. "No way! But how? You can't do that without-"

"Without either consuming a great deal of concentrated magical power, or having a lacrima implanted in your body, I know." She straightens up slowly. "You two really need to stop assuming things. Think for a minute. I was raised by a fire dragon. How would I learn wind magic from Igneel?"

 _…A lacrima…_ That explains so much, including the almost dragon-like form she's showing now. Though it raises even more questions than it answers. I take in the sight one more time. "What are you doing here? Aren't there seven dragons to deal with?"

"The Stone Dragon is on the ground." Her voice is clipped, hard. "Thought that you could use some backup. So I'm here to put down these two as well."

"Insolent human…" Levia growls. "I look forward to eating you!"

"So did the Stone Dragon, and that's why it's on the ground, puking up blood. Well, if it's still alive, anyway." She did it…she really brought down a dragon? That's incredible…

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I guess it was lucky that there was wind dragon wandering around, or whatever this big blue one is. Close enough for me to improvise, at least. I needed a recharge otherwise I'd be running almost on empty right now.

Still, there are things that need doing, and I look into the crowd of Sabertooth wizards. It's funny, I thought that after all of their solidarity problems, that they'd have ended up drifting far away from each other. But it looks like they found their way back to each other in the end. That's good.

The, I spot who I'm looking for. "Your name is Dobengal, right?"

"Ah…yes, Ma'am." Ma'am? This ninja is weird, to put it bluntly.

Whatever, he'll still be useful. "You have teleportation abilities, right? I want you to take Lector and Frosch and find someplace safe and on high ground. Neither of them are suited for combat, and it's about to get chaotic here, fast."

"Right." Surprisingly, he doesn't even question the order. Though that might have something to do with how hard I hit those dragons. Well, I guess scaring them into submission is one way to get things moving. Though I'm not too fond of having people be scared of me. When I'm like this, though…I can hardly blame them. Now… I reach out with my mind and touch those of everyone in the area. _Can you all hear me?_

There's a few loud outbursts and slight panic attacks, but after a few seconds, Rogue's voice echoes in my head. _Yeah, I can hear you._

 _I can hear ya too, what's up?_ Sting glances at me, raising an eyebrow.

 _What do you say we throw everything we've got at these two? Because you two need to stop fighting like humans, and start fighting like dragons if you wanna beat them._ I grin at the sight of two dragons. _After all, Natsu's not the only one with a fire in their belly._

 _Hey! We've got trouble coming!_ A mental voice calls my attention, one of the Sabertooth wizards. And as I look towards the smell of approaching grunts, I frown. Okay, everyone is going to need to spread out and buddy up, that's the best way to stay alive. And I know that well through personal experience. After all, when Natsu and I fight back to back, nothing can stop us.

Wait…

As the dragonlings start flooding in through the breaks in the rubble, the wizards spread out and start firing, giving me a chance to get Sting and Rogue focused on me. _Do you two remember how I fought with Natsu against the two of you?_

 _Yeah, what about it?_ Sting raises his eyebrow higher at me.

 _Well…I was just wondering if you guys wanted to team up with me, that's all._ I can think of all sorts of ways for three people to wreak havoc, instead of just two.

 _Good idea._ Rogue cloaks himself in shadows, black marks extending over his skin.

Sting does the same, white marks appearing as light flashes around him. "Now!"

The next to seconds happen in a blur as the two dragons try to claw us out of existence. But I pick up the three of us with a powerful gusts of wind and hurl us about thirty feet back, getting us enough distance to launch a counter-attack. And the first victims, as I flip upside down and prop myself up on Sting's shoulders, twisting around, are a couple dozen of those dragonlings.

He looks up at me, kind of bewildered. "Whoa, what are you doing!?"

"Using you as leverage!" I whip my legs around, shooting blades of wind from my boots and mowing down whole ranks of them before hopping off his shoulders and into the air. _Now come on, the keyword is teamwork!_

"Right!" Sting holds out his hand, gathering light into it. And as Rogue does the same with his shadows, I recognize the movement, the concentrating power. _Perfect…_

I rise into the air as their Unison Raid rips across the ground, flapping wings of wind at it and giving it twice the speed it had before.

The resulting explosion takes out every building behind the dragons within about half a mile. I chuckle quietly. _Well, if there's anything we're good at, it's destroying stuff. You two would do well in Fairy Tail._

Rogue smiles. "Does that mean we're as bad as all of you now?"

"Eh…almost." I laugh at the idea. "But you've still got a ways to go before you're at Natsu's level of destruction. But…let's see if I can do any better." I focus as much power as I can into my hand. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art! Spear of the Thunderhead!"

In my hand appears a silver and gold spear of wind and lightning, crackling and twisting within my grasp. Perfect, now aim carefully… I loose it in an instant once I find my target, shooting it straight at the blue one's left eye.

Direct hit straight to the soft tissue there.

A roar of pain and displeasure rips through the air, and I grin with satisfaction. _Aim for their eyes. We can injure them and take out one of their senses at the same time! And if you can get at the wing joints as well, do it!_

 _Right!_ They both rush forwards across the ground, magic already being cast at the weak spots. And while they take the ground, I race across the sides of the few still half standing buildings, throwing everything I've got into aiming at their eyes.

The purple one's tail whips up out of nowhere, slamming into me in mid air, and shooting me back towards the ground and straight through a brick tower. If I wasn't covered in scale, I'm pretty sure that I would have broken a lot more than just the tower.

 _Ciara!_ Rogue is in some kind of panic. He really needs to have more faith in my ability to take a hit and keep fighting.

 _What the hell happened!?_ Sting's voice invades my thoughts loudly.

 _Hey! Did she go down!?_ At least Orga isn't singing this time.

 _I do not believe so, as the telepathy still functions._ At least Rufus knows what's going on, sort of.

 _I'm fine, so quit worrying, damn it!_ The rubble blasts away from me as I stand up, wind swirling around me angrily. I take the deepest breath I've ever had, before unleashing a roar that shakes the ground as it races through the air, ripping up what's left of the paving stones in front of me and slamming full force into the blue dragon.

Then, I look up into the sky to see a huge, faming meteor shooting out of it towards the castle. _What the hell is that!? Wait…those flames look like-_ I race out into the open space, watching with wide eyes as the meteor crashes into…something over there with a deafening boom that shakes the entire city. "Natsu!"

"Wait, did you just say Natsu?" Rogue races over, his shadow still lashing out at the dragons as he runs.

I try to resist the urge to laugh. "When in doubt, the biggest explosion is Natsu." And the cloud of smoke that it tosses into the air is monumental, like a huge gray mushroom.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

"That was Natsu…?" I never thought that he was that powerful. I mean, I know that he's strong, stronger than me and Sting, but still…

Then, something strange happens,and the dragons start to glow,them and the little ones dissolving into golden mist. "What's going on?"

Sting blinks bemusedly. "So, uh…was that us?"

Ciara is silent for a bit, before almost doubling over in hysterical laughter. "He-Natsu did it!" Her laughs grow even stronger as our guild members look at her, perplexed. "H-he crashed a dragon into the Eclipse gate! F-Fairy Tail Secret Art: Property Damage!"

Now it makes sense why she's laughing like that. Fairy Tail has always had a reputation for being a destructive guild, but it looks like this time…their destructive tendencies were for the best. Still… "What does that mean exactly?"

She hiccups a bit as she tries to stop laughing, wiping her eyes before turning to smile at me. "He says that Lucy told him that the gate in the future wont exist now, so the one who came back won't be able to use it to bring the dragons here, so they're vanishing and going back to their own time. It's over…"

Sting drops to the ground. "Man, that was pathetic."

I sit down as well head hung in shame. "And we call ourselves dragon slayers? What a joke."

"Just goes to show how tough those things really are. And Aconologia's even more powerful than them." Sting sighs, his eyes moving to Ciara, who is still giggling away. "How did you guys survive Acnologia, anyway?"

She blinks, before smiling again. She's been smiling at us a lot lately. Only this one…looks sad. "Well, I was given the gift of a special spell, and using all of the magic power we could gather, I cast it around the island. It's why no one could find us for so long. The others did their job, and it protected us, but I screwed up. I cast it wrong, and we stayed asleep…and didn't age at all."

"I see…" That must have been hard. And judging by the way her smile fades, she must be carrying the guilt of that action with her, even though it was all to save her friends.

"That sucks." Sting sighs. "Its weird, we fought all those dragons, and now they're gone, but it sure as hell doesn't feel like a victory."

No, he's wrong. "It is a victory…" I smile as I look at our scattered guildmates, still very much alive. "We protected our friends, didn't we?"

"Yes, you did." And instead of looking sad, Ciara's smile is soft and warm. "And that's what's most important. Because as long as your friends are still alive, you'll get up again no matter how many times you're knocked down."

"Yeah…" I can understand where that strength and stubborn determination come from. It's reckless, in a way, but if it works…

She sighs heavily, eyes glazed, and looking very…unsteady on her feet. "Oh no…I did it again…" What?

There's no time to catch her before she collapses in the dirt. But it can't be anything good, and my magic ebbs away as I race towards her. "Ciara!"

I slide the last ten feet and roll her over, my eyes taking in the pale skin beneath the hard, smooth scales, and the dramatic decrease in her body temperature. _What the hell is going on here!?_

"Rogue!? What's going on?" Sting sits across from me, looking down at her. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" There's something wrong, and I just… "Hang on." I press my ear to her chest, listening carefully there. "Okay, her heart is still beating…" But that doesn't explain at all why she collapsed. She's growing paler and colder by the second. "What's wrong with her?"

Sting puts a hand on my shoulder. "Her brother's at the castle, right? If anyone would know what's wrong with her…"

"Yeah!" I pick her up in my arms, shuffling her until she fits there comfortably. "Sting-"

"Just go!" He stands up and heads towards the others. "And hurry, she needs help."

"Right." I squeeze her a bit, holding tightly to her as everything around us melts into shadows.

The two of us pop out just outside the castle, near the wreckage of some huge construct. And standing there over a glowing figure is Natsu. He looks over at us, and the look of worry on his face is unlike anything I've ever seen, and it sends chills down my spine.

He marches over. "Give her here."

"What's wrong with her!?" What good will giving her over do if he wont say what's wrong?

"Just do it!" He grabs her, lowering her to the ground as flames envelop him. They lick up his skin, and then up hers. "She needs to be kept warm. She doesn't have enough magic left. Wendy! We need you! Ciara's sick!"

I swallow down my own panic as the youngest dragon slayer flies over with her Exceed. "What's happening to her?"

"She ran out of magic, and it's killin' her!" Natsu's flames bring some color back to his sister's skin, and Wendy's magic soon has her stirring feebly.

But I feel like I'm being watched. It's strange.

I look over my shoulder and see a single ruby eye in a glowing face. _Is that…me?_ He's missing his right eye, and there's a black tattoo curling up the left side of his face. And instead of all black hair, his long white hair is spread out across the ground.

He glows brightly, so brightly that it almost blinds me. And then…I see.

* * *

Future Rogue's P.O.V.

It's bright…warm…something I haven't felt in a very long time.

I open my eyes slowly, both of them. _Wait, but how? My right eye…_ I raise my hand to my face, feeling around the eye that shouldn't be there. As I do that, black hair swing into my field of vision on my left side, where it should be white instead. But it's not. It's black, and still short. _What's going on?_

"Rogue?" A soft voice catches my attention, and I look down as I sit up.

Lying there in a ruby red night gown,silver eyes on me, and soft waves of pink and silver hair spread all over the pillow is… "Ciara…"

"Is something wrong?" She sits up as well, brushing her hair back as the night gown slips down a little, revealing a series of wispy black scales on her sternum, spreading out over her collarbones in the form of a soaring dragon. "Rogue? You look so pale…"

"You're alive…" I reach up to touch the silvery blue scales that decorate the sides of her face, the wispy spirals reaching delicately down her arms, chest, back, all the way down to the tips of her toes like beautiful tattoos, only a small taste of her full power's physical form.

"I'm-" Her eyes widen. "The timeline caught up." She reaches for me, resting my head on her chest so that I can hear her heart. "It's alright. Sting and I knew this was going to happen someday. But it's going to be alright. You just need a little time for your memories to catch up, and then you'll remember everything."

I wrap my arms around her, almost not daring to believe that she could be right here in front of me. Not after she died in my arms. Dying…while I was still grieving for Frosch. It just wasn't fair…

"Rogue, be careful how tightly you squeeze. You don't want to squish Ryos' little sister, do you?" She pushes me playfully. "He and Frosch are so excited for the baby."

Wait, baby? "Ryos?" _But isn't that…_

"Mommy! Daddy! Fro wants to play outside with Uncle Sting and Lector!" A tiny dark ball of excitement and energy races into the room, bouncing across the bed and nearly on top of me. "Mommy, is something wrong with Daddy?"

She reaches for the little boy as I lift my head. A little boy, maybe five years old, with ebony hair and onyx eyes. "No, nothing's wrong with your Daddy. He's just tired and needs some more sleep, okay? Oh, and Sting?"

"Yeah?" His blond head pokes around the open door. And it's a face I haven't see in so long. "What's up?"

"First of all, you know the rules. You don't get to come into the room, not after your last prank exploded under the bed." She glares at him mockingly. "If you do, I'll tell Yukino and let her straighten you out. And second…take Ryos and Frosch out for the day. We're not playing catch up anymore."

His sapphire eyes widen, then fall on me as he smiles. "Good to see you back in one piece, Rogue. I'll watch the kid, but take it easy. And number two isn't even showing, so go easy and don't start trying for number three yet."

Sting!" Ciara throws a pillow at him, and the boy, Ryos, climbs off the bed, laughing as he races out into the hall, following a very familiar pink tail. Sting disappears as well, shutting the door behind him.

"You're…pregnant." I look down at her stomach and slowly, memories are being overwritten. She didn't die in my arms. Acnologia never… It's like it was all just a bad dream.

She laughs. "Yes, two months. And Cana predicted it would be a girl."

"A girl…" It's so…surreal. A little boy who looks like me, and Ciara in my bed, carrying a daughter, our daughter…

"Well, I named the first one, so…" She runs her fingers gently through my hair. "Do you know what you want to name her yet?"

Tears trickle down my cheeks as I lie down and nuzzle her stomach. "Not yet…but I will."

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

I blink, not entirely sure what just happened. Was…was that real? Or was that a dream? I could have sworn that I just saw…the future? But Ciara's eyes were silver, and scales were on her skin even without Dragon Force.

My eyes drop to the girl lying in front of me, and I clench my fists as tears that aren't mine pepper the ground beneath me, and a sense of fear and relief twist together in my gut. _I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise._

And after everything that's happened…I'll be a better person too, someone she would be proud to call her mate. That's another promise I intend to keep.


	115. The Grand Banquet

**Yeah, the green furby thing is a filler arc, and I could go through those, but I was mostly thinking…screw with the timeline a bit and actually have some things get done BEFORE the Tartaros arc. I mean, I could do one of the filler arcs, or make reference to them (like Ciara is doing XXX during this episode and doing OOO during that episode), but I was gonna throw a couple of curveballs first and push back the Tartaros arc by a fair bit.**

 **Also, someone is good at math, I was also careful with the math. 5 is just a ballpark, could be as young as 4, he was a bit…overwhelmed, and just guessing. But yes, according to the math, she'd be about…19, maybe a little older, why? Well, run the math this way. If she and Natsu are about to turn…18, say, later in the month of July (because Natsu meas summer, so why the heck not, and I was gonna give Rogue a December birthday), so if you keep running the math, then what's happening about a year later (theoretically, while she's pregnant, and maybe doesn't know about it)?**

 **She'd also be getting close to 20 when the kid was born.**

 **Besides, Bisca and Alzack got married at 19 and had a kid shortly after that.**

 **This chapter is going to be funny, then fluffy. Also, innuendo and jokes. Enjoy.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I sigh and try to resist the urge to pick at my hair and find a way to stop anyone from looking at my eyes. "They're going to notice...ad someone's going to say something."Or worse, I'll get stares about it. After all, everyone who knows me is used to...well, normal me. Not this...

"You look beautiful. I don't see why anyone would say anything about your appearance." Princess Hisui picks at my hair, braiding it like she insisted on doing three hours ago. In fact, I think that if I'd refused her request, she would have made it a royal command.

I'm not entirely sure how it happened, but when I woke up this morning, I ended up escorted by some guards to see the princess, who then decided to use me as a dress-up doll. I guess someone must have told her about the battles or something, because I don't really get why she's being so nice to me otherwise.

In any case, her being nice isn't the problem, my eyes are. After the battle, when my Dragon Force finally receded…my eyes were the only things that didn't. I've been hiding it since this morning, when I looked in the mirror.

My eyes are still silver.

Despite my discomfort, though, she insisted on picking out a dress for me from the wide selection kept in the castle. What she picked…ended up being a floor length, formfitting blue dress with more sparkles than I can count, silver sashes around the waist and hanging from the single strap over my right shoulder. My arms are left bare, save for another long silver sash held in the crooks of my elbows.

At least she listened to my color request. I don't think I could pull off purple, yellow, or orange. There's a reason that blue, silver, and red make up most of my wardrobe.

Still, as she braids pieces of my hair to tie up, I can't help but feel very self-conscious. Especially since she's dealing with about four feet of bright pink hair. I doubt she's ever braided hair this long before. "Um…Princess Hisui? Why did you ask for me anyway?"

"I wanted to meet you." She pins some of the small braids up, leaving much of my hair loose. "After all, you're one of the dragon slayers."

"I see." I sit still as she pulls two of the longest braids back from my temples and wraps them around the rest of my hair in a lattice, before tying them out of sight. Not only that, but she broke out extra long silver chains to weave into the braids and loop around my head in small waves. It's all very elaborate. Meaning that it's not me at all, and it makes me feel like I'm trying to compete with the other girls. "So…is there anything you want to ask me about?"

She blinks over my shoulder, something I can see well in the mirror. "Well, if it's not too much trouble, could you tell me how you defeated one of the dragons?"

I cringe a little at the memory. Especially since I'm pretty sure that's the reason that my eyes have changed color, probably permanently. "Well, actually…I flew down its throat and into its stomach, before tearing into it from the inside. I needed a vulnerable squishy place, so…I let it eat me."

The expression on her face is quite comical, wide eyed and stunned almost speechless. "Ah…wow, I uh…"

"It's fine." I laugh a little. "Honestly, I'd rather be out there fighting than trying to squeeze myself into a dress and heels. I don't attend parties like this very often." Nor do I usually have a princess messing around with my hair, but I suppose that there's a first for everything.

"Well, I do hope that you enjoy it. You and your brother, and the rest of the dragon slayers and wizards are the reason that we can have it at all." She smiles as she straightens out the last few bits of jewelry on me. "You look like a princess, you know."

"A princess?" Yeah right. "I'm more like a dragon stuffed into a princess' dress. But thank you anyway, the flattery is appreciated. Dragons like flattery, and dragon slayers are fond of it too."

She laughs at the admission. "I'll keep that in mind, then. It's useful to be in the good graces of powerful people."

I snort with amusement. "You mean people who might accidentally destroy the ballroom." I get to my feet and twirl around in the short heels. "I think…I need a few more minutes before heading to the party."

"Alright, then." She smiles gently. "Do you remember the way to the ballroom?"

"I memorized the layout of this place by looking into Natsu's head. I'll be alright." I nudge her gently. "Go on, Princess, your subjects are waiting for you."

"Yes, I suppose they are." She sweeps herself away and out the door with a smile, closing it softly behind her.

I sigh in the silence. _Should I go the party? If I do, they're all going to know something's wrong…_ I look back over my shoulder into the mirror of the vanity. Silver eyes stare back at me. _So it's begun…_ I didn't think it would start this quickly, but then again, this might actually be going slowly. I've used Dragon Force a handful of times, and only bathed in the blood of a single dragon. Maybe…it'll stop here?

Not likely.

I procrastinate going for several more minutes by debating the pros and cons of going to a party like this. In the end, though, it comes down to one thing. Natsu.

He's going to cause trouble again, I just know it.

Still, I put aside my worries, at least for a few minutes, and walk through the castle towards the ballroom. Already, I can hear the sounds of brawling coming from inside. I sigh and shake my head. "Guards, would you please announce my arrival? That should stop the brawling fairly quickly, either out of excitement or out of fear."

One of the guards nods. "Of course." He clears his throat and throws his voice over the entire room. "Attention, Fairy Tail! One of your absent members has arrived!"

That gets nearly everyone in the room to turn their heads, and more than one jaw drops. I draw a lot of stares from every corner of the room.

I walk in and smirk a bit. "So, the drunken brawl has already started, and it's not Natsu's fault. That's quite a twist."

Mira waves over to me. "Ciara! It's good to see that your injuries have healed."

I walk over to her and smile, making sure to walk though half of the brawls, which breaks them up immediately. "Yes, I'm back to normal, for the most part." She smiles back at me and gives me a hug, which is better than a spoken reassurance.

I notice Arcadios on one of the balconies, and he comes with an announcement. "Everyone stop this instant!" then he clears his throat. "In honor of your performances during the games, and for your bravery in facing the greatest danger this kingdom has ever known, His Majesty would like to personally deliver this message to you! Pay Heed!"

When the hall falls silent, I get a very bad feeling. And my bad feelings usually prelude very bad or very stupid situations. True to my instincts, the one who comes out wearing the king's robes and crown is Natsu, utterly shocking everyone in the room.

"Royal subjects, shut up and listen!" And he goes and laughs like an idiot. "All hail, King Natsu! New ruler of Fiore!" And with him being one of the most powerful and destructive mages in the room, no one dares to stop him, they all just sit back and groan. Even the king's elite warriors don't dare stop my brother.

The king tries futilely to get his crown back, but Natsu won't listen. "Aw come on. After all we won your little games!" Then he turns back to the crowd. "For the rest of today, I am your king! Now do what I say!"

Since no one else can do this, I march through the crowd and shove aside a couple of frozen brawlers. I look up at my brother and don't bother keeping my voice down. "Natsu! Give the king back his crown and get your trouble-making ass down here right now, or I swear that I'll come up there and drag you down here myself! So unless you want to be throwing up fireballs for the next three weeks, I suggest that you listen to me before I start using you as a guinea pig to practice ancient magic on!"

He pouts angrily at me. "Aw…why do I have to listen to you!? Just sit back and relax, little sister. Chill out for one night! Your injuries won't heal right if you get too riled up!"

And that pisses me right off. "Then how about we take this outside? I'm more than recovered enough to pound you into the ground! By the time I'm done with you, you'll be lying in a crater bigger than the one Sting made in our match!"

He pouts even more, but takes the crown off. "Damn it Ciara, why do you have to be such a party pooper?"

"Because one of us has to be the responsible one, and it's almost never you!" I sigh as Natsu sticks his tongue out at me, then heads off to change. But when I turn to look at everyone's expressions, they look amazed, stunned and alarmed, probably because Natsu never listens to anyone. I feel a little awkward, and I give them a quick, apologetic bow. "Sorry about that. My big brother has a bad habit of doing stupid things." Not that I' much better, but at least it's not this level of stupid.

Lucy pats me on the shoulder. "It's alright. I think that you just dodged a bullet for us. No way was Natsu going to calm down on his own." Then she drags me over to one of the banquet tables. "Come on, the food is awesome!"

So at Lucy's insistence, I hang out near one of the banquet tables. And after she gets dragged off by Wendy, Jura and Jenny approach me. Jura smiles at me, and Jenny grins. I raise an eyebrow, confused. "You two look like you've found the tastiest treat in a box of sweets."

"That may be because we have." Jura's smile softens a little. "How are you? That battle must have taken its toll on you."

I nod. "It did. Physically, I've recovered, thanks to Wendy, Chelia and Porlyusica. But my magic will take several more days to return to its normal levels." Then I smirk. "But that doesn't mean that I couldn't pound my brother into the ground."

"You could really do that?" Jenny looks at me curiously. "I mean, I know that you fought that dragon, but isn't Natsu supposed to be stronger than you?"

I nod. "He is, though there's no way he would ever take me on at full strength, after all I'm his precious little sister that he would fight through hell and back to protect. He won't actually try to hurt me, but that doesn't mean I won't give him a good whack on the head when he deserves it." I touch around my eyes sadly. "But…there's a price I pay for power, and it's already taking it's toll…" Jura's seen plenty, so I imagine he knows the kind of thing I'm talking about. The more powerful the magic, the higher the price. "All I can do is turn it into my strength, even if it's a weakness…"

"A wise approach." Jura looks at me softly, almost like what I imagine an uncle would be like. "As long as you make the most of every situation, then you will always be able to say that you did your best to stay true to yourself."

Jenny agrees. "And against that dragon…you fought harder than any of us could. You did more in a few minutes than we could have done in years. Everyone felt how powerful you are. And I would say that that's definitely your strength." And I think that's probably the longest compliment she's ever given.

"But more important that your physical strength is your morals." Jura's smile becomes a little fierce, but more like a fierce pride. "You've clearly demonstrated your moral beliefs to everyone, and that is more powerful than anything. I've long believed that Fairy Tail has the strongest moral compass of all the guilds, and that is reflected in how you treat others." Then he chuckles softly. "Though I would suggest not trying to kill anyone again. That might go over badly."

I force out one laugh. "Well, we could probably stand to be a little less destructive, which would benefit our moral compass significantly. But yeah…I suppose that it might cause a few problems if I get angry enough to try kill someone again…" Not that it's really a concern anymore. After all, it seems that Rogue sucked the darkness right out of me without meaning too.

That's something I'm going to have to fix…but that can wait until after the party, until I get a chance to do some research on it with Hibiki. For now…I might as well drink, dance, and eat the night away. Well, assuming that anyone actually wants to dance with me.

Moments later, Hibiki appears in front of us. He smiles at me, then turns to Jenny. "May I have this dance?"

Jenny's face lights right up. "Of course" And she takes his hand as he sweeps her off to the dance floor. _Right…those two are dating now, aren't they?_ Hibiki's taste might need a little work, but then again, maybe she's not as annoying in private. The only impression I've got of her is of a bimbo in a bikini who was stupid enough to challenge Mira.

Still, I watch as people start dancing all around the room, and I find myself swaying to the music. To my surprise, Rufus from Sabertooth approaches me and bows. "It is good to see you, Miss. Would you care to dance?" He holds out his hand to me tentatively.

Once I get over my surprise, the formality of his request makes me snicker a little, but I give him my hand and smile. "Yes, I would care to dance." I let him sweep me off to the dance floor. It doesn't surprise me to find that Rufus is a good dancer, anyone who dresses like him is bound to be. And since our feud with Sabertooth is long over, I find myself greatly enjoying the dance.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

Thanks to Sting swiping some of the champagne, I've gotten enough alcohol into my system to not be quite so freaked out at how disastrously the games went this year. After all, we've never had to deal with a dragon attack before.

But now, that doesn't matter much. No…what's got me drinking right now is the fact that Rufus is dancing with Ciara. He's good at it, but that's not the issue. The problem is that he looks way too comfortable holding her like that.

Sting reappears next to me, another bottle in hand. "Found some more of the good stuff! Maybe we'll actually have you drunk before the night is over, instead of you always quittin' halfway."

For once, that actually doesn't sound like a bad idea. Rufus touching Ciara is definitely an image I'd like to burn out of my brain. I just don't know how much alcohol that's going to take. Still… "I already know that you're going to get drunk. Both of us doing that is just asking for trouble. You're lucky that I stopped you from going through with the whole challenge you put to Natsu over who could drink the most." Champagne should be fine, but I would rather not have him get into the heavy stuff and end up puking all over the place, as I told him earlier when I dragged him away.

"Oh, come on Rogue, live a little!" He elbows me in the ribs and gets close enough to my glass to top it up. "Besides, how else are you gonna work up the courage to ask her to dance?"

I nearly choke on my next mouthful. "Sting! What the hell are you talking about?"

Sting makes crude little dragon puppets, I think, with his hands. "Well, when a daddy dragon and a mommy dragon love each other very much-"

"Stop right there, or I'll dump all of the champagne on your head." The last thing I need is him explaining THAT to me. I know full well how baby dragons happen. "I meant…why do you think I'm going to ask her to dance?" I'm praying to anything that will listen to prevent me from blushing.

Sting blinks at me slowly, then speak almost as slowly. "Because you have the hots for her and want to drag her into a dark corner and take her like a dragon. Your scent says that much." He pinches his nose. "Anyway, if you want her so bad…" He jerks his thumb over towards her. "You might wanna ask her to dance before any more guys start looking at her."

I resist the urge to growl when I see her teammate Gray Fullbuster approach her for a dance.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

When the music changes, Gray puts his hand on my shoulder and guides me away from Rufus. "Dancing with a Tiger, huh? Interesting way to kick off a party."

I laugh a bit. "Well, no one else wanted to dance with me. Besides, he's a good dancer. So why not enjoy myself in the company of a Tiger?" The music picks up and we dance to a livelier tune. I even ignore the creepy looks from Juvia, which I only understand because of her huge crush on Gray. He twirls me around and my dress sparkles as it flares out from mid-thigh and catches the light of the chandeliers.

"Gray, you and I have to talk!" Lyon pops up out of nowhere when the song ends, and he turns to me. "I apologize Ciara, but I'll be borrowing Gray." And he just drags Gray off by the ear, much to my guild-mate's protests.

I roll my eyes before being picked up by Hibiki, who looks like he's finally detached himself from Jenny somewhat. "My turn to dance with the lovely lady."

"Yes…I guess so." I place my left hand on his shoulder, and let him guide my right into the air as his own wraps around my waist. Turns out that he's a good dancer too. "Does Blue Pegasus give lessons in ballroom dancing?"

"Every Friday." Hibiki smiles at me. "But judging by the way you dance, I think you could teach a class."

"Maybe…" He twirls me around and I take a step back, moving us well away from Erza. "But I don't know if I would have the patience for it. Plus, I'm not a fan of dresses."

That seems to amuse him for some reason. "Well, fan or not, you fill this one out quite well."

"I quite agree, now, if you please?" A pale hand reaches for me, and Hibiki backs off so that I come face to face with a head of bright green hair. "Hello, Ciara."

"Here to save me from the playboy?" I snicker at the thought. "Shouldn't you be chasing Laxus around for a dance?" Oh, everyone in the guild know that Freed is a little too dedicated to Laxus for that to be purely platonic. We just don't know if Laxus swings that way, or if all that teasing he lets Mira get away with means something instead. I'm sure that eventually, someone will figure it out.

"I believed that you could use a little more variety in your dance partners, yes. You are also an excellent dancer, and it would be a shame not to take advantage of the opportunity this party presents." Not surprisingly, Freed is a rather confident dancer, elegant, refined, and very precise, just like his magic.

* * *

Sting's P.O.V.

Messing with Rogue is so much fun. Especially since it's obvious that he's in love. Man, I've got so much ammunition now that it's not funny. It's hilarious!

Still, the object of his affections is being passed around from one guy to the next on the dance floor, regardless of guild affiliation. On the one hand, it means that Rogue has as much of a shot at dancing with her as anyone else. On the other hand, he's too hesitant to approach her.

So, desperate times call for desperate measures. And I down another glass of champagne before walking out onto the dance floor to interrupt her and her newest dance partner.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

This time, it's Sting who approaches me with a confident smile. "Mind if I ask you to dance?"

I feel a bit apprehensive. He looks like at some point, he was throwing back the wine and champagne with Natsu and Gajeel, but he still looks steady enough to get into a fight if needed. And that combination makes me very nervous. But I push aside my reservations and smile. "Sure, just try not to step on my feet."

So I let him take my hand and put the other on my waist. But after a few seconds, I realize that he isn't so clumsy as to start stepping on my feet, so the dancing is actually quite enjoyable despite the fact that even with me wearing high heels, he is still taller than me. And when he twirls me around, my hair swings in a curtain, covering my whole back with my light pink hair. I laugh lightly. "You're a better dancer than I thought. And not so drunk that you've become clumsy. I wondered about that, since you look like you had a drinking contest with my brother."

"Nah, I can handle more wine than that." His grin is bright and happy. "Besides, Rogue stopped me before we could really get going. Something about not wanting to deal with me puking my guts out later."

"That's probably for the best, no matter how entertaining it might be." I glance over and see Rogue looking at us suspiciously, so I look up at Sting quizzically. "Is there something wrong with Rogue? He's been glaring at us since you asked me to dance." I have a feeling…but…

Sting grins and shakes his head. "Yeah, Rogue's kind of awkward sometimes when he wants something, and I kinda teased him earlier. Why don't you ask him about it? Maybe he'll talk to you." Sting grins and pulls me over to where Gajeel and Rogue are talking. "Come on, this is going to be fun." Sting lets go of me and grabs hold of Rogue, nearly tripping him as he pushes his friend at me.

Rogue nearly falls on me, catching his balance at the last second. "Uh, s-sorry. I'm too close…" He backs up a bit and shakes his head. "I'm sorry, that was inappropriate…" The pink hue is back on his cheeks, and my theory is starting to gain a lot more traction now.

I roll my eyes and sigh. But when we both look at Sting, he waves his hand at us, trying to shoo us away. "Why don't you go ahead and teach Rogue how to dance?"

I raise an eyebrow at him. _He's saying that Rogue doesn't know how to dance? I find that hard to believe._

Rogue rolls his own eyes and holds out his hand hesitantly. "Would you…like to dance?"

Since the music is nice and I do really like dancing, I smile at him. "I suppose that I would." I take his hand and we make our way onto the dance floor. Though I immediately peg Sting as a liar, since Rogue seems quite capable of dancing. "Alright, now what is Sting up to? You can dance well enough, and there's no need to teach you. So what's his game?"

"He…" Rogue looks away and sighs. "He likes to meddle where he's not wanted."

I take that in, and smirk for just an instant. "I see. I know the feeling. In Fairy Tail, meddling in other people's lives is almost a requirement. Mira is the queen of meddling, so be happy that you're not dealing with her, at least."

It's funny to think of her favorite pastime. Screaming about who would be the cutest couples and make the cutest babies. Though I seriously think that she needs a brain reboot, because her…imaginings for what the kids would look like are kind of freakish.

"Fairy Tail likes to meddle, huh…?" His face softens a bit. "Your guild just doesn't know when to quit."

"Nope, it's not a word in our dictionary." I take a step dragging him out further onto the dance floor. "Now come on, if we're going to dance, we need more room."

He looks a bit poleaxed as I pull him out towards the middle of the room, but once I stop, his hand returns to my waist, pulling me a little closer. The music of a waltz grows louder in my ears with every step.

One thing that I note is that his movements are getting smoother. _So…it takes him a little time to get some traction, huh?_ It's funny, because he was pretty flustered when Sting pushed him.

His smooth movements, however, transition into the next song as he twirls me across the floor, and into the next, and the next…and I stop counting entirely.

I'm almost eye to eye with him when we finally slow to a stop, my heels giving me an extra inch and a half. And a fair bit of discomfort, but I've been ignoring that all evening. What I've also bee ignoring is just how close we've gotten. I'm actually impressed that neither of us stepped on the other's foot even once during the dancing, what with how insistently his right hand is pressed into the small of my back.

He blinks, the ruby iris obscured for a moment, before he backs away, coughing awkwardly. "Uh…you dance very well…"

"Thank you." I lower my hands and clasp them together in front of me, before looking down and frowning at my feet. _Ugh, I had better not have blisters because of these shoes. This is why I prefer my boots! Much more comfortable._

"Do your feet hurt?" His voice is level now, and he sounds more sure of himself.

 _So, he gets less flustered if he's worried, good to know…I wonder if he'd get less flustered when his pride is challenged…_ But that's something to discover another day. "A little. The princess insisted that I wear heels with this dress. They're not very high, but they pinch my feet." Yeah, I definitely prefer my boots. "I mean,I could kick them off here in the middle of the ballroom, but then, someone might trip over them."

It takes a second, but the suggestion is met with a low chuckle. "I don't think they'll mind if you leave early."

"Probably not." I glance over at a gathering near the king. _Natsu, what's going on?_

 _Huh?_ Natsu's voice comes through a bit distracted. _Ah, no biggie, we're just gettin' the princess off the hook for the Eclipse thing._

 _What?_ That's far from the answer I was expecting. _Do you need any help over there?_

 _Nah, it's cool, we've got it._ He goes silent for a few seconds. _Oh, and tell Rogue that if he does anything stupid, I'll punch his teeth in._

 _Natsu!_ Honestly, I know that he loves me and wants the best for me, but seriously, he could stand to tone it down on the protectiveness. _He's not going to do anything stupid. He's been a perfect gentleman, and you are not going to traumatize him for doing nothing!_

Besides, it might just be a crush, if even that, so there's no point in Natsu getting involved anyway. Now, whether it is or not is something to investigate. I just hope that if he is serious, that he's willing to go head to head with my brother, AND keep me off of Natsu in case I feel like throttling him. Because that shit is NOT happening again.

 _Alright, alright, sheesh! But if he tries any funny stuff, punch him._

 _Fine…_ I roll my eyes. "Well, I can't really leave until the rest of Fairy Tail is ready to go, but I'm at least going outside where there's fresh air." This place smells like food, people, and alcohol. I glance at my last dance partner. "Would you rather stay here, or take a walk around the palace gardens with me?"

He seems startled by the suggestion, but only for a moment. "I could do with a break from the chaos."

I chuckle at the thought. "Well, then you might want to be careful, because chaos is a guild specialty."

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

As she saunters off towards the doors, I can't help but smile. Sure, her guild is chaotic, to put it mildly, but she had to learn how to be so warm to people somewhere. And Fairy Tail seems like the perfect place for that.

I follow behind her, ignoring Sting's smug smirk as I leave the ballroom. _Go choke on a spoon…_ I almost wish that Sting and I had the kind of telepathy that Ciara and Natsu share, so that I could tell him to butt out without actually opening my mouth. Only, I know that Sting would use it to harass me non-stop. It's alarming how much he already seems to resemble Natsu.

But putting them out of mind for now, I follow her out into the gardens, deep into the maze. I'm not entirely sure what she's looking for, but the way she's walking…she's got some kind of goal in mind, a purpose.

"Here we are." She stops at the entrance to a smaller garden, kicking her shoes off into the grass, before walking towards the flowerbeds. She almost seems to glow as the clouds waft by, letting strips of moonlight down from the sky.

It's strange, though. This is the second time I've seen her with her hair down, and she looks much more…delicate like this. It's pooled on the ground, the pink standing out shockingly against the green of the grass and the blue of her…very well-fitted dress. I snap my eyes away before she catches me staring.

Then come the tell-tale sounds of her sucking up small gusts of wind. At first, it makes no sense. _Why would she…oh…_ I'd nearly forgotten the scare from a few days ago, when her magic power dropped so much that she nearly…

I shake my head. _No, she's fine now. Natsu said that her ribbons seal magic in her body and keep her from losing all of it. So as long as she has her ribbons…_ "Wait, where are your ribbons?" She can't have lost them, right?

Ciara looks around at me, an eyebrow raised. "You know about them?" I nod. "I see…Natsu must have blabbed, then." She laughs softly, a sweet, bell-like sound. "Well, they didnt match the dress, so I couldn't wear them in my hair. So…I wore them here instead." She extends on leg and carefully lifts up the bottom of her dress to reveal one of the ribbons tied around her thigh.

I have to look away before I say what I'm thinking, and regret it immediately afterward. "I-I see." Seeing is something I definitely managed. "That's an effective solution."

She laughs again, louder this time. "Well, I guess Sting was right about one thing, you have an awkward side to you, huh." As I glance back at her, she pats the grass, curling her legs beneath her. "Come and sit with me."

"Okay." I move slowly, settling myself in the grass, the smell of flowers all around us, and the sharp scent of spice, pine, and coals coming from her.

She smiles and play with the end of my short ponytail. "I…missed so many years out here…I didn't get to see you grow up at all…"

I shrug slightly. "You didn't miss that much."

"I doubt that." She tugs on my hair a little. "Come on, tell me some stories. Tell me about exciting jobs you've been on, cool things you've seen, people you've met, and the no doubt amazing things you've done."

She says that, but after all of this, I don't really feel like much of what I did was all that interesting. I took jobs and followed orders, that's about it. But maybe… "Then…I guess I'll tell you about how I met Sting, Lector, and Frosch."

And at that, it feels like she stares into my soul and smiles just for me.


	116. Home At Last

**Alright, for anybody interested in some lemony goodness, SilverRose16701 and I are working on a collaborative piece, a Naruto x Fairy Tail crossover called "Phoenix Rising" that focuses on the Grand Magic Games and Dragon King Festival, before going off into a non-canon peace period so that Sasuke (who got dropped out of a magic portal because of all the ethernano in the air around Hargeon and some dimensional mishaps) can hook up with Erza. So, M-Rated Sasuke x Erza. She also has Narutoverse yaoi out the wazoo. It's fun to read.**

 **Also, I am considering lemons myself later, though I'd probably post them in a separate story, a lemonade stand, if you will, so I don't bump the rating up on this one. Is there any interest in seeing some lemonade?**

 **Now, the Frosch getting lost request…well, that's an interesting one, actually, because I was planning on doing a little something with him arriving at Fairy Tail and running into Ciara already. So that chapter is already in the works. Also, that's not a filler, it's an omake. Mashima wrote it into the manga. Though that does give me a great idea for a joke to run with, thanks. I'll be starting said joke this chapter. Frosch will be an accidental wingman. ;)**

 **Now, it's time for Fairy Tail to go home. Frosch gets very attached to his new favorite pillow. And Rogue gets mildly jealous of his cat.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

"Alright, come on, Cana." I dump my drunken guild mate into the last carriage, along with Max, Macao, and Wakaba. "Look after them Romeo."

"Will do." Romeo grins, a wide smile that I know very well. It's strange,to look at him all grown up now. I mean, I've been getting used to it for a few months, but still…it's weird to know that he's a teenager now. One that can handle being responsible for a bunch of drunken adults. "I'll see you back at the guild!"

"Yeah." I signal to the carriage driver to take them away. I take a deep breath and smile. "Looks like everything's over now…" Well, not over, over, but still, we really tore through this place. Then, a scent floats to me on the breeze. "Wait a minute…"

I look around, searching for the source of the scent, until I spot a tiny pink form racing towards me. "Cia!" _No way, why would he be here?_

"Oh boy…" I smile as I crouch down, and I scoop the little guy up. "Frosch…what are you doing here? You should be with Rogue." I got the impression that those two were supposed to stick to each other like glue. But for some reason, Frosch has a habit of wandering off and finding me instead. At least, I hope it's not becoming a habit. How am I supposed to get any work done if I spend all my time bringing this little guy back to Rogue?

"Fro wanted to see Cia!" He's so cute as he waves his paws in the air, it's almost criminal. Then, he calms down suddenly and grows rather sad. "Is Cia leaving…?"

 _Oh dear…_ "Yeah, I am. I have to go home, remember?" I really don't wanna put the little guy's spirits out. "But I don't have to leave for a little while yet, so why don't I take you back to Rogue? Did you get lost?"

He shakes his head. "Fro wanted to find Cia!"

"You wanted to find me?" That's bewildering, to say the least. "Well, you found me. So let's get you back to Rogue before he starts tearing his hair out looking for you."

"Okay!" He snuggles up to my chest, my arms holding him up as I walk back through the city, my nose twitching as I seek out Rogue's scent. Cedar, clove, and a snap of cinnamon, along with traces of the thick scent of a dragon. It's a good smell, one that would make me think of a home.

I can hear the commotion of a large group getting ready to leave the city. No question about it, it's gotta be Sabertooth. And one in particular is being rather loud. "Where did Frosch go!?"

"Cool it, Rogue. We'll find him. He can't have gotten too far." That's Sting. He and Rogue must be looking for Frosch. And probably half their guild mates as well, considering the commotion.

I snicker and make my way through the walking crowds, several members of Sabertooth coming into view. "Lose something?" I smirk and raise an eyebrow at the sight of a rather disheveled Rogue. "Maybe it was the smell of my drunken guild mates, but somehow, this little guy managed to track me down halfway across the city."

Everyone freezes and looks at me, eyes wide and bugging out. Rogue blinks, before racing over in an instant, gingerly prying Frosch from his happy place attached to the front of my shirt. "Ah…sorry about that. I just lost sight of him, and…" He coughs awkwardly. "Thanks for bringing him back."

"You're welcome." I pat Frosch on the head and smile. "Now, no more running off like that, okay? If you want to see me, tell Rogue first, otherwise he's going to think you got lost."

"He wanted to see you?" Rogue blinks at the explanation.

"Yeah, he found me while I was loading up Cana, Macao, and Wakaba into a carriage." I smirk up at him. "Gramps left me in charge of making sure that everyone got out of the city. We're all heading back to Magnolia today, so we've got to collect our hammered stragglers and get them home. I just sent off the last carriage." At least once we're all back in Magnolia, we can just leave them in the guild hall when they get drunk and pass out. None of this dragging them around stuff.

"Wait, then what about you?" Sting tilts his head, and it kind of reminds me of a puppy. "Don't you need a ride home too?"

I shudder slightly at the mention of a ride, Natsu's motion sickness from the Chariot event coming to mind. "I'm good. It'll be easier if I catch up with them en route or meet them there. I'm faster than the carriages, anyway."

Rufus takes a long look at me, before smirking knowingly. "It seems that it is not only the male dragon slayers who have difficulties with vehicles."

My eyes twitches. "Well, I never denied it. But you forget that I can fly. And as long as I have enough room, I can get up to the speed of sound if I really push everything I've got into my magic." I just don't usually do that because I can't hear or smell a damn thing like that. "I don't need vehicles."

"Really?" Yukino pops out of the crowd, and I'm mildly surprised to see her. "You can fly that fast?

I nod. "Yeah, I can. Did you rejoin Sabertooth?" I mean, their atmosphere already seems to be a lot brighter and warmer, but after she got kicked out the way she did, I didn't think she'd be s eager to rejoin them so quickly. Not after the brawl last night that had apparently started over whose guild she was going to join. Rogue even admitted to joining the brawl while he was telling me stories almost until dawn.

"Ah, yes, I did." Her cheeks go pinker than I would have expected for something like that. "Master Sting extended the invitation, so…"

"Master Sting?" I raise an eyebrow. _These two…?_ "I'm going to need a little explanation."

Rogue smiles as he wraps a now sleeping Frosch in his cape. "It's not official yet, but Sting is going to be Sabertooth's new master."

My eyes flick back and forth between the two, verifying the veracity of the claim. "You're giving the master's seat…to someone who acts like and idolizes my big brother…the wizard responsible for the highest percentage of destruction of property of anyone in Fairy Tail." That's a mildly terrifying thought. I can't imagine the kind of chaos that would go unchecked if my brother were to be the next master of Fairy Tail. _I sure hope that Gramps never picks Natsu to be the master...he's gotta have more sense than that, right?_

Rogue sweatdrops. "Well, when you put it like that…" Looks like I'm not the only one imagining the chaos of such a...boisterous personality in the master'sseat.

"Hey!" Sting looks affronted by the observation. "I'll be an awesome master, just you watch!"

"Oh, I'll be watching…" _Watching to make sure nothing comes flying out of Sabertooth towards Fairy Tail._ "Anyway, I'll see you guys around!"

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

She turns around, ponytails bouncing, racing back down the street before hurling herself into the air and shooting into the sky. It's a beautiful sight.

"Huh, judgin' by the way you were starin' at her ass, I'd say you don't prefer any part of her in particular. That's good, you'll be able to pay attention to ALL of her when you finally man up and mate her." I can feel Sting's smug smirk on the back of my head. "You've got it bad, seriously."

I twitch at the accusation. "Shut up, Sting." He's an idiot if he thinks that I'm just going to jump her. She'd kill me!

What's worse is when I move to load my bag, and come face to face with a red-faced Yukino, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh my. Is that true?"

I slam my palm to my face. _Just great…now there's two of them to bug me about it…_ Then, I look down at Frosch sleeping in my cape, and a mild twinge of irritation shoots through me. _Lucky cat..._ Because if I was hanging onto her the way he was, I'd definitely have gotten slapped, or punched.

Or...maybe forgiven...? _...I wonder what I could get away with._

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

It's been a couple hours since I left Crocus, and I smile from the back of the Fairy Tail procession. For some reason, Gramps insisted on marching us through the city, since everyone's come out and crowded the sides of the streets in order to see us. It's like putting on the Fantasia Parade three months early.

Scattered throughout our three dozen members, are the competitors of the Grand Magic Games, giving everyone the chance to be seen. It's nice, actually, because even the annoying Twilight Ogre is worshipping us again. Not that I want to be worshipped, it's just better than being insulted and looked down on.

Natsu throws his fists into the air. "We kicked every magic butt we saw!" We did a lot more than just kicking, but essentially, that's the story we'll tell everyone with ears on their heads.

Still, I join in the celebrating as well. How can I not? The energy in the air is contagious. "We came, we saw, we conquered!" Fairy Tail is back on top, and I wouldn't have it any other way. "We're back, Magnolia!" Cheers erupt around us as we continue down the street, stopping just south of Kardia Cathedral.

Natsu crouches to the ground, grinning. "Check out this little souvenir I brought back! You guys are gonna love this!" And he reaches into his pack, pulling out…

Wakaba's jaw drops. "Is that the king's freakin' crown!?"

"You didn't steal it form him did you!?" And the answer to Wendy's question is…yes, yes he did.

"Oops!" I slam my palm to my face as Natsu puts it back in the bag. "You weren't supposed to see that!" He digs back around in his bag, pulling out the trophy we got instead. "The symbol of our victory! A super shiny cup!" _Natsu...you bonehead._

To distract us, however, the master of Twilight Ogre grabs everyone's attention. "Attention please! The mayor of Magnolia would like to present Fairy Tail with a gift to mark this momentous occasion!" He's sure sucking up after bullying our guild for so long. I guess that Erza, Mira, and Gramps must have scared some sense into him.

"A gift for us?" Gramps rubs the back of his head sheepishly. "You're far too generous, I don't know what to say!"

"Good members of Fairy Tail, observe! Your gift is to my right!" He points down the street from the cathedral plaza, to our guild hall, newly refurbished and repaired. And being returned to us after they foreclosed on it. "For years, you have been the pride of our city! That's why we are honored to present you with your newly restored guild hall!"

Gramps breaks out in tears at the sight of our guild hall, everything polished up and with new stonework. It's beautiful to behold, well, not the old man crying, but the guild. It's like finally coming home…after so long…

 _No, it's not like coming home…we ARE home._

I break into a run, racing for the guild hall as fast as my feet will carry me. I'm there in seconds, slamming the doors open to reveal a freshly cleaned cafeteria, the bar wiped and stocked with all the alcohol we can drink, and everything polished to a shine.

And the job board…it looks like someone has been answering our mail for us, because the job board is covered in dozens of requests. Likely a result of us winning the Grand Magic Games. There should be plenty of work now for everyone, and all the people with a rent backlog should be able to put some serious dents in those debts.

"Whoa! That's awesome!" Natsu catches up with me, his eyes wide as he takes in the hall. Then, he grins. "We made it back alive!"

I roll my eyes. "Barely." But that's not important, what's important is… "Race you to the job board!" I take off, not using any magic as I sprint towards the board.

Natsu races along just behind me, almost catching up as I slam a hand against the board. "Aw, no fair! You always win!"

"And you never say no to the challenge." I stick my tongue out at him, before turning my eyes on the jobs. "So, I wonder what we've got up here…"

I spend almost half an hour reading all of the jobs, and trying to pick whichever one I like best. Natsu isn't nearly as picky as me. He's away from the board in less than two minutes with a monster hunting job.

"Ciara! You want to take a job, right!?" Mira waves at me from the bar. "I think I have just what you need!"

"Hm?" I glance at her over my shoulder. "What are you on about, Mira?"

She holds up a small stack of papers. "Looks like some of your old clients need some help. And you've got some personal requests from new ones."

"Already?" That was fast. I wasn't expecting those to start coming in for a few more days, at least. But if they're asking for me specifically, then there's no reason for me to turn them down. "Are there any that are time sensitive and need to be completed quickly?"

"Let's see…" She shuffles through the papers, reading them quickly. "It looks like there's a request from a regional council up in the north. Some kind of inter-guild request."

"And inter-guild request?" I've never gotten one of those before. The only time we ever really teamed up with other guilds was to deal with Nirvana. Well, and the dragons, but that wasn't so much a mission as it was a war. We teamed up with everybody then. "It must be important if they're going to that kind of length to make sure the job gets done.

So, I reach for the papers and run through them, finding the inter-guild request. It says that there's a group of wizards causing trouble up in the north for several of the towns and villages in the region. It also gives a date for meeting the mayor of Orchid City, the representative of the regional council. I've been requested by name, but it doesn't say who the other or others requested for this job are. Strange.

Considering the pay, though, I think I can work with whoever else they've decided to recruit. "Alright, looks like I'm off to Orchid." And here I thought I'd be able to grab a bite to eat before heading off. Well, I mean, I could, but I like to get to my jobs as quickly as possible. I wouldn't want people to think that Fairy Tail is full of wizards who are always late. I'll just grab something from the bakery on the way out of town. After all, it's been a while since I've had any of their sweets, and I'm sure that Erza isn't going to want to share her cake.

Mira smiles at me. "Be safe out there!"

"Always!" After all, compared to fighting dragons, there's not really anything else that could pose an actual threat to me. Sure, depending on how many wizards there are, this could get rather tricky, but I have no doubt that I'll succeed. I could probably do it on my own, even if that's not ideal.

So, I walk out of the guild and towards my house, turning over the flyer in my hand and reading it one more time. It doesn't tell me who else has been requested for the job, at last, not by name. But it does tell me the name of the other guild that the joint request has been sent to. And it makes me smile. Sabertooth.

Ah, but first, I need to return the king's crown.

* * *

 **Alright, let me know who you'd like to see going on this job from Sabertooth (originally, I was going to have it just be Rogue and Frosch, but feel free to weigh in on that). It's going to take a couple of days, which means it'll be an overnight trip up north.**


	117. A Fairy and a Tiger Pack

**Author's Note at top and bottom.**

 **Okay, if I've posted this, it means that all of the glitches are over. First it was the reviews, then the notifications…anyway, this is getting annoying. Or, I just got fed up and decided to post anyway.**

 **It looks like Orga is a fan favorite and there's an interest in seeing Rufus work with her again, as well as a bit in Yukino making an appearance. So, in light of that, I've made my selection as to who is going on the job request.**

 **Oh, and I did some searching regarding Fiore's size, and it turns out that through some calculations I found, it's at least 2500 miles across, one calculation even put it at 3600 miles at its widest, so pretty freaking huge actually, like, North America kind of huge. It also explains all the trains and other forms of transportation.**

* * *

Knowing that whoever Sabertooth sends will need time to get their feet and travel north, I keep my traveling pace fairly moderate, stopping every so often to eat, look around a town, and even set up camp for the night in a one hundred foot tree. There's no rush, and if I time it right, they might even beat me there. Though, just to be safe, one of my stops included a conversation via lacrima to inform the mayor's office of what time I envision arriving.

So, a day and several hundreds of miles later, I touch down in Orchid, the city covered in the summer's beautiful flowers over in the north-western part of the kingdom right on schedule. _I should come here for a vacation one of these days._ Well, if I was one for taking more frequent vacations. I'm pretty sure that anyone with a bit of common sense would probably call me a workaholic. Then again, it's not like the jobs I take are boring. With each job, I learn something new, whether it be a new trick, skill, or even a weakness that I can easily remedy.

That's why I'm downright eager to get started on this job as I walk towards the mayor's office. His predecessor employed me a few times, so he must have remembered that when he saw us competing in the Grand Magic Games for Fairy Tail.

In any case, I sniff the air as I approach, catching a whiff of three very familiar scents. _So it's them…_ It's a rather interesting combination, but if it works, it works. And they're all powerful in their own right, so this should be quite the event.

I'm about twenty feet from the door, when my sensitive hearing picks up a conversation. "Why the hell are we waitin' on another guild? I mean, I know it's Fairy Tail, but still…I don't get it. Why hire two guilds?" It sounds like Orga is getting impatient.

"Patience, Orga, we only just arrived ourselves. And I'm sure that whoever they are sending is worth waiting for. Besides, it takes quite some time to arrive here from Magnolia, the fact that they will soon be here demonstrates swift action and a commendable work ethic." Well, it's a step up from the last time I worked alongside Rufus. He's much more polite this time. In fact, he's basically singing my praises without knowing who he's singing about yet.

I push open the door. "Glad to know that you think so highly of me, Rufus." I smile at the three of them as I enter. "Hey Yukino, I'm glad to see that you're settling back into Sabertooth so well. I didn't expect you three to team up for a job, though, so imagine my nose's surprise when it picked up the three of you in here."

Her expression brightens quickly. "Ah, yes, I am. It's good to see you too, Ciara."

"It's you!?" Orga takes a step back, as though afraid that I'm going to bite him. "What the heck are you doing here!?"

I roll my eyes once. "I was requested specifically to come on behalf of Fairy Tail. I've got a whole stack of job requests stashed in my bag that'll keep me busy for at least a week."

"It seems you are doing quite well for yourself." Rufus tilts his hat. "I believe that this time, the task will proceed in a far more amiable fashion."

"Well, as long as no one tries to fight any will o' the wisps, I think we'll be fine." Though I do hope that we can work together much better on this job than last time. After all, our guilds are working on becoming friends, and I'm sure that doing this job well will go a long way towards bringing them into our informal inter-guild alliance with Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale.

Rufus chuckles. "Yes, I remember learning such a lesson the last time we collaborated. It was most informative."

"You two have done this before?" Orga finally stops looking like I'm going to try and eat him. "When did that happen?"

I shrug. "About three and a half months ago, give or take a few days. He had no idea who I was, so it was kind of refreshing. Usually, people fawn over my reputation, tell stories about me, or try to drag me off for an interview." Which is why I often avoid reporters like the plague. In fact, I would guess that there's one at Fairy Tail right now, trying to score some interviews with the participants in the Grand Magic Games.

Yukino blinks. "But if reporters are trying to get interviews with you, why is it that there were so few articles about you when we were kids?"

I sigh. "Attention is fine, I like that well enough. But I'd rather not have the private details of my life plastered all over the magazines for the whole kingdom to see. The same goes for pictures of me in a bikini." Well, save for the one time that Mira convinced me to do a modeling job with her. The pay was amazing, but I felt so…violated by the shots they took that…well, I've never taken a modeling job since.

But it seems that the pleasantries are to come to an end, because in that moment, Mayor Takahara walks in, looking even more dignified now than he did when he was just a personal assistant to the last mayor. "Thank you all for coming. I assume that you have some idea of what this job entails." He sits in the chair behind his desk, staring purposefully at us. "The regional council was split on who to hire for this job, so we decided that perhaps a collaborative effort might bring in better results. We had heard that Fairy Tail and Sabertooth had buried the hatchet, as it were, and therefore, we asked for both your guilds."

"I see, so what are the details that were left out in the requests?" Rufus jumps right to the point without prompting.

And I have a questions as well. "Should I assume that the wizards mentioned in the request are ones that you would rather have captured alive, and that you would prefer collateral damage to be minimal?"

"That's right." Mayor Takahara nods. "The regional council has decided that as these rogue wizards have banded together in order to wreak havoc on the countryside, and even on the towns and cities in our region, that we would prefer to send them to trial, and hopefully have some reparations paid to us to help replace what has been lost or stolen." No wonder they wanted two guilds involved in this, it's a big job. Wiping them out is one thing, capturing them is going to be very tricky.

"Alright, well where are they?" I can understand Orga's confusion, as the place the wizards could be found wasn't specified in the request.

The mayor nods and unrolls a map for us to see. "We believe them to currently be camped in this valley here, to the east, a few hours travel on foot from the city. It is heavily forested, but there are some places where the ground isn't suitable for trees, and where they may have decided to camp."

"I see…" It's good that he's done some of the work for us. That should allow us to solve this problem promptly. "Rufus, I assume that you're memorizing the map."

He smirks. "It is already done."

"Good. If we leave now, we should be able to get within a safe distance of them and set up camp before it gets dark. Then, we can launch an attack in the morning." That's the plan that I see working best. Plus, if we're supposed to capture them, then I'm going to need some time with Rufus in order to teach him a few barrier spells. He should be able to pick them up that fast. He's nothing if not a quick study.

Orga frowns. "Make a camp? You wanna sleep outside?"

"Yes…?" I blink at him, confused. "Is that a problem? It's summer, we'll be fine."

Rufus stares at me unblinkingly, and when I turn to Yukino, she fidgets. "Ah, we uh…we don't really go camping. Sabertooth never has a problem reserving hotel rooms. We were going to do that after the meeting."

That's…really weird. "Okay…then I guess I can go on ahead, locate the wizards, and you can join me tomorrow." It's a bit roundabout, and it'll take longer, but if they're not used to camping, it's not like I can force it on them. Or… "Well, I at least hope that Sting and Rogue still know how to rough it. It'll make anything they take easier." I mean, even if Sting is the guild master now, I doubt that he's going to just stop going on jobs entirely this early into his career as a wizard. I also just assume that those two take jobs together, their nickname had to come from somewhere.

"But you don't have any camping gear…" Yukino looks me over a couple of times. "What are you going to do out there?"

I smirk. "Pull it out of my backpack, of course. I cast a minor dimensional spell to create a pocket of space in my backpack so that I could carry enough camping gear for my brother's whole team, just in case I ever go on a job with them." After the Galuna Island incident, I learned my lesson about being prepared for anything. "So I've got enough gear for about half a dozen people, plus cats and tag-alongs."

"You seem to be rather well prepared." Rufus stops staring, amusement glittering in his eyes. "Do you camp out in the open often?"

I nod. "Whenever I've got a long or overnight job out in the wilderness. I find that it's better to stay close to my targets so that I can track them if they try to escape. And it's not like this time is anything like the two weeks I spent camped out next to a swamp full of giant poisonous newts. Nothing is going to creep up on me during the night."

Yukino gulps, before balling her hands into fists determinedly. "I'll go with you! These rogue wizards need to be stopped as soon as possible!"

My smirk returns in an instant. "Alright, then let's go. We can leave the guys here."

Orga growls behind me. "Like hell you're leavin' us here."

"Indeed, it would be poor manners to allow two young ladies to sleep outdoors and exposed to danger alone." I suppose that's Rufus' way of saying that he's coming too.

"Grinning at knowing that I've won, I wave goodbye to the mayor. "Well, looks like the problem should be solved by some time tomorrow, maybe in two days if it takes longer to find them." Since I doubt that even fifty minor wizards would pose a problem for the group assembled here. Power and versatility are not going to be a problem for us. This region is going to be safe again soon.

"Then shall we be off?" Rufus' dark green eyes glitter with anticipation. "I believe that our priority at the moment is to track down these wizards."

"It is." My nose twitches slightly. "As long as we can get within a couple miles of them, or somewhere they've passed by, there should be enough of a scent in the air for me to follow." I wish that my nose was a little more sensitive, but even Natsu has issues with tracking people over such a distance if the scents are fading. Humans just don't have the strongest scents out there, and nature can overwhelm them quickly.

"Then I guess it'll be up to Rufus to lead the way." Yukino tilts her head. "But I didn't know that dragon slayers could track a scent that far."

I grimace a bit. "Natsu's nose is still better than mine, but we've been using our noses since before I can remember. I guess it just comes with practice. Crowded places and long distances are the biggest challenges, but as long as I'm focused, I can track pretty accurately as long as I can get a scent."

"Then let's get you in range of them, find them, and kick their asses." Orga's solution is simple, but effective.

And that's precisely what we're going to do.

* * *

I pull four pillows and just as many sleeping bags out of my backpack as the sun dips below the horizon. We found this place only half an hour ago, close enough to where Sniffed out our targets. Yukino had one of her spirits check it out and report back, confirming the location of the renegade wizards.

But, since I would rather not fight in the dark, and it's just not smart to, we're making camp for the night. Besides, getting a good night's sleep before a battle is crucial. We'll be in top form, and the enemy won't know what hit them.

That said, my traveling companions look a little unsure about sleeping on the ground. So unsure that I'm actually tempted to suggest to Sting that he and Rogue take their whole guild out for a massive camping trip out in the middle of nowhere.

When Yukino comes back with a large armful of firewood, she drops it into the pit I dug in the middle of the camp. "I was thinking…what are we going to do if the rogue wizards find us while we're sleeping? Will we takes turns keeping watch?"

Rufus nods. "That is the logical recourse. Who will take first watch?"

"No one." I spit a little wind and lightning to light the fire, before pulling a lacrima out of my bag, rolling it in my palm. I was tinkering with it on my way to Orchid, since I had nothing to do but fly and admire the scenery. "After my dragon slayer magic, my specialties are barriers and curse-breaking magic. This lacrima has enough power in it to power a barrier about twelve hours even while I'm not conscious. So we can get plenty of sleep before it runs out."

"Fascinating…" Rufus stares at the lacrima in my hand. "I will be sure to memorize this."

I smile at the enthusiasm he shows for learning new magic, it's good to see someone as obsessed as I am with learning new kinds of magic. Though he has an innate capacity for it that I…do not. I'm more than familiar with the concept of long hours of hard work to learn spells, and sometimes, I wish I had his magical talents. Memorizing spells in an instant would be incredible.

That said, I plan to make good use of that talent of his. "Rufus, since part of the objective is to capture these wizards alive, I want to teach you a spell that can be used to effectively trap wizards. I've experienced it first hand when a more experienced spellcaster turned my spell back on me, and as long as it's performed properly, it's impossible to break from the inside."

"Is that so?" His eyes widen behind his mask. "And may I inquire as to the nature of the spell?"

"No." I get up and smirk, biting my hand and drawing blood for me to write on my arm with. "Because I'm going to do a lot more than tell you its nature. I'm going to show it to you so that you can master it for yourself. If there are a lot of wizards, then it'll go faster with two of us imprisoning them. And you're the only one who can learn it fast enough to apply it in tomorrow's battle." I finish writing the symbols in blood on my arm, written in an ancient tongue. "Alright, now, I'm going to need Orga to stay calm."

"Whoa, wait, what!?" He throws up his hands in alarm. "What are you talkin' about!?"

"Just this." I hold up my left arm, the symbols on it glowing as they rise into the air and make a magic circle. "Mirror Crystal Prison!"

The air around Orga glows, before encasing him in a clear crystal. And he's none too happy about it. "Hay! Let me outta here!" He bangs on the walls, lightning arcing around him.

I turn to Rufus and smile. "Okay, did you get all that?"

"I believe so." He stares at the crystal prison carefully. "What a fascinating piece of spellwork. How is it undone?"

"Like this." I walk over to Orga fuming in the crystal, raising my hand. "If you crack it from the outside to the inside, whoever is on the inside can break out if they apply enough magical power to the place where it can escape, like a tree root widening a crack in a rock just by growing, only a lot faster!" I smash my fist against the crystal, cracking it liberally all the way through. "Organ can go ahead and smash it now." And knowing that, I back away from the crystal.

Lightning sparks around Orga, and the cracks widen, before the crystal structure explodes. "What the hell was that about!?"

"Just showing Rufus the best spell I know of for neutralizing wizards in order to capture them." Sure, I probably should have asked, but this was the fastest way to do things, and no one got hurt. So I see no problem with doing it my way.

Orga grumbles as he sits down on the other side of the fire. Yukino, on the other hand, sits down next to me. "So, what should we do now? We could go to sleep early, but…"

"Well, we could always tell stories." I look into the fire, grinning. "After all, that's something fun to do around a campfire."There's silence, before Rufus breaks it. "In that case, I have a query that I believe has a story behind it."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "A question for me?"

He nods. "When Natsu and yourself came barreling into our lodgings in Crocus, you implied that you knew at least one of our members personally. You called yourself their 'snuggle buddy'. I simply wondered about that."

"Ah…I see…" Now that's a fond memory. "Yes, there are a couple of Sabertooth members that I met a long time ago, back when they were a couple of cute little brats…" I sigh, bringing back those memories. "That particular comment refers to the first time I met Rogue."

"Rogue?" That catches Orga's attention. "I can't imagine hat guy being very snuggly with anybody but his cat."

That makes me laugh. "Well, he was just a kid at the time, nine years old. I was fourteen, and I'd just made S-Class, so I was on my first S-Class job."

"You made S-Class at fourteen?" Yukino shifts closer to me. "That's impressive."

I nod. "Apparently, I set the record for being the youngest to ever make S-Class in Fairy Tail, just barely beating out Erza and Mira. But in any case, it was my first time taking on an S-Class job, and I was busy for two whole weeks wiping out some poisonous newts from a swamp too close to people, and I went and relocated all of the eggs as well." It would have been bad for my conscience to risk pushing a species to extinction, so saving the eggs was necessary. "That's when I met Rogue."

"In a swamp?" Orga seems to be getting into the story too. "What would a kid be doin' in a swamp?"

"He wasn't in the swamp, he was in the forest it connected to." Jeez, what kid in their right mind would actually wander through a swamp. "He got himself cornered by a small army of vulcans, I swooped in, drove them off, and brought him back to my camp for the night." And was he ever a cute little thing. "After feeding him and putting him to bed, I had the leave the camp again later to make sure that my job was done, and when I got back, I found him still awake in my sleeping bag. What I figured was that he had gotten used to sleeping with his dragon, and was having trouble falling asleep alone. So, since dragons slayers smell like their dragon parents, I was the closest source of a dragon's smell. So I got in the sleeping bag with him, and he snuggled up to me all night."

I can see Yukino's eyes sparkling at the story. "That's so sweet. I never knew that Rogue was such a sensitive child."

"Indeed, and it does explain his fixation with you during the Grand Magic Games." Something about Rufus' expression feels a bit off to me.

Then, I figure out why and growl lightly. "I did not tell you this story so that you could tease him about it. He was nine years old and on his own, so don't give him crap for not being able to handle that many vulcans. I doubt that you had as much magic as he did when you were still a brat." That shuts him up, though it doesn't wipe the smile from his face. "Anyway, he was very snuggly as a kid, even if he doesn't want to admit it. And that's where the comment came from."

"Okay, then how about your earring?" Yukino points to the long crystal earring hanging from my left ear. "Sting has one just like it, did you buy it from the same place."

I laugh softly. "Well, I guess you could say that." I move my hair, revealing the stud earring in my other ear. "I had to use a different earring here, because the partner to the one in my right ear is the one I gave him, the one in his left ear. That's a much shorter story. I was on another job, escorting a shipment of gold across the kingdom, and there was a run in with the dark guild Gloria. I was in the middle of fighting them when Sting jumped into the fight, an eager, powerful little twelve year old. He fought there with me, and when the battle was over, I gave him my earring as a present, a thanks, and as a wish for him to grow up and get stronger. And as a promise to see him fight Natsu." Though it's funny how that turned out. He got to fight Natsu, but he got to fight me too.

"That's so sweet." Yukino looks like she's going to start gushing over the story. But it's not like she's wrong, those two really were little sweeties as kids, if very proud. Then again, I can't fault them for that, looking at me and Natsu.

Still, I smirk. "Well, yes, they were sweet kids. But I have to admit that the looks on the faces of half your team when I walked into the arena with my brother were pretty funny too. I didn't realize I'd shocked you all so much." I glance pointedly at Rufus. "I hope that I made a good impression on the second day, at least."

"That you did." Rufus smirks right back at me. "I must admit that you have been full of surprises."

I stifle a laugh. "Well, to be on the safe side, you should expect a few more." Especially if we end up inviting them to a party later. They'll see things they never thought were possible. "Anyway, we should probably eat and get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be fun."

As I lie down and pull a blanket over myself, setting the lacrima in place, I hear Orga scoff. "Fun, right."

I love falling asleep with a smile.

* * *

My nose twitches with the scents of many people. "Oh yeah…they're definitely down there." I can smell them just below the cliff, and I can see a few milling about in the clearing. "So, which plan should we go with?" We came up with half a dozen of them earlier, just to cover all of our bases, since we didn't know exactly what to expect to walk into.

"I think we should go with Storm Vanguard." Yukino leans over the side of the cliff slightly, getting a good look at the situation below. "It seems like that would work best."

"Agreed, it would seem that such a tactic would be most likely to ensure the success of the mission." And if that's what Rufus thinks, then no matter what Orga says, he's outvoted.

The giant scoffs. "Alright, fine. I still think I should be down there, though."

"Normally, I would say yes, but you wouldn't be able to move inside the gravity wave." I step to the edge of the cliff and let my toes dangle over it. "My feet never have to touch the ground anyway, so I'll be fine. Having no gravity to work in won't be a problem for me. I defy it on a daily basis."

"Alright, if you're sure…" Yukino pulls out one of her golden keys. "I promise to cover you."

"Thanks!" I turn around and grin at them all, letting myself fall backwards as I bend my knees and push off the edge of the cliff, flipping backwards through the air as I soar towards the clearing. I slam down in the middle of the rogue wizards, grinning as I stand up. "So, I've heard that someone's been bad. Care to tell me why?" And I know that they're the rogue wizards, because along with the map, Rufus memorized a list of stolen items. And more than a few of those items are being packed into crates. It looks like we caught them just as they were about to move out.

"What the hell!?" The closest wizard spins around, only for me to slam him into the ground.

Three dozen wizards surround me, and the one with the biggest staff points at me. "Who do you think you are!?"

"Dragon Wing of Fairy Tail." I smirk up at them. "And I presume that you're the wizards who have been stealing from the towns in this region."

"Fairy Tail!?" He slams his staff down on the ground. "She's alone! Get her! Pluck this Fairy's wings!" Oh…they're so wrong about that. I'm not alone. And I think they'll have a harder time plucking a dragon's wings than a fairy's.

By the time Yukino shuts off the gravity, I'm already in the air and spinning around, shooting out wind magic everywhere. The wizards around me are shouting and trying to shoot off spells, most of them missing me by a mile, but some of them requiring me to dodge. An easy enough feat, considering that the lack of gravity is just making me even faster.

That's when the fireworks start, almost literally. Raining down from above are Rufus' familiar lightning stars, and encompassing the whole area are flashes of black lightning. It's like standing in the middle of a hurricane, combined with a thunderstorm.

The plan was simple. I act as the first strike, the bait, and then Yukino would have Libra debilitate them, while Orga contains them, and Rufus helps me put them down, before coming down here himself to help seal them up.

I hit the ground thanks to the wind, leaping forwards to knock out several of the wizards with some well-placed punches. If I had to guess, at least half of them are going to ed up with concussions by the time we're done.

As the falling stars smash down on their targets, I draw a little of my own blood, writing the necessary characters on my arm. "Mirror Crystal Prison!"

The first crystal appears, encompassing a wizard shooting off blasts of fire. My second and third shots hit their marks as well, taking advantage of the stunning effects of Rufus' stars. Magic circles flash around me growing faster and faster as my casting picks up steam.

Not only that, but my nose picks up Rufus and Orga's scents coming closer as the lack of gravity lessens. They must have deemed the first two phases over, and decided to come and help me with the barriers.

"Ciara!" Yukino breaks through the trees with Rufus and Orga flanking her, Orga still shooting off lightning, and Rufus now casting my barrier spell.

"Good to see you guys!" I nail another wizard who gets too close to me right in the head with a wind-powered kick. "Let's get this cleaned up so that you can have Pisces do transport!" That was another part of the plan. Since we can't just pick up all of the crystals and drag them back to Orchid, Yukino offered to have Pisces swallow the crystals and spit them back up when we get back.

"Right!" Yukino takes cover while the spells continue to fly.

I quickly lose track of just how many spells I've dodged, and how many crystals I've made spring up around the rogue wizards. At least half of them, I think, but Rufus definitely did his fair share. And Orga is surprisingly good at crowd control, not just focused strikes.

Light flashes past my face, nearly singeing my bangs as I flip back to avoid it. I'm not sure what the spell was, I just know that I'd rather not get hit with anything that the few remaining wizards are shooting at us. "Rufus! Think you can cast half a dozen at once!?" I've never tried it myself, but…if he's willing to push the limit, I am.

"I believe so. Shall we?" He shifts his hat, almost covering his smirk.

"Let's." I hold my arm in the air, revealing the fading character on my arm. "Now!"

Light fills the entire clearing as magic circles appear under the remaining wizards, encasing them in the same crystalline substance as their accomplices.

Orga pants a little as he lowers his hands. "Did we get them all?"

"Let me see…" My nose twitches again, picking up three scents on the breeze, and they're not Tigers. "Three of the, five o'clock!"

Orga is on it in an instant, mowing down several trees with his black lightning and slamming it into the last few wizards hiding out in the underbrush. Rufus doe the follow-up, encasing the last of them in prisons. "It seems that we are done, unless your nose tracks anymore of them for us."

I sniff twice. "No, I think that's it." I look around, counting all of the crystal prisons. Forty-eight in all. "No wonder they managed to steal so much, they've got quite a force." Civilians would stand no chance against them, and even regular wizards would have issues dealing with them. Thanks to our plan, and the fact that we're all powerful, experienced wizards, this was a piece of cake.

What's not a piece of cake is loading up all of the stolen goods into my backpack's extra dimensional space, while Pisces gobbles up all of the wizards. Though on the other hand, their screams are fairly entertaining as they get swallowed by a couple of giant fish.

And I'm fully aware that sometimes, I'm a bit on the sadistic side.

* * *

I cradle my new book happily as I close it up and drop into the newly emptied void in my backpack. The mayor was exceptionally pleased with our work in not only rounding up every single wizard alive, but also in recovering some of the stolen goods before they were sold off on the black market.

Which is why he gave each of us a gift to take home. And for me, it was a magic book that no one could figure out how to read. Of course, I can't blame them for not being able to read it, after all, I'm probably one of the few wizards on the continent relatively fluent in ancient Mildian. So what most people would consider a paper weight, I consider to be an incredible tome regarding the principles of time magic. Not that I use time magic, but it would be interesting bedtime reading, at least.

Even so, once the job is over and we each net a whopping million and a half jewels for a job well done, I walk the Tigers to the train station.

"Are you sure that you don't want to come with us to visit?" Yukino's eyes see to get really big and bright when she asks that question.

"Yeah…I'm sure." I pull the other job requests out of my backpack. "I got several requests as soon as we got back to the guild, so I figured that I'd try and get all of them done before we're ready to throw our party. Because we're all probably going to be taking several days off for that."

"Party?" She blinks bemusedly. "What party?"

I feel like something is seriously going on if one group can amuse me so much that my smirk feel like it's becoming a permanent fixture on my face. "We fight hard, work hard, and party hard. So yeah, if we're going to throw a real after-games party, we're going to need about a week to organize it, and then another week to actually hold it. I mean, no offense to the king but…that wasn't the most appropriate party for a bunch of wizards."

"So you guys are actually gonna do it?" Orga frowns at me. "You're gonna invite other guilds?"

I shrug. "Why not? I mean, I can just walk into Blue Pegasus if I want to visit Hibiki, and I'm sure that the masters of Blue Pegasus and Quatro Cerberus would love to come back to Fairy Tail for some parties." I just hope that we don't end up inviting any of the Magic Council. Yajima is fine, he's retired, the rest of them…not so much. "So it's best to get whatever jobs you have done quickly, because you wouldn't want to miss the invite."

Rufus' eyes glitter almost mischievously. "Such a thing would surely be marvelous to behold."

"You say that now…" I doubt that he'll be of the same opinion when he inevitably gets caught up in one of the brawls, but I guess I can let him dream. "Anyway, I'll see you guys soon. I'll get these jobs done quickly and then I'll head home to work out the party specifics with Mira. We'll let you guys know when we're ready to really annoy the Magic Council again."

Orga stares worriedly at me. "Uh…you mean all that shit about Fairy Tail and the Magic Council is true?"

I sigh. "Probably everything you've heard and more. They hate us, but we're the strongest, and one of the oldest magic guilds in the kingdom. We're not afraid of the Magic Council. In fact, Mr. Yajima, he's a retired council member, but before that, he was a member of Fairy Tail. So if you consider that, they're really not all that scary." After all, they had a member of our family with them. And unknown to them, they still do.

"Uh…Ciara?" Yukino shifts next to me. "I don't know how to say this, but…"

"My guild is a little crazy?" I grin, since that's old news. "No, we're extremely crazy. But we do hold the best parties. So you guys get going home, I'll wrap up my jobs, and then we'll see about showing you a good time. Alright?"

She tilts her head slightly,bewildered, before a smile blooms spectacularly on her face. "Right!"

I turn away, waving them goodbye as I jump into the air. "See you then!" And I race quickly into the sky and out of sight on the way to my next five jobs. _Alright…let's see if I can do all of this in record time._

* * *

 **And…it's going too fast between Ciara and Rogue? I'm a little confused as to how, considering that so far, Frosch seems to be getting more action than Rogue is. And this is after slowly building things up over the course of about 25 chapters (longer if you include chapter like...14)**

 **Anyway, that aside, it's still going to be a few chapters yet before anything really happens, and even that feels kind of slow at times. I mean, Rogue is a nineteen year old guy, so…hormones, which would probably only be more powerful for dragon slayers (and it's not just guys that have hormones), Ciara isn't oblivious, she's just patient, and doesn't want to embarrass Rogue in public and make his pride take a hit. So I figured some more fluff and getting to know each other before getting into the…*coughs* fun stuff.**

 **I also figure that Sting, also being nineteen, hormonal, and mischievous, would tease his best friend mercilessly about his crush, while at the same time, doing his duty as wingman to get Rogue a girlfriend.**

 **In any case, I know exactly when I'm hooking them up and how, I worked it all out a long time ago. Remember Fairy Tail? You know, that guild that likes to throw massive parties all the damn time? Yeah, that one. Well, they're going to be throwing another party later. And all the other major guilds are getting an invite.**

 **Anyway, next chapter is come more Ciara and Frosch action. Poor Rogue is going to be so jealous of his cat after this...**


	118. Special Delivery

**I am now hopeful that the glitches have been fixed. We'll just have to see if that's actually the case, or if it was just wishful thinking.**

 **Hi Chaos, nice to see you, one of my ghost reviewers. And the points you raise are precisely why it's taking so long anyway. But, from this point on, with thoughts and emotions stewing, things are going to start escalating (you know, with some helpful pushes courtesy of Sting and Mirajane, and little accidental ones from the Exceeds, and maybe some alcohol).**

 **So, Momo, you think that Lector would think she's awesome too? I definitely agree, especially if she were to take the little guy up for a flight around the region at the speed of sound. Wait, that sounds like a great idea! Let's do it.**

 **Also, I have a poll up on my profile for you guys, since it would be good to have feedback for reference.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

By the time I finally arrive back at Fairy Tail, it feels like I've been gone for a month, not just six days. Then again, I did about a month's worth of work in less than a week, so I feel like I deserve the payday, as well as about two weeks off from working. More than long enough to organize and hold our party.

I yawn as I walk into the guild hall, making my way automatically to the bar. "Hey Mira, my usual plate please…"

"Coming right up!" Mira smiles behind the bar as she goes for a cupboard and pulls out a whole bunch of ingredients that she keeps reserved for me. "So, how did the jobs go?"

"Really well, actually." I hold up a few fingers. "I lifted yet another curse from something that Mr. Shizu bought, since that guy seems to attract cursed objects like crazy. I dislodged several royal ships from their private port after they got stuck there by an unexpected receding of the tide. Then I exterminated a colony of magic termites from the infrastructure of Onibas' train station on the way to the next job, though I'm still trying to figure out how they got there in the first place…" I don't want to talk about the other two jobs…those were just…weird. "Oh, and then there was the job with Sabertooth. That went really well. We completed the job in less than twenty four hours, and the regional council was so impressed that I got an ancient Mildian magic book out of it as a bonus. I guess they didn't expect us to finish up that quickly.

"Well, sounds like you've had an eventful week." Mira sets all of the food to cook, before sauntering back over to the bar. "So, I was thinking about the party. Master says that it sounds like a great idea, and that it would make a great welcome back party, as well as an after-games party. We'd have to buy a lot of food and drinks, though."

"We still have that prize money." And since I'm pretty sure that Gramps was going to use it to buy back the guild hall, it's now just sitting around, gathering dust after the mayor just gave us back our fully restored guild hall. "I doubt that even we can burn through thirty million jewel with one party. Besides, if we buy in bulk, we'll get discounts. And if we tell the town we're throwing a party, they might put more stuff on sale because of all the wizards who'll be around." It'll be like throwing the Harvest Festival early.

"That's true!" Mira's expression brighten further, if that's even possible. "Alright, then let's get working on the invitations! And then we can make a list of everything we need to buy before the party."

Once my food comes to me on a huge plate, we get started on the invitation list, going over it five times just to make sure that we didn't miss anyone, and adding people the the list each time. At the very most, we might end up with over a hundred people coming in from other towns and cities. That includes some old members of Fairy Tail like Yajima, and even Loke, since he's still technically a member of Fairy Tail.

* * *

Hours later, when all of the lists are drawn up, Mira smiles. "Okay, I think that's it, we're all done."

"Finally…" Playing hostess to a party is a lot of hard work. But I'd say that the fact that we got this done not long after dark is pretty good. And knowing that all of the foods we need are quite abundant at the height of summer only makes this all the more feasible. Magnolia's grocers and bakeries are going to be getting some huge orders very soon. And if they can't handle it, I'll just go to Crocus for everything and make good use of my bottomless backpack for the things we need. So I stretch my arms and pick up the invitations. "Okay,I'm gonna hit the hay. I'll go around delivering these tomorrow, and I'll let the town know that we're going to be throwing a party and to be ready for a lot of food orders."

"Alright, have a safe trip home." Mira always worries about us, even those of us who are the most dangerous to jump.

I don't actually think anyone would be stupid enough to try and jump me in the dark, but I suppose there might always be one brain-dead idiot with a death wish. "I will."

Everyone else has long since gone home, which means that it should be deserted in front of the guild when I walk outside. But it's not. In front of the guild stands a tiny figure, and it looks more than a little distressed. So I approach, only to see a little green cat in a pink frog onesie. No, not a cat, an Exceed.

He looks up at me, sniffling. "Cia…?"

"Frosch?" I bend down and scoop him into my arms. "What are you doing here so late? Shouldn't you be with Rogue, getting ready for bed?"

He trembles a little in my arms, pressing his face to my chest. "Fro got lost…"

"Oh no…" Really, the little guy is so much like a toddler that it's impossible to just leave him alone. "Well, where are you trying to go?"

"Fro is going home." Ah, he must mean home to Sabertooth. Though if he's here, then somehow, he must have wandered away from Rogue.

 _Wait a minute… I thought that Sabertooth was in a town forty miles from here. How the hell did Frosch get here!? Did Rogue bring him here for a field trip?_ Speaking of Rogue, though, I can smell his scent on the breeze, along with Sting, Lector, and Yukino. _Just what's going on here…?_

So, I reach out with my mind, looking for Yukino. _You there?_

 _Ciara!?_ She sounds surprised to hear from me. _You knew I was here?_

I roll my eyes. _Of course I did, I can smell you three hiding over there._ I look subtly but pointedly towards the corner of the nearest building, where I can see the edge of a cape, Rogue's cape. _And see you guys, actually. Now what's going on? How did Frosch end up here?_

 _…It's a very long story. But we've been trying to let his get back to the guild without help. He wants to prove that he can make it home himself._

 _I see…_ I pat Frosch gently on the head. Which means that this is a matter of pride. _Then you take the guys and head back to Sabertooth, I'll stop by in a little while with Frosch._

She pauses. _Do you think you can convince him to let you help him?_

 _Maybe…_ But I've got something different in mind. _But I was thinking more about letting him help me instead. That way, he's safe, but he can still be responsible for dealing with a problem on his own._ To me, it seems like an acceptable compromise. _So tell Rogue that his little buddy will be perfectly safe with me, and he'll be home soon._

 _Okay!_ Her voice disappears in an instant, and I can hear the slight sounds of a scuffle. If I had to guess, I'd say that Sting is forcibly dragging Rogue away.

About twenty minutes of cooing and cuddling later, I lift Frosch up to eye level. "Hey Frosch, do you think you could help me?"

His big teary eyes drop to the ground. "Fro doesn't know…"

"It's really easy, I promise." I hold him up a little higher so that he has to look at me. "Could you show me the way to Sabertooth? I have a delivery to make, and I've never been there before." None of those are actually lies, but I do have a general idea as to its location, thanks to a few maps I've perused. Frosch doesn't need to know that, though.

"Show you the way?" He sniffs. "But Fro always gets lost…"

"Ah, well…" I press a kiss to his little forehead. "Actually, I was hoping that you could guide me through the air. I can fly too, remember?"

"Fly?" He tilts his head like the idea of flying never occurred to him at all. "Cia's gonna fly?"

"Of course I am." I look up at the crescent moon overhead. "It's a beautiful night for it, so why wouldn't I fly?" It's the best thing in the world to me, after Fairy Tail, of course.

His eyes start to sparkle brightly, before dimming again. "Fro should find the way home alone…"

I sigh at the little guy's sheer stubbornness. _Well, I think I know where he gets it from…_ "You know…that's all well and good, but wouldn't it be even better to not only go home, but to show someone else the way there? That would make you twice as responsible. And my delivery is very important, I need to get it to Sting quickly, otherwise he's going to miss a deadline."

There's a few seconds of silence,before Frosch raises a paw. "Fro understands. Fro will show Cia the way to Sting!"

"Good to hear." And I think that those four should have had plenty of time to find a way back to their guild, and should be most of the way there by now, which means that it's safe to leave now and not beat them back. "Okay, then let's go." I carefully stuff him into my vest, zipping it up so that only his head pops out of my clothes. "Now stay there and let me know when you see the way home."

I leap into the air, gaining altitude at a steady rate, and pausing every hundred feet in order to let Frosch acclimatize. I don't know if Sting and Rogue have Lector and Frosch carry them around much, if at all, and I've never witnessed it myself, so it's better to air on the side of caution and assume that Frosch doesn't spend much time at high altitudes.

The little guy squeals as we end up half a mile in the sky and he squirms in my vest, tickling me as he squirms his way into my shirt. So I put my hand on his head and speak softly. "It's okay, Frosch, I promise that I won't drop you. Sometimes, I come up here with Happy, and he loves it up here."

He squirms a little more. "Fro likes the sky!"

"Oh?" Well, I suppose that's a good thing, it would be bad if he didn't. "Good. So…do you see the way to Sabertooth from here?"

He wiggles some more, tickling me again, and pokes his little paw out of my vest. "That way!"

Since I know that he's pointing vaguely in the right direction, I alter the heading slightly and take a course just a few degrees off what he said. That way, he won't know a thing. It's a bit deceitful, but for the sake of making him feel good, this little equivalent to a white lie. I feel a little guilty about it, but if Frosch has a poor sense of direction, it's better to just keep a close eye on him and encourage him safely, rather than make him feel like he has to have a perfect sense of direction and do things alone.

Either way, since it looks like he's enjoying this, I raise a hand to my chest and make sure that he's been secured, before doing a gentle barrel role in the air. Frosch squeals in delight at the move, so I do it again in the opposite direction.

I manage to waste several minutes with various acrobatic maneuvers, giving the Tigers a little more time to get back to their guild before I drop in on them with Rogue's little buddy.

Frosch stops squirming for a minute, and turns his little head ninety degrees to try and look at me. "What does Cia think of Ro?"

Well, that question came out of nowhere. "Well, he's very protective of you, and he's strong, and kind when he wants to be, kind of awkward." Well, and he was a jerk and a bit of a headcase at times, but its better not to say that to Frosch. And pointing out that he's attractive is off limits around the little guy too. The last thing I need is him repeating something he shouldn't.

"Fro thinks so too!" It's sweet to see how attached this little guy is to Rogue, which just shows that he's nice than he usually lets on. A sensitive little creature like Frosch wouldn't be so attached to Rogue if he were really a mean person.

As I see Sabertooth's hometown coming into view, I nudge Frosch again. "Okay, so where's your guild hall?"

He points again, his little paw wiggling as it points towards an enormous castle-looking building that towers over the rest of the buildings in the area. "It's over there!" Though I think that's fairly obvious, considering the giant statue of a saber-toothed tiger decorating the top of the building. Still, there's no need to point that out to the little guy. And the guild flags that I can see even in the dark make it even more clear that we've found our destination.

It's time to take this little guy home.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

The guild hall is mostly empty as I dig my nails into one of the tables in the newly renovated first floor. Every second that goes by is another second without Frosch, and it's driving me insane. I know that he's in safe hands, but I can't help worrying about him anyway.

"Rogue, quit worryin' so much. Frosch is gonna be fine." Sting taps his knuckles against the top of my head. "Ciara should be here with him any minute."

"I know, I just…" It makes me anxious to be away from him. I've known him for so long, that…it's hard to imagine not having him next to me. And it's even harder to actually be separated.

That's when two familiar scents approach the front doors, and they shake a little as they open, revealing a five and a half foot tall figure with a rather oddly shaped upper body. When she steps into the light, the bump is revealed to be Frosch, sitting snuggly within the confines of her vest.

Scratch that, he's snuggled within the confines of her breasts. And my face heats up as I try not to stare at my little buddy riding her like that. _Ugh, damn it…_ I really hate my own thoughts sometimes. Especially considering where it makes the blood rush to. Thank heavens for the waist-guard… _I'm going to need a very cold shower tonight…_

"So, whenever you get lost, just let your wings out and take to the sky. Your wings are part of you, so it should be even more natural than trying to walk wherever you want to go, okay? You just need to make the most of your magic and rely more on yourself." She pats Frosch on the head, smiling down at him. "And if you're in the air, it should be easy to find Rogue, too." She looks up at me and smiles. "And there's your partner right there."

I gingerly get up from the table, walking a bit awkwardly over to her as I try not to wince. "Thanks for bringing Frosch back."

"My pleasure." She carefully unzips her vest, revealing that Frosch has squirmed his way into her shirt, before tugging at him to try and get him out. "Damn, you really wiggled yourself in there, didn't you?"

Frosch raises his arms to me. "Ro…Help Cia get Fro out!" I really wish he hadn't said that.

Hesitantly, I reach for my little buddy and tug him upwards, determinedly trying not to stare down. And ultimately failing as I get an amazing view when Frosch finally slides out. Round, soft, and tanned… Does she sunbathe…? I stifle a groan as I momentarily consider maybe indulging in a hot shower instead.

Once I have Frosch dislodged from her bosom, she reaches a hand up towards my face, moving my bangs away from my eye. "Hm…looks like your injury has finished scarring." She rubs her thumb over the bridge of my nose, tracing the jagged, crooked scar, and she's smiling. "It looks cute, I like it."

I blink at the declaration. "It looks…cute?" She nods in affirmation, her unwavering smile flushing my cheeks with heat. I suppose it's better than her hating how my face looks, though I'd rather not be called cute. Frosch is cute, Lector is cute, even that little dragon slayer from their guild is cute. Cute is meant for small things, not me! I'm not nine years old anymore

Now, she turns to Sting. "Oh, I have a delivery for you, by the way. Mira and I finally organized that party that I told Yukino, Rufus, and Orga about last week. The details are inside the invitation, and I hope that you guys can make it." She hands over an envelope with a Fairy Tail emblem on it.

Sting stares at the letter for a few seconds, before grinning widely. "Of course we'll make it!"

"Great." She goes back to petting Frosch for a moment, a soft smile on her face that does nothing to ease my need for a shower. "And remember to keep an eye on this little one."

"Right…" I hold Frosch a little tighter. This might be a good chance to… "It's late, you know. Do you want to stay here for the night?" I can hear Sting snickering behind me, and I wish that he would just shove his head into the pool.

She smiles up at me. "I'm okay, I can make it back to Magnolia no problem. Besides, flying at night is one of my favorite things to do. Well, after walking through the city on market day, or when there's a festival. The breezes taste good."

"I see." Well, that failed miserably, not that I really expected it to work in the first place.

"Miss Ciara?" Lector climbs up on the nearest table, his cheeks looking particularly red. "If uh…if you've got a little time, do you think that maybe…"

"Maybe what?" She moves away from Frosch, focusing her attention on Lector. "What do you want to ask me?"

His cheeks almost start to glow as he holds up his paws. "I was…hoping you'd take me up really high…like you did with Frosch. I don't really go flying a whole lot, so…"

Her smile softens further. "Oh, I see, you wanna go flying with me because you're usually here on the ground with Sting. Is that it?"

He nods. "And because you're a really good flyer…"

"Is that so?" She smirks slightly, looking up at Sting. "Well, he's your little buddy. I'm not going to kidnap him without your permission."

Sting blinks, before nodding. "Yeah, sure, go ahead. I've still gotta read the invitation, so you can take him while I do that."

"Perfect." She claps her hands together and reaches for Lector. "Alright, hop in."

And much to my dismay, and a burst of irrational jealousy, I watch as Lector takes Frosch's place, huddled up in Ciara's clothes. And as she disappears out the door with them, chatting animatedly, I have to consciously control myself to prevent myself from accidentally squeezing Frosch too hard.

Sting pats my shoulder. "Wow, that's rough. Even my cat is getting more action than you."

And it's that stupid joke that earns him a punch to the face.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

"Wait, he did what!?" I can't help but laugh as Lector recounts the day of finding Frosch for me. "So you're saying that Rogue freaked out in your guild's new pool, almost picked a fight with Gajeel, and then scared the crap out of Wendy?" That sounds so improbable that it's hard to imagine. Lector shivers all of a sudden. "But I think karma was when Ichiya flashed Rogue, and got blasted with a Shadow Dragon Roar."

"Ichiya flashed Rogue!?" Now that's a mental image that I really didn't need. "Okay, now I feel bad for him." That couldn't possibly have been fun. And if Ichiya had pulled that with me, I would have done far worse than that. "Okay, so moving part that, what else happened?

"Oh, he did way more than that." Lector waves his paws out as we fly high into the sky. "He even groped Yukino by accident."

"He groped Yukino, huh…?" I twitch a little at that revelation. Rogue had better hope that it was an accident, otherwise I'm going to seriously question the looks he's been giving me. "I didn't think that Rogue was into public displays of affection."

Lector cringes. "I don't think he is, but Sting punched him right in the face for it."

"Oh, he did, did he…?" I can definitely get behind that. _I wonder if that means he's got a thing for Yukino._ Then again, he could just be doing it on principle. If that's the case, then my opinion of Sting is definitely going to go up. "Anyway, what happened after that?"

"Well, there was this carriage that was going to hit Frosch, so Rogue jumped on it and tried to stop it." Lector rubs his head sheepishly. "But then he got motion sickness…"

I chuckle at the mental image. "Well, after groping Yukino, I can see him deserving that. It's called karma."

"Yeah, I guess you've got a point there." Lector cheers a bit as we start rolling and looping through the air. "So then, we followed Frosch to see Kagura and her cat friend, and then Frosch ran into Natsu…"

"Oh boy…" I can just see how that encounter must have gone. "How big a fight was there, and how much did my brother destroy?"

Lector laughs. "Well, see, there were some guys trying to kidnap Frosch, so Natsu went and burned their butts! Blew up a whole street too!"

I groan and slam my palm to my face. "Of course he did…he's a walking natural disaster zone." Though the same could be said about me…and I'm the worse of the two of us.

"You got that right! But it was awesome!" Lector takes far too much pleasure in my brother's wanton destruction. "So then, we saw Frosch run into Gray and that water girl, and then he ran into Erza." And the way Lector snickers tips me off.

I flick his ear lightly. "Alright, now what's got you so amused?"

"Well, see, Frosch ran into Erza and let her try on the present he got for Rogue." He snickers some more, making me very suspicious of this present. "And it was a matching pink frog costume for a human. He even cried over how sweet it was."

I let that sink in for a minute, before bursting out in a fit of laughter. "He got a pink frog bodysuit for Rogue!?" Now that's definitely an interesting mental picture. "If he wears that where I can see it, Rogue should expect me to tease him mercilessly." Because it's one thing for a cat to wear one, it's another thing entirely for someone like Rogue to do that. It's entirely too cute for his style. "So, how did you guys end up at Fairy Tail?"

"Uh…well…" His ears twitch sheepishly. "I'm not really sure. We just followed Frosch the rest of the day, and somehow, we ended up a town over at Fairy Tail."

"And none of you noticed that you'd walked like thirty miles…?" Okay, I'm starting to think that Sting and Rogue have ridden the train too many times, if their sense of direction is so messed up that they can't even tell what city they're in. Maybe they need some training from me and Natsu. Because even Natsu doesn't get THAT lost. "Remind me later to play hide and seek with Sting and Rogue and make sure that their noses are still working right, because getting lost like that shouldn't be possible…"

"Yeah…" Lector starts to fidget uncomfortably. "Hey…Miss Ciara?"

"Hm?" I nuzzle the top of his head as his ears start to droop. "Something wrong?"

"Well…" He looks so uncomfortable, but I can't imagine that it's because of the height. We've actually dropped in altitude, so… "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" I'm a bit perplexed as to why he would be apologizing. "What do you mean you're sorry?"

"I mean…I'm sorry for being mean to you and Natsu before the games started." Oh… "We were totally rude to you guys, and then you went and beat Sting and Rogue, and then the dragons…"

I sigh and shake my head. "You guys were taught by that Jiemma guy that being prideful and arrogant are important, that lording strength over everything else makes you powerful. But…in the end, what does strength matter if you're not happy? You were all influenced into thinking certain thoughts, and your behavior was a reflection of that. Now…you've learned and know better, right?" It's pointless to hold a grudge, not after I almost did even worse than that to most of their team.

He's quiet for several long moments, before pumping his little fists int the air. "Right! And now we're gonna be the best guild ever!"

"Is that so?" The little guy amuses me, that's for sure. "Maybe once you can throw parties like we can. Though without the brawls."

"Brawls?" Oh…he thinks the we only brawl outside the guild, the sweet dear.

Still I laugh. "Anyway, lets get back before Sting misses you too much. And thanks for telling me about your…very interesting day." I take us back down towards the enormous Sabertooth guild hall, spiraling upside-down through the air, before landing perfectly on the doorstep. "Alright, this is the last stop of the night. Would all passengers please vacate the vehicle."

Sting stands at the front door, looking a little sick. "Did you have to say vehicle?"

I roll my eyes. "Well, when the vehicle is me, any and all riding is done without the side-effect of motion sickness. So yes, I can say the taboo word about myself without incurring the wrath of the weakness of all dragon slayers."

For some reason, that makes Sting snicker. "Alright, well, have a safe trip home and we'll see you at the party next week."

"Great, I'll let Mira known after I finish delivering the invitations." I help Lector to pry himself out of my shirt, and he hops down onto the ground. "And if you feel like going flying again, then maybe next time, you can use your wings and try to race me."

That has his eyes glittering excitedly at me. "Yeah! I'll practice and show ya just how awesome a flier I am!"

"Then it's a promise!" I pat him on the head before turning my back and waving over my shoulder. "Have a good night, you guys, and I'll see you next week." And it'll be under most interesting circumstances, indeed.


	119. Parties Equal Chaos

**Time-skips this chapter, because going through an entire week of party preparations is something I really don't feel like doing. Some more build-up later, some funny awkwardness, and a dress that Rogue probably thinks should be illegal to wear, but enjoys the sight of it anyway.**

 **As for the Happy being replaced idea, I've got another chapter in the works that's going to show a rather cute scene involving multiple Exceeds and a nap.**

 **Also, next chapter, things are going to start to heat up.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V. - July 17th

I grin at Mira as I approach the bar, having flown all over the kingdom today, dropping off the invitations at the various guilds and addresses of special invitees. "Alright, so far, we've got RSVPs from Sabertooth, Lamia Scale, and Blue Pegasus. Quatro Cerberus was kind of…well, they were all drunk out of their minds and on the floor when I arrived, but I think they'll be letting us know soon that they're coming as well. Mermaid Heel is iffy, but Kagura looked at the invitation like it was made of gold, so I think they'll probably come as well." I did stick around long enough to get instantaneous answers from half the other guilds, so our other guests should be responding within the next couple of days. "Stopped in at Mercurius as well in case Princess Hisui wanted to come. She's pretty busy, but she said that she might stop in for a day or two."

"Well, that's good." Mira smiles brightly at me. "I went around to the shops with Kinana, and we've almost got enough of the stores ready to supply what we need. We just need two or three more before we're all set."

"Perfect." Not that I expected many to turn us down. After all, Fairy Tail have always been some of their best customers, and their largest orders. "Then let's keep the communications lacrima active and wait for the calls to come in. In the meantime, I'll let everyone know what the dates for the party are. And we can hang up a poster on the request board, letting everyone know when they should take time off." After all, we've already dealt with most of the urgent requests, and all of the others can be completed within the next few days. After that, we're free.

Mira flits around the kitchen, pulling out cookbooks. "Alright, now tell me what kind of cake you and Natsu would like."

"Cake…?" She can't possibly be serious. "Please tell me that you want to whip out the cake two days before our 'birthday' and not on the day of…"

"Nope, we're doing it on your birthday!" Well, she says that, but in reality, since Natsu and I don't really know when our birthday is, they just picked July twenty-fifth, the day we arrived at Fairy Tail, since Natsu's name means summer. They must have figured that it meant we were born in the summer.

I groan at the proclamation. "Is that why you decided on those dates?"

"Uh-huh!" She plops one of the books down in front of me. "I figure that if we're going to celebrate, we might as well do it all at once!"

I slam my forehead against the book. "Fine…" Because when Mira decides something like that, there's no getting out of it, no matter how hard you try.

* * *

Sting's P.O.V. - July 18th

I know that the grin on my face must be freaking a few people out, but I don't care, the news I've got is awesome! And right now, the whole guild needs to know it. I had to take a day to get things ready, but now I'm ready to make the announcement. "Alright, so Fairy Tail is throwin' a huge after-games bash in a few days, and Sabertooth got a blanket invite to go! So if you wanna go, get packed, because the party lasts all week!"

A lot of cheers go up, but there's also some shocked faces in the crowd. That's probably because most of them can't picture partying for a whole week. But I can, and it's gonna be awesome! I used to hear about their parties when I was little, and I used to imagine getting to go to one. Now, I'll get to party it up with my idols!

"Oh, and pack swimsuits, too, they've got a pool too." I didn't know that they had a pool, and it makes me a little mad for not coming up with the idea before they did, but whatever, that just means we're even more like Fairy Tail than the other guilds.

The crowd starts chattering, and some people are shaking their heads, while others are racing off, either out the front door, or upstairs, depending on whether they live out in town or upstairs in the dorms. Those must be the ones heading off to pack, and it looks like we're going to have a good turnout. I just hope that Fairy Tail has enough food.

Rogue stays behind, arms crossed. "Is this really a good idea, Sting? Knowing Fairy Tail's reputation, this sounds like a recipe for disaster."

"It'll be fine." Honestly I doubt he's worried about anything that might happen while we're at Fairy Tail. "Come on, what's really buggin' ya?"

He frowns at me, his fingers twitching. "I just…don't think that I should go."

I can feel my own mouth twitch. "This wouldn't have anything to do with the fact that you're scared that she's gonna reject you, would it?" I'm pretty sure that's why he hasn't even tried to kiss her yet. Which is stupid, because she's super nice to him, and she even likes Frosch! She's smart, strong, kinda reckless, but she's also loyal, brave, and really stubborn. Meaning that she's awesome, and Rogue really needs to just go for it.

I get my yes as a glare that Rogue shoots me. "No." He's a bad liar, always has been, which is probably why he's usually a lot quieter.

I roll my eyes. "Well, you're still coming. The five of us got a special invite on top of the regular one. They want all the people who competed in the games there. That means you too." I will make sure that he attends no matter what, and I have five days left to break him.

I'm going to win.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V. - July 23rd

I stretch my arms above my head, before jumping up a tree in South Gate Park. We got the RSVPs from early everyone we invited, and it looks like we're going to have quite the crowd coming. It's a good thing that we got Fairy Hills to open its doors for the time being, and various other accommodations have all been taken care of via communications lacrima. For example, I'm hoping that Lyon and Rufus will be able to stay over at Gray's place without tearing it apart. Though I wouldn't count on it…

Nevertheless, it's nice to have a little time to relax before the party kicks off, and all I have to do now is wait right here for our guests. They should be arriving pretty soon…

* * *

I don't even realize that I dozed off until I hear Hibiki's voice below me. "I thought this was where we were supposed to meet her."

"Yes, I believe that is the case." That voice belongs to Kagura, which means that Mermaid Heel is here after all. "Which begs the question as to where she is."

"What do you mean?" Sting's voice accompanies a small stampede of footsteps. "She's right here. Her scent is all over this place."

"That may be, but this is Magnolia, her scent is probably all over the city." Hibiki has a good argument, but what he doesn't realize is that I've hopped down to the branch right above him, still out of sight.

Well, until I hook my legs around the branch and swing around to land my smiling face right behind his head. "Thanks for waking me up, Hibiki!"

It's hilarious, actually. A shiver goes through his entire body as he tenses up. Then, he screams and jumps away from me, spinning around with eyes bolting back and forth wildly. "What the hell, Ciara!? What was that for!?"

I clutch my stomach as I laugh, unhooking my legs and flipping head over heels before I hit the ground. "Oh come on, you gave me too perfect an opportunity to resist!"

Hibiki seems a bit miffed at that, but Bacchus finally pipes up instead. "Uh, that's pretty wild, but…what were ya doin' up a tree?"

"Napping." I stretch my arms out again, working the kinks out. "Its my favorite tree in the park, and it's got this huge nook up there that I can sleep in if I want. I was waiting up there for you guys, but ended up falling asleep until Hibiki woke me up. Now…" I glance around, taking in the sight of basically all of our invitees, maybe two hundred people. "Perfect, looks like everyone's here. Which means it's time to get to the fun part." I gesture off towards the north end of the city. "Come on, Fairy Tail is this way."

It's a bit of a winding walk to the guild hall, but most of the crowd is sufficiently distracted by the many shops and stalls on the way there that I don't hear any complaints about the walk. Of course, the city is a very beautiful one, so I don't blame them for being distracted. I was fairly in awe of Crocus when we went there for the games.

As we approach the gates, my smile only grows. "Here it is. Welcome to Fairy Tail." Before us stands the small castle that we call home. And judging by the sounds I hear coming from inside… "Also, mind your heads, and be prepared to duck, it might be a bit…chaotic in there."

"Fro thinks so too." I hadn't noticed the little Exceed creeping up next to me, but he lightly tugs on my boot as we make the final approach to the guild. I can't blame him, after all, this is going to be quite an experience.

Orga scoffs. "Come on how bad could it be in there with a bunch of Fairies?"

"You have no idea…" I take a deep breath and reach for the doors. "If you see any flying furniture, I suggest that you duck immediately."

"Flying furniture?" Kagura obviously hasn't seen enough of our brawls to know what's coming next.

"Uh-huh." I throw open the doors to the enormous first floor, and take about five steps inside when a table comes flying out of nowhere.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

It happens in less than a second, the table coming flying at us, and then Ciara disappearing from just in front of me, slamming the table back onto the ground with just one foot. "Damn it. They really couldn't go two hours without starting a brawl?"

I had a notion that Fairy Tail liked to fight, but this was…a bit beyond my expectations. It seems like everyone in the guild is on the floor, trying to beat each other up. "Does this happen often?"

Ciara growls irritably. "You have no idea. Hang back for a minute, I'll make it safe."

"What!?" She can't seriously think that going in there is going to help!

Despite that, she leaps into the air, hovering high over the battle. "Alright, all of you need to sit down and shut up!" She takes a deep breath, breathing out a pressure wave of wind that quickly flattens everyone down on the cafeteria floor.

Rufus smirks at the sight. "That was certainly an effective tactic. I shall memorize it in case of future incidents."

"Right…" I'd rather him not be creepy about it, but that's just Rufus. It's not like he's interested in her.

Then again…he did ask her to dance at the banquet…

She lands deftly on one of the tables, arms crossed and foot tapping. "Alright, who started this fight?"

All fingers instantly point to Natsu and Gray. There's a very visible twitch as she hops off the table, plunging her arms into the pile of bodies and drags the two off by their ears.

As Ciara disappears, Mirajane approaches us with a smile on her face. "Sorry about all the fuss, they were just excited about having so many people coming and they got into a slight disagreement over how to welcome you." If that's what she calls a slight disagreement, then I think that she needs her eyes checked, because that looked like it was going to turn into a full-blown war. "Anyway, come on in. We've got food here on the first floor, games downstairs, and a lounge area on the second floor. The pool is in the back, but we just cleaned it, so we were going to open it back up tomorrow."

Jura walks forward,bowing slightly to her. "Your hospitality is greatly appreciated Miss Mirajane."

"Oh, its no trouble." She waves him off with a smile. "Now, I have to go find Ciara before she accidentally kills those two, and get her into her outfit for tonight."

"Alright?" Sting looks about as perplexed as I feel. "Well, then let's go get some food, then. I'm starving." I'm sure he is, after being forced to ride the train on an empty stomach. And I have to admit that I'm just as hungry as he is.

I'm also rather interested in what Mirajane meant by outfit…

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Somehow, Mira manages to keep me from tearing Natsu and Gray a new one after the stunt they pulled. Seriously, their antics could have really hurt someone.

But, less than half an hour after the arrival of our guests, things look to be both settling down and ramping up. Our guests look a lot more comfortable now, and there's smiles everywhere.

And with Cana's help, everyone in the guild hall soon has a mug full of alcohol. Trust our guild's resident drunk to make sure that no one goes without. She even foregoes her own usual barrel for a mug like everyone else.

But what comes out of Mira's mouth when she plops a drink down in front of me, after forcing me out of my usually clothes and into this damn dress, is not what I expect. "So, those of us who were here earlier took a vote, and we decided that we want you to make the speech."

"Speech?" This can't possibly be good. "What do you mean, speech?"

Mira smiles widely. "Well, a toast! We thought that since you're so good at talking to people, that you should be the one to do it."

I sweatdrop a little. "And what exactly am I supposed to say?"

Mira shrugs. "Whatever comes to mind! Now hurry, everyone's waiting!"

She and Cana push me away from the bar, and Cana nudges me off towards the stage. "Come on, girly. You've got the old man's talent for speeches and aren't tipping over the whole time, so go on up and rock their socks!"

I glare sourly at Cana, who continues to nudge me towards the empty stage. And unhelpfully, the scene is catching attention from around the room. "Cana, why do I have to do this? Can't Gramps do it!?"

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

Glancing over towards the source of a slight commotion, and Ciara's voice, I can just make out one of her guild mates, Cana Alberona, I believe, pushing her towards the stage.

"Huh…what's going on over there?" Sting peers through the crowd, finally taking his face out of his drink. "Is that Ciara?"

"Yeah…" I frown slightly at the sight, my ears straining to pick up what's going on through the remaining noise.

"Cana, why do I have to do this!? Can't Gramps do it!?" There's a distinct whine in her voice, like she's about to be pushed off a building and doesn't want to make the effort to keep herself from falling.

A slightly deeper female voice replies to her. "No way! He's tipsy enough to fall off the bar!"

"Then what about Erza!?"

"Someone spiked her cake."

"Mira!?"

"Busy at the bar."

"Natsu!?"

"You really want to let your half drunk fire-breather of a brother do this?"

"Ugh…why me…?"

"Because you're eloquent, and most importantly, you're sober. Now get up there and start talking!"

"Looks like this is gonna be interestin'." Sting smirks and brings his drink back to his lips.

"Hm…" I watch as Ciara gets pushed onto the stage, in…what can only be described as the most flattering piece of clothing I've ever seen her wear. A short tight-fitting silver dress with sequins from her hips, all the way up to her bust, no shoulders, no straps, no sleeves, baring her silver guild mark for all to see, with three progressively longer, shiny, softly ruffled skirts that barely make it halfway down her thighs, showing off long tanned legs, the sight cut off by her knee-high silver boots.

Now that is a nosebleed inducing outfit if I've ever seen one. One that I have to force myself not to focus on, lest I pop something rather embarrassing, again. Still, I discreetly hold my nose just to make sure that I don't embarrass myself another way.

The catcalls don't help, only making her increasingly irritated. Then she sighs, and wipes the irritation from her face, looking out with a smile. "Well, isn't this fun? I get forced into doing one of those weird friendship speeches. Usually, this is Natsu's department. But apparently he's too dangerous and tipsy to do this. Not that I can really argue with that." Her eye twitches slightly. "In fact, it seems that half the guild is too drunk to do this. Figures…"

Laughter erupts all around the guild hall, mostly from the members of Fairy Tail. Sting chuckles beside me. "Well, she definitely knows how to get attention. And that outfit sure is something."

"Yeah…" My eyes trail back to her, and I note that she looks a bit more comfortable, now that people are laughing. Not that I'm any more comfortable. Because there's an evil part of me that really wishes she'd drop something.

She sighs slightly, then smiles again. "Anyway…I guess while I'm up here, I might as well thank all of you who have joined us here tonight for coming to our little party. And I use the word little lightly. Most of you are about to find out the hard way that when Fairy Tail parties, we party hard. I do hope that none of you expect to make it through this next week sober, because I promise you that it's not gonna happen."

I nearly choke on my drink. _She can't possibly be serious… There's no way that every single wizard here is going to end up dead drunk by the end of the week._ My eyes flick around the guild once more, and I note the rather intoxicated state of much of Fairy Tail. _Then again…_

She laughs softly. "It feels good, you know? Having everyone here tonight… Usually, it's all just the same old faces, causing trouble and getting into fights. It's part of what makes us Fairy Tail, no matter how much some of us might wish that we didn't have to replace tables daily." A wry smile replaces the laughs. "We've made a lot of friends over the years…but made a lot more enemies." She smirks slightly. "Didn't stop us from kicking everyone's asses, though."

"Hear, hear!" One of the Fairies raises his glass, an older guy with slicked blue-purple hair. Vigorous thumping of glasses, and raucous cheering follows soon after.

Once the noise dies down, Ciara smiles again. "But, we made it through fighting some of the strongest dark guilds, dealing with a walking city with a death ray, a legendary dark wizard, and an all-out dragon attack." Her grin grows wider. "So, I'd say that we deserve this party, don't you!?" More cheering follows, and she nods her head. "For the enemies we downed, and the friends we've made…" Her eyes flick to where Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale are huddled. "Those we've lost…and those we've found." For a moment, her eyes find me and Sting, and there's a glow to her form. "Let's enjoy tonight and the rest of this week by partying till we drop! Fairy Tail! Let's show them how to party like Fairies!"

Deafening cheers race through the hall, and half a dozen barrels of alcohol are rolled out from behind the bar. One of them is immediately commandeered by Cana, who starts chugging like there's no tomorrow.

With my enhanced hearing, I latch onto the sound of Ciara's voice once more. "And once again…I'll end up being the only one who stays sober." It sounds like she's the one who tries to be responsible, while the rest of the guild goes and gets drunk off their asses.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see how long that lasts.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

I can't believe that Mira stuck me in this damn dress just to show me off to the world. Well, not the world, unless Jason snuck in here and snapped a picture of me. But still…she made me look like…like this in front of all our peers. I don't know if they'll ever take me seriously again.

Cana sits down next to me with her barrel buddy. "Aw…come on, cheer up. You did great up there!"

"You sure did, and I'll bet the boys really liked your dress." Mira slides over after finishing pouring another round of drinks. "I'm pretty sure one of those Sabertooth boys was staring at you."

"Mira…" The last thing I need is her getting involved in that. "Please don't go all matchmaker on us, please. It's awkward enough as is." Especially with him looking at me, but trying not to look at me. I'm not sure if he's embarrassed, or really interested, and trying to be all gentlemanly about it. The embarrassment might be a chronic problem, but if he's trying to be a gentleman… "And complicated."

"Well, then un-complicate it." Cana puts her barrel down on the counter, actually ignoring it for once. "Tell me straight up. Are you interested in this guy or not?"

I slam my head down against the bar. "Define interested."

"Do you find him attractive?" Well, that was blunt.

"Well, yeah, I mean, how can I not?" I lower my voice, totally conscious of the fact that if he's paying close enough attention, Rogue could definitely hear us. "Sure, he's hot, and he's nice…and he can get really worked up when he's inclined to, but he always gets so embarrassed around me that it's hard to tell if he's actually interested in me, or if it's just a puppy crush combined with hero-worship." And that's what worries me, because if it's the latter…well, I don't want to open my heart, just to have it broken. "Anyway, it doesn't matter, because I don't want to embarrass him in front of his guild mates and hurt his pride."

Mira smiles wryly. "Well, I guess that's one way to make a dragon slayer angry. Pride is something you've all got a lot of."

"I know, and I'm working on that…" I know full well that I need to be less prideful, myself. It's just that it's not an easy habit to break. On the other hand, it means that I know full well what not to do. And if the shoe were on the other foot, and I was the one being awkward, being confronted in front of people would just set me off, and probably get someone tossed through a wall. Still…

I can feel something on my back, not something physical, just…a gaze, or something. So, I glance back over my shoulder and across the room, my eyes searching through the crowd for the source of that gaze.

One red eye comes into my line of sight, staring right back at me through the throng of inebriated bodies. And it's definitely not Gajeel's. No, this gaze is sharp, but still warm and welcoming, almost dream-like as it draws me in. I stare at that ruby eye for I'm not sure how long, my blood pounding loudly in my ears as most of the chatter fades into the background, just like that night at the castle when we were dancing.

But honestly, I prefer seeing those eyes up close.

"Hey! Earthland to Ciara!" Cana shakes me out of my daze. "I know the guy's hot, but you totally spaced out there."

"I did?" Well, that sure doesn't happen often. "Well, whatever. Now, I need something to drink, something non-alcoholic, since someone needs to stay sober, and it's definitely not going to be you." The day that Cana is sober is the day I've gone to visit Mystogan in Edolas.

Mira passes me my drink from earlier, one that I deem to be only lightly alcoholic, from its smell. It'll have to do. After all, even if I'm just slightly tipsy, I can still function better than most of the guild can sober.

It'll give me plenty of time to contemplate all of the emotions hidden away and swirling restlessly in that ruby gaze. And to understand just what entranced me so thoroughly about it.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

There was something there, I know that there was definitely something there in those silver eyes. And no matter what I did, I couldn't tear my gaze away. It was like a spell was holding me frozen in place, with no choice but to look at her. Though I have to admit that I had no complaints about that particular kind of imprisonment.

And I remember that...dream? Vision? Well, whatever it was that I saw the days that the dragons attacked. I don't know if it was a fantasy, or an actual glimpse into the future, but either way, if that's something I can have, then the last thing I need to do is something stupid to turn her off me. I want to be happy, I want her to be happy, and I want to see that smile of hers as often as she'll let me. The smile of the girl who can be as kind as she can be fierce, patient, but hot-tempered when provoked, loyal to those she sees as deserving of that loyalty, and vengeful against those who threaten what she hold dear, strong in both body and mind, willful and stubborn. Just like the wind...gentle and warm as a breezy summer day, or as cold and harsh as a winter storm.

Which means that I'm going to need to find some way to control Sting before he does something stupid, again.


	120. Pleasurable Chaos

**Okay, so, like usual, I'm getting very good feedback on Frosch doing things like making Rogue jealous, and being an accidental wingman. So I'll take the liberty of turning that int a running gag. You know, kind of like Erza and her armored boob hugs.**

 **And hi Chaos, it looks like you're really imagining this party going sideways. I was thinking…something a little more theatrical, but you do bring up a good point about the drinking, and I could definitely include that.**

 **This chapter is kind of loaded, so try to keep up with everything that happens. Also, Rogue can get long-winded when he has something he wants to say. You know, it makes up for how quiet he is most of the time (at least, quiet compared to Sting). Oh, and there's some Fairy Tail style accidental groping, which...most of you are used to, otherwise you wouldn't be here.**

 **Finally,it wouldn't be Fairy Tail is something didn't interrupt things (sort of), so look forward to seeing the aftermath of THAT, next chapter.**

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Waking up feels…different than it usually does. Usually, I don't mind the quiet of my house. It's a welcome reprieve from the daily chaos of the guild hall. Especially after the first evening of the party week last night.

But today…the silence feels empty, and even stifling at times. I kind of feel like I don't want to be in here anymore. Not that I don't like the house, I just…it's always just been a place to eat, sleep, keep my books, and find some peace and quiet. Now it feels…lonely, in a way that it hasn't really felt since after those few nights that Natsu stayed over when I first bought it.

It's like the warmth was sucked out, and I never even noticed. Which is weird, because I know that I have a warm scent. And my scent is all over this place. …Just mine…

So, after making myself a hearty breakfast, I head over the the guild hall, my mood buoying as I take in a multitude of familiar scents, along with plenty that I've only smelled once more twice before. And I like it, it's comforting.

I particularly like the scent of cedar and cinnamon that wafts towards me from the guild. A homey scent, mixed with the familiar thick scent of a dragon. It's a scent I know quite well by now.

Blowing open the doors to the guild, I walk in, finding several people in here having breakfast, or brunch, really, since it's past eleven, and still others passed out on the floor after last night, lying right where I'd left them. Meaning, out of the way, and now where someone should step on them. Those who were too drunk to walk home include most of Quatro Cerberus, Cana, Macao and Wakaba, and surprisingly, several members of Sabertooth.

Speaking of Sabertooth, I'm barely down the stairs and into the cafeteria when two small projectiles come hurtling towards me, glomping me eagerly with little squeals. "Cia!"

My hands find the two fuzzy heads pressed to my chest as the little dears purr loudly. "Hello you two. I guess this means you missed me."

"Of course we did, Miss Ciara!" Lector stops nuzzling in order to look up at me, grinning wildly.

Frosch pops his head up too. "Fro thinks so too!"

I hadn't really seen them last night, because they'd fallen asleep before I had the chance to escape from Cana and Mira. I just hope that they don't both try shoving themselves into my shirt. I'm not nearly Erza's size, I can't randomly pop three Exceeds out of an impossible space. Then again, she might just requip them in there, according to the complaints I got from Happy about it this past week.

Speaking of Happy, as I'm coaxing the two little guys onto my shoulders, the weight that plops itself down on top of my head rings a few bells. "Happy, what are you doing there, little buddy?"

I can feel him pouting up there. "You spend so much time with them, and not as much time with me…I though I was your little buddy."

"Of course you are." That should be a given. "You're just usually with Natsu, and for some reason, these two have gotten really attached to me." Attached enough that they're using my ponytails for a little extra balancing. "After all, you mine and Natsu's little buddy, right?"

He sits up on my head, paw held out far enough that I can see it. "Aye Sir!"

"Aye sir…" I smile as I move towards the Sabertooth tables, the ones they've claimed on one side of the room. And I smile amusedly as I approach Rogue. "Well, I think now I know why Frosch seems to have problems with directions. He's only got two of them."

Rogue blinks. "Two of them?"

"Mm-hm." I lean down, allowing him to take Frosch from my shoulder. "One direction is you, since he seems to be able to find you when he wants to. Or, if he can't find you, his other direction is me."

"Huh, that makes sense." Sting holds up a fried egg, probably some of Mira's cooking. "I mean, it's weird, but he seems to find you a lot, so why not?"

"Exactly." I sit myself down on the end of the table, taking in the variety of smells as Happy moves down into my arms. Most of them are food, but two of the stronger scents are from Sting and Rogue, which makes sense, since we seem to have stronger scents than humans. "So, you guys managed to avoid the hangovers?"

Sting give me a thumbs up. "Hell yeah, we totally did it! Takes more than that to get us drunk, right Rogue?"

"Says the one who thought that a stuffed animal was Lector last night." Rogue rolls his eyes and it makes me laugh. "You're lucky that I cut you off before you got worse."

"Sounds like you two had an entertaining evening." I reach out to pet Frosch with my free hand, my eyes slowly moving up to meet with a warm smile, and matching ruby gaze. "I'm glad that you're enjoying yourselves, even if Sting is a lightweight when it comes to holding his alcohol."

"I am not a lightweight!" Sting stand up, slamming his hands down on the table. "And I'll prove it! You and me, we drink till one of us drops!"

"You really want to take me on?" I don't think that he realizes just what he's getting himself into. "Alright, but not right now. We'll do this later, so that everyone can watch." That should get him going, only to hit him hard in the pride when he inevitably loses. After all, I'm friends with the bartender and the guild drunk. I've long since learned how to hold my booze.

He gets right in my face, grinning eagerly. "Alright, then let's get Gajeel and Natsu in too, I can't wait to beat them too!"

I smirk at his gall. "Putting the cart before the horse, aren't you? But alright, I'll see if Laxus will participate as well, no reason to leave any dragon slayers out." Plus, it'll be interesting to see if anyone can out-drink me, other than Cana.

"Sting…you're behaving like a child." Rogue growls a bit, though I'm not entirely sure why that comment merits a growl.

Happy makes it worse when he snickers. "You LIKE her." Oh, shit.

I back away from Sting, catching sight of Rogue's furiously flushed face. "Happy! Why did you say that!?" Honestly, my little buddy has no filter. So, I pick him up by the ear and toss him to another table. "Stop causing so much trouble!"

Then, Happy starts to snicker again. "You LIKE him!"

My ears start to burn with embarrassment, and I glare darkly at my little buddy. "Happy, you had better go and find Natsu before I decide to find another giant egg and shove you inside it."

He races off with a squeal, still snickering like there's no tomorrow. That damn cat, he just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut. He's lucky that people are only just starting to arrive at the guild en masse, otherwise that would have been even more embarrassing, if possible.

I sigh and turn to Rogue as the red of my ears fades. "Sorry about that, Happy has no filter. He says whatever he's thinking with no consideration for whether he should or not."

"I-I see…" Rogue looks far away from me, his cheeks still as pink as Frosch's onesie.

I'm about to say something, anything to break the tension and have that warm gaze back on me, but that's when the ground starts shaking. And it's a very familiar shaking indeed.

Dozens of people are looking around in alarm, and Lector nearly falls off the table. "What the hell is going on!? Are we under attack!?"

"No…this isn't an attack!" I jump to my feet as the announcement starts to blare across the city. "He's back!"

To answer the questions of the massing wizards, the speaker booms loudly. "Commencing Magnolia Gildarts Shift! All citizens, please take your positions!"

There's silence for a moment, and then every Fairy in the hall starts cheering like there's no tomorrow. It's always an event when Gildarts comes home. Though I can't help but wonder why he's coming home today of all days. Maybe he wants to party with us?

Rogue grabs my wrist, looking a little worried. "What's going on?"

I grin widely, brightly, excitement racing through me. "You guys are about to finally meet the strongest member of Fairy Tail's S-Class. He's not here very often, but it's always a party when he is. The city just has to shift on the hydraulics system in order to make a path straight to the guild so that he doesn't accidentally destroy any buildings by walking through them."

Orga finally wakes up further along down the table, looking groggy but coherent. "Did you just say that Fairy Tail's got a wizard who destroys buildings by walkin' through them?"

"Yep!" I grin as the familiar feel of magic approaches the guild. "Gildarts uses Crash Magic, so if he touches something and wills it, or even sometimes by accident, he can break it up into a bunch of little pieces. And he's got enough magic power to make an island shake just by releasing it." And then…there's the obvious. "He's also the only person we know to have fought Acnologia one on one, and get away with their life." It's frightening to think that we might not have gotten him back at all, let alone with just some pieces missing.

"Are you serious?" Sting's eyes widen in awe. "Just who is this guy?"

"Someone who, even though he isn't here much, plays the role of Dad to those of us who grew up here, those of us with no parents." He's always been a bit like Gramps in that way, just a lot more fun, and a lot less responsible. And not around nearly as much. "So me and Natsu, Erza, Gray, Mira, Elfman, and Lisanna, and Cana. Though he's actually Cana's biological father, but we only found that out recently."

Orga pales. "The chick who totaled the MPF?"

"Yep, the guild drunk." I smirk at them all. "Don't be surprised, after all, we do lord the idea of family here. Everyone's just freaking out because 'Super-Dad' is finally home."

Knowing what's coming up the front steps, I use a strong breeze to slam the doors open, the deafening cheers inside the guild filtering out into the city as a single form walks in through the front doors.

Gildarts grins widely as he sees the horde of people in the guild hall. "Well, I'll be, you guys really are throwin' a huge party. I'd heard you'd won the games and beat some dragons, but I didn't expect so many guilds in here." He walks down the stairs, looking around at all of the faces. "Now, where are the birthday brats?"

"Birthday?" I don't blame Sting for being confused. "It's someone's birthday?"

"Uh…not exactly." I roll my eyes and sigh to try and cover my laugh. "Hey old man, you got the day wrong, it's not till tomorrow, remember?"

His smile widens as he catches sight of me. "Well, there's the birthday girl, now, where's your brother?"

"Right here, Gildarts!" Natsu comes flying in with Happy. "Now fight me!"

Almost immediately after Happy drops him, Gildarts grabs him, spins him around, and shoots him into the ceiling. "And that's two. Now come 'ere and gimme a hug."

Another eye-roll ensues, but I humor him and float over, landing just in front of him as Natsu starts falling from the ceiling. "Good to see you, Gildarts."

"Good to see you kiddos too." He catches Natsu over his shoulder, using his free arm to pick me up and toss me over the other one. "So, when's Mira makin' the cake?"

I beat my fists lightly on his back, trying and failing to dislodge myself. "Probably later tonight. You know how she is, she'll stay up all night if it means making it perfect." And considering how many people are here, it's probably going to be huge. "Now put us down!" Though the protests are half-hearted, as Natsu and I are trying desperately not to laugh our heads off.

"I don't think so." Gildarts keeps a firm hold on us as he parades us through the guild hall. Stupid old man. "So, how old are two gonna be, eighteen? Or twenty-five?"

Oh wonderful, he just had to bring that up. "Well…" I glance at Natsu. _What do you wanna call it? I mean, mentally and physically, we're eighteen, but…we're supposed to be turning twenty-five._

He grimaces at me. _Damn it, that makes my head hurt. Can't we just say eighteen?_

 _I guess…_ "Uh…let's go with eighteen, or however many candles Mira puts on the cake." I think that's a good compromise.

Gildarts laughs, shaking both of us, before setting us down on one of the tables. "Good call, kid. Let someone else remember it for ya."

"Yeah, Mira can do the hard stuff." Though, speaking of the hard stuff, I snicker as I turn to Natsu. "Oh, and Sting wants to have a drinking contest with us, so I figure we should get Laxus and Gajeel in on it and make it dragon slayers only."

"Really? Sweet!" Natsu grins at the suggestion. "I bet I can drink more than all of them!"

Well, I wouldn't bet on that… And Cana quickly comes over with the betting board. "Alright folks, place your bets here! Which dragon slayer has the strongest stomach!?" _Well, that didn't take long. Looks like their getting dragged into it, whether they like it or not._

And they've got impeccable timing too, because the Thunder Legion walk in, flanking Laxus, Gajeel, and Pantherlily, who look to be deep in conversation. Natsu waves over to them, grinning like an idiot. "Hey, Laxus, Gajeel, come on over here!"

Laxus strides over, towering over most of the growing crowd. "What is it Natsu? Challenging Gildarts already?"

I slap a hand over Natsu's mouth before he says anything stupid. "Yeah, that's been done. Anyway, Sting challenged me to a drinking contest, and now, it's turning into a drink until you drop, last dragon slayer standing wins. You two in?" Not that they're going to have much of a choice, if the betting pool has anything to say about it.

Laxus eyes the betting board, before flicking his eyes back to us. "This is stupid, but fine. Not like I'm going to get a choice anyway." Not if the way Mira is staring at him is any indication.

My eyes find Gajeel, and he's already grinning. "A chance to beat Salamander? Count me in."

"Perfect." I wave Sting and Rogue over. "Let's let the bets pool up, and then we'll get started!" Then, I signaling to Mira. "Get the good stuff, I don't want to be going to the bathroom all night." Better to avoid filling our bladders up too much, so we'll need the strongest we've got. "Fireball Whiskey!"

"That sounds dangerous." Rogue sits down at the table next to me. "And this is a terrible idea."

"Aw…you're just saying that because you know you're going to lose." I smirk at him and lean in close. "Has motion sickness really weakened your stomach so much?"

His warm ruby gaze hardens stubbornly. "My stomach isn't weak, I just think that getting drunk is going to backfire on all of us and start a fight."

I snicker at him. "Well, we've got Gildarts here, so he should be able to handle it."

"Alright folks!" Mira puts down the first five rounds of shots on the table. "Here are the rules. Each dragon slayer is allowed one shot per round. The round is over once everyone has had a drink, and if you can't drink, pass out, or tap out, you lose. Any questions?" All of us shake our heads as we settle in at the table, or in my case, on the table. "Alright, begin!"

I reach for my first shot, throwing it back, swallowing thickly as it burns a track down my throat, and planting the empty glass down on the table. "There's round one. Let's do this!"

Natsu throws him glass down next with a grin. "That was awesome, let's do it again!"

Laxus, Gajeel, Sting, and Rogue all finish their shots, and once the last glass is on the table, we reach for another round, burning our throats again with the strong alcohol. And once again, my glass is the first one down.

Six shots in, Laxus is the first up from the table. "Alright, I'm out. I'm doin' the music tonight, and I am not doin' that plastered."

I smirk at him as Sting starts to chortle. "Looks like the Lightning Dragon can't hold his booze!" Not that Sting is much better, he's already swaying.

"Shut up, kid and drink." Gajeel reaches for another shot, downing it just before I down my seventh. "We're not done yet, and you're all gonna lose."

My smirk grows as the other three throw back their shots. "Don't count your Exceeds before they hatch, Gajeel. I think you'll be surprised by how this turns out?" We all down another round, and I'm starting to feel a bit of a buzz now.

"Oh yeah?" Gajeel glances at Natsu, who takes his ninth shot, swaying as it trickles down his throat, before his eyes roll back in his head and he passes out on the floor. "Cause I think you and Salamander are goin' down."

"We'll just see about that." I take mine, and I laugh as I line up yet another glass with the others. "Because Natsu is a lightweight compared to me."

Sting shoots me a lopsided grin, he's obviously feeling it. "Well, I think that you're gonna drop before I do." I definitely wouldn't bet on that.

Two rounds later, there's astonishment from the crowd as I throw back my eleventh shot. I don't think there's any lie nerves left in my throat now, but the feeling is still pretty good. I'm all warm and fuzzy on the inside.

On the other hand, Sting isn't looking so good, and his head hits the table, hard. "Ugh…how are you three not on the floor yet?"

"Because here at Fairy Tail, we drink a lot." I place another glass on the table. "You givin' up?"

There's no response from Sting, so Mira nudges him, checking him out. "He's out! That leaves Ciara, Gajeel, and Rogue."

Rogue, though, isn't looking much better than Sting. He raises his hand unsteadily. "I'm done. I'm not passing out like Sting did." That's probably a wise move, since he doesn't look like he can take much more.

Gajeel smirks. "Then that leaves me and Pinky. Feel like givin' up?"

I pick up another shot and down it. "Not a chance." And I plink it down on the table, shooting him a challenging glare. "Bring it on, Metalhead."

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

I'm not entirely sure how, since I'm just about seeing double, but I think that Ciara and Gajeel are on their…eighteenth round of shots? I'm not sure if it's amazing or stupid that they've lasted this long.

Not that I don't think Ciara isn't tough or anything, I know well enough that she is. I just thought she'd have dropped by this point. Obviously I was wrong.

It's not until two drinks later, that finally, Gajeel's eyes roll back in his head halfway through the twentieth shot and he passes out on the floor with a loud thunk, right next to Natsu.

Cana crows loudly with delight over at the betting pool. "And the last one standing is our lady dragon slayer! Which means that Erza and Gramps win the pot!"

Ciara laughs right above my head. "And that…is why you don't challenge…the one who's friends with the bartender…and the guild drunk." She's not quite slurring her words, but she sounds about as unsteady as I feel. Then she slide off the table and onto her feet. "I'm gonna go nap next to the pool, someone wake me up at dinner."

I don't get the chance to see her wk away, because everything goes black as my head hits the table.

* * *

I wake up to someone shaking me, and way too much noise for my head. I still feel a little drunk, but not nearly as much as before. Which means that I'm tipsy and hung over at the same time. Wonderful.

"Rogue, are you in there?" A voice booms in my ear, a familiar voice, but one causing me a hell of a headache right now, not to mention all of that loud music. "Here." She, it sounds female, pushes something into my hands and tilts my head back. "Drink that, it should help your head."

I do as she says, gulping down the mercifully cold drink in my hands. It does help to clear my head a bit, and the pounding headache lessens as well. "What happened?"

I look up to see a head of white hair and a kind smile, Mira, the bartender. "Well, you dragon slayers had a drinking contest, Ciara won, and now it's dinnertime, so I thought I'd wake you. Your Exceed said that he wouldn't eat until you woke up."

"Where is he?" I just hope that someone is watching him, otherwise he could wander off again.

Mira points off into the crowd. "He went to dance with Ciara. She's been awake about an hour now, so she offered to entertain him while you slept."

"I see." Which means that my cat is still getting more attention than me. "Thanks."

Getting up from the table, I take a minute to find my feet, before trying to wade through the crowd of dancing bodies to find my little buddy. In a crowd this big, I'm worried that he'll get squished or stepped on, or suffer some other kind of horrific fate.

As I make my way through the crowd, spotting a flash of pink, I get an elbow to the back that nearly knocks me over, before getting pushed roughly towards the flash of pink, before stepping down and hearing a high pitched squeal below me, my attention snapping down to see that I've stepped on Frosch's tail. _But…if he wasn't the flash of pink, then…?_

I get shoved one more time, this time, into a warm body, lips touching something warm, before gravity takes control and drags us to the floor.

Blinking, I try to focus my attention on whoever I've knocked over, and more importantly, whatever soft, squishing things I've put my hands in.

Wait a minute…

Everything comes into focus, and below me, I see long pink hair, a matching pink blush on tanned cheeks, and silver eyes staring up at me as my hands move up and down, almost like whatever they're touching is…breathing.

When I look down at my hands, they clench in shock, squeezing two plump mounds that I really shouldn't be touching, my skin separated from hers only by the blue fabric of her low-cut, shoulderless shirt. Though it's not that I don't want to indulge…

When her breath hitches, I come to my senses and remove my hands, eyes wide and locked with the silver pair below me. "I-I'm sorry!"

Below me, she bites her lip, silver eyes glittering uncertainly. Then, she takes a shuddering breath and her eyes clear. "Rogue, get off of me, please."

My heart sinks, but I quickly scramble off her and help her to her feet. "Please believe me…I'm really sorry for-"

She doesn't even listen to me, turning around and walking away. And though for a second, my heart almost drops through the floor, I get tugged along with her and out of the crowd. It takes me a moment to realize that she's not walking away from me, she's dragging me away from the crowd. "C-Ciara, where are you-?"

"Just shut up and come with me." She tugs me harder off to one side of the stage and through a door that must lead to the back hallway. And even in the dimming light, her ears look almost as pink as her hair.

She finally stops pulling on me when we're well out of sight, and probably out of even Sting and Natsu's hearing range. "Ciara…? What's going on?"

Taking a deep breath, she turns to look at me, her eyes warm, bright, and as uncertain as I feel about all this. "Rogue…I have a question, and I want you to answer it honestly." Oh no…that can't be good. "…Do you have a crush on me?"

"A crush?" I never really tried to put a label on it, but… "No, I don't." A crush is for little kids. That might have been what it was once, when I was little, but now… "It's nothing nearly that juvenile."

It's breathtaking. Where once I saw a glimmer of uncertainty, I now see a spark of hope. "So that's it, then…" And to accompany that spark is a smile. "You've been watching me for a while, haven't you? Since even during the games, right?"

"Yes." To say otherwise would be a lie. "I tried not to." But in the end, I would be lying to myself and to her if I said that my interest really was solely in Gajeel. "But, yes." And those words make me smile as that truth passes my lips.

"I see…then I'm going to be honest too." She steps towards me, raising a hand to my face and brushing my bangs aside, like she's done a few times before. "I like it when you smile. Well, I like it when you're happy enough to smile. It makes me sad and angry when you can't."

"What?" Of all the things she could have said, that's not what I was expecting.

Her gaze softens, and her eyelids lower just a fraction. "You don't really…do the big grins, but there's a warmth in your eyes when you're happy. That warmth…feels like it's the real you, not the cold eyes you had before. You're kind and gentle when you want to be, a bit awkward when you express yourself, very passionate when you get all worked up, and super protective on top of that. But it's all you, and being that way is what makes you happy. That's what I wanted, this is what I want."

At first, I kind of want to argue that I'm not awkward, but…since we're being completely honest here, saying that would be a lie. So, no lies. "When you told me to get off you…and the started to walk away, I felt like my heart was going to just fall out. I was so embarrassed…I still am, but I just thought that I'd made you hate me."

"Hate takes too much energy." She smiles sadly, and that hurt my heart. "Believe me, I'd know. It saps your strength until you have no energy left for anything else."

I feel a hint of cheek rising up in me. "If hate saps your strength, then are you saying love restores it?"

The sadness in her eyes fades as she smirks. "I don't know. You tell me. Do you feel strong enough to fight my brother if he tries to attack you for feeling me up? You know, assuming that I'm not there to break up the fight."

Right, I'd forgotten that her brother is an over-protective dragon slayer who will fight almost to the death to protect the people he cares about. Still, I grab her wrists and push her against the nearest wall, our noses an inch apart as I stare into silver eyes. "I will drag him through a shadow and drop him off a cliff if I have to. I've been thinking about you since I was nine years old." Okay, that was awkward, she definitely got that point about me right. Still… "You're strong, brave, smart, kind to the people who deserve it, and even some who don't, you're reckless, but only because you want to protect the people you care about at all costs. And I admire that…I have for a while." It's a whole list of things that make me want to take her and hide her away from the rest of the world, even if I know she'd never allow it. "So, if your brother wants to stop me, he'd better be ready to fight, because you're the only one allowed to say no." And with a sweet smell in the air that's making my head feel fuzzy, I'm really hoping that she doesn't.

Her mesmerizing silver eyes sparkle defiantly, proudly, and she raises her chin with an ever so slightly haughty air. And honestly, it's kind of hot. "Is that so?" Her lips twist with a small, but wicked smirk. "Then shut up and kiss me like you mean it, because that accident on the dance floor was pathetic."

Well, that hit to the pride makes me growl. I wasn't even trying to kiss her, that was definitely not a reflection of my skills.

And she's about to find that out.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

A sleek wall of ebony in front of my left eye forces my eyes shut. Not that I mind, the hallway is dark anyway. And it just makes the warmth that touches my lips feel even hotter.

Part of my mind wants to try and figure out why that growl was so hot, but the rest of my brain just wants to shut off. After all, the cause is in debate, not the fact that the low, guttural sound was the hottest thing I've ever heard.

As his lips move against mine, I return the favor, sliding and molding them together as a hint of walnut and a cinnamon snap assail my tongue. Funny, I expected the taste of alcohol.

He drops my left hand in favor of sliding his arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him as the fingers of his other hand find mine and weave them together. And it's not the only initiative he takes. His tongue slips between my lips, sharpening the taste of walnut and cinnamon as he maps out each ridge, each corner, a new spot with ever flick of his tongue.

I don't make a sound, at least, I don't think so. I'm not actually sure, since the blood is pounding too loudly in my ears to be able to tell. I feel like I'm floating, I have to ground myself. So, I grab onto what's closest to my fingers, his soft, dark hair.

Now that growl, I definitely hear as it reverberates from his chest, up his throat, and into my mouth as his tongue wraps tightly around mine. I tug again, receiving the same growl in response. But it doesn't sound angry, not at all. No, that's a growl that makes my blood pump faster and my head fill up with fluff.

He drops my other hand, and his grip tightens around my waist as he nearly devours me with his mouth. The scent of cedar and dragon thickens, filling my insides with his presence with every breath I take.

When his lips draw away, a soft whine escapes me through the slight pants, and I open my eyes to see his slightly flushed face and clouded eyes. He tilts his head, nose twitching as he presses a soft kiss to my neck, breathing in such a way that I know is for taking in my scent. "Pine needles and warm coals…" His voice is husky and low. "And a fresh spring breeze…"

If that's what I smell like to him, then… "Cedar and cinnamon…and if shadows had a scent…"

I can feel him smile against my neck. "You smell like freedom."

"And you smell like home…" His scent is warm and comforting, and familiar as well. And I wrap my arms around his neck, closing my eyes as I bury my senses in his scent.

Snickers come from around the corner, and my sensitive ears pick them up immediately, my eyes flashing over towards where a little light is filtering in from the party. And there, I see a head of blond hair. Then, I see a flash of pink, and hear a slight growl.

A growl of my own fills the hallway. "Hey Rogue…please don't be mad, but I think I'm going to kill your partner."

"Does this mean I get your brother?" He says that just a little too cheerfully. But…I'm willing to indulge it.

And I do it with a smirk. "How about…both at once?"

"Deal." He glances at our intruders, and the shadows spring to life.

I draw in a deep breath, angling my head properly. "Now."

The poor idiots probably never knew what hit them.


	121. Protect Her

**Fanfiction is fixed! Finally. So I'm sorry for not updating much, I just didn't see the point in updating AGAIN until it was fixed. And hell, they even fixed the ghosties, so now, Chaos' reviews have been flooding my inbox when they used to slip by without a notification.**

 **Glad you liked the drinking contest, Chaos, I worked out the details of it with my brother, who is the one who introduced me to Fairy Tail in the first place. The only reason I know more about it than him, now, is because I watch the anime on top of reading the manga. And as for the "power of love", nah, this is just gonna be a couple of pissed off, territorial dragon slayers going at it. As well as a VERY bad idea.**

 **As for the Exceed cuddle party, I was thinking something along those lines too, Momo. See, this is why I never gave her an Exceed all to herself. She doesn't need one. She's an Exceed magnet! But that'll have to wait for next chapter, because this one is going to be funny, and then angsty. It actually turned out way more angsty than I thought it would, but...I figure that thanks to alcohol, they might be a bit more honest about what's bothering them, and what the other should expect.**

* * *

Sting's P.O.V.

Okay, maybe spying on them wasn't such a great idea. I didn't mean to laugh at them, I was just excited about Rogue finally getting some action.

"I hope you've said your prayers." The knuckle cracking and loose sheet of hair is terrifying enough, but the expression on her face makes me want to curl into a ball. This is NOT what I signed up for!

I edge away from her, scrambling across the floor, where I landed after she and Rogue double-teamed us, blasting us out of the hallway. "H-hold on a minute, I didn't mean to make you mad, I just-"

"You just, what?" She raises an eyebrow at me, arms crossed, and silver eyes glinting at me. "Thought that it would be funny to spy on us? Don't you know that pissing me off is bad for your health?" Then, she glares at Natsu not far from me. "And if you think that you're just going to get away with pulling this shit again, you've got another thing coming. If you're still conscious by the time I'm done with this idiot, then I'm going to drag you off to the Akane Resort, and tie you to the roller-coaster, then pay the operator to keep it going for a week straight."

I shiver at the threat she issues Natsu. I don't know what happened to make her so mad, but whatever it is, I really wouldn't want to be Natsu right now.

"And as for you…" She stands over me menacingly, reaching down and grabbing me by the ear. "Let's see how you like high altitudes, shall we?"

 _Oh…shit._

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

I emerge from the hallway in time to see Ciara dragging Sting out by the ear. I don't really want to know just what she's planning on doing to him, since I'm sure she's more than capable of figuring out something particularly agonizing.

That leaves Natsu glaring at me from halfway across the room. Normally, I would wonder just what the hell's gotten into him, since all I was doing was making out with his sister in the back, I wasn't even doing anything dirty to her.

But…this is Natsu, which means that an entirely different logic is going to apply. And…it's probably safer to take this outside, rather than risk getting into a battle in the middle of the guild hall.

"You asshole…" Natsu fists are already on fire, and that's something I would rather not take to the face again. "No one touches MY sister like that!" He smells different now, he smells…angry.

I dodge the blow as he lunges at me, really not wanting to take another fiery punch to the chin. "Fine, if you want to 'discuss' this, meet me outside."

Melting into the shadows, I race across the floor, heading outside with Natsu's scent hot on my trail. "Get back here you coward!"

 _Coward!? For not wanting to start a battle in the middle of your guild hall and hurting someone in the process!?_ Okay, it looks like logic isn't going to apply at all here. And while my first instinct is to smash a fist into his face for that comment… _Wait…instinct?_

I turn sharply out of the guild's main doors, circling around the building and heading for the wide open pace behind the guild. I found it this morning when Frosch wanted to go on a walk, and just ended up wandering around the area. It should be more than big enough to contain at least a small battle.

If only it promised to stay small…

The ground begins to crack around me, and I leap out of the shadow, skidding across the ground as I flip over to see Natsu's glowing form in the darkness. _If he's going off instinct, then maybe…_ "Why are you so angry with me when I did nothing wrong?"

He growls at me, definitely a hostile one. "You touched her. And if you think I'm going let you hurt her, you've got another thing comin', pal."

He lunges for me, cloaked head to toe in fire. And now that we're not inside anymore, my restraint cracks more than it slips. I know full well that overpowering him is futile, he'll just get right back up again. So I wrap myself in the shadows, making good use of the darkness around us as I dodge the next punch, jump over the sweeping kick, and have a strike of my own blocked as he draws me into a fierce fist-fight.

There's definitely something off about all of this, though. Last time, no matter how hard Sting and I beat on him, he still seemed to be having fun. But there's no grin in sight here. It's like he's a wild dragon defending his…

Territory.

I growl irritably as he comes at me again, blocking the strikes that come my way, even though I'm pretty sure they're going to leave some ugly bruises later. "Is THAT what this is about!? You think I'm stealing her!?"

His flames grow even hotter, if that's possible, and they feel like they're scorching my skin. "I'm the one who loves her most, I'm the one who protects her! SHE'S MY SISTER!"

"And she's MY MATE!" Shadows swirl up around us as I tackle him, and we roll across the ground, punching and kicking at each other as he tries to force me into the dirt, and I try to shove him down instead. "You're not the only one who cares about what happens to her!"

His elbow connects with my cheekbone as his voice echoes confusedly. "Your mate!?"

"That's right!" I get in a punch to his face, before being blown off him in a spurt of fire. I roll back across the ground, patting the embers from my singed clothes. "So you are not going to keep me from her!"

There's a part of me that wants his approval, some kind of validation of my worth, though it's diminished a bit since the Grand Magic Games. There's another part of me that wants to keep fighting and try to rip his head off.

However…there's another part of me that's screaming that not only can I not rip his head off, but even if I somehow managed it, doing that would not earn me points with my mate to be. Which means that I need to shut him up long enough to talk him down. I men, that works when he's beating people up, right?

Well, we're right next to the lake, so… My eyes catch sight of a boat dock not too far away. And immediately, my stomach revolts. _That…would work…_ But I don't know how much talking I'd be able to do.

Still, as he aims another burning punch at me, the abandoned boat on the shore is starting to look like a really good idea. Even if my stomach is going to hate me for it later. If Natsu wants to hate me, I'll give him a reason.

My plan in place, I dodge the punch and turn my back towards the lake as I just barely clip his ear with a punch, only to earn myself a kick to the stomach. On the other hand, that's all I need to grab him and pull him of balance to tumble us both down the slight incline and towards the wooden deathtrap.

He claws at me, scratching my cheek deeply. The warm, wetness that trickles down my cheek proves that he drew blood. "How are you supposed to protect her if you can't even protect yourself?"

That lights an angry fire in me, and I punch straight up, clocking him solidly in the chest and throwing him over my head and into the sand. "By getting stronger and learning how to fight by her side!" I flip over, melting into the shadows before grabbing hold of Natsu and toppling us the last four feet into the boat, giving it just enough force to dislodge itself from the sand and start floating out towards the middle of the lake.

Immediately, the motion sickness starts to set in, and Natsu looks as green as I feel. And is that…blue around his eyes? "I…h-hate you…" He covers his mouth, obviously trying not to throw up.

As for me, it feels like all of the alcohol wants to make a second appearance. "Good thing you weren't the one I was kissing, then."

"Asshole…" He leans over the side, nearly hanging off the boat. "Who said you could touch my little sis anyway?" His question comes out a bit garbled by the nausea.

I take deep breaths, trying to keep my head clear enough for conversation, despite my rebelling stomach. "She did, idiot." She'd basically ordered it of me. "And she's…going to be my mate."

"Ugh…" It sounds like something does come up and splash into the water. "I know. Future you told me."

"Future me…?" I hadn't thought that he would be much for talking, considering that he came to the past to take it over with a small army of dragons. "What's the…issue then?"

"Ugh…get me off this thing first…" He hangs further over the side of the boat, his hands dragging through the water.

Well, it's probably a bad idea to continue this on land, where it's dry, so… "Fine!" Despite my severe need to puke, I stand up in the boat, rocking it as I put a foot on the side, and losing my balance again as the boat tips over, plunging us both into the lake.

Bubbles float up around me as I rise to the surface, emerging from the water, and coughing as my stomach stops revolting. I'm not all that fond of being soaked through, but I've definitely been covered in worse. At least water doesn't smell weird.

Natsu breaks the surface, coughing and steaming. "Agh, what the hell, man!? What'd you dunk me in the water for!?"

"You're the one who said you wanted off the boat…" I mean, what else was I supposed to do? "Now tell me what you know."

Natsu glares at me, fire burning in his eyes. "That if you get together with my sister, she's gonna die."

What…? I blink at the supposition. "What do you mean she's going to die?" That's nothing like what I saw. _Except…isn't Acnologia supposed to have…?_

"The future version of you told me that she's gonna die in just over a year." Natsu seizes my collar, growling at me. "He said that Acnologia is gonna get her, and she's gonna die in your arms."

…Now his hostility makes sense. If that's what he was told is going t happen in the future, then he must see me as the variable that causes that outcome.

The truth is, I'm not. "She's not going to die." I grab hold of his wrists and wrench him away from my collar. "I saw that future version of me, and I already swore that I'm not going to be him. I saw a totally different future when he disappeared!"

"What!?" Natsu's eyes…through all of the burning anger, I can just see a flicker of hope. And I'm definitely going to latch onto that. "Whaddya mean a different future!?"

"Seven years in the future." I propel myself a foot further away from him. "I saw us seven years in the future. Ciara is going to survive, she'll be…different, but she's going to survive."

That flicker grows into a burning ember and Natsu calms a little. "What exactly did you see?"

I try not to let my cheeks flush, I mean, it's not exactly something that you want to tell your intended's protective older brother. But he'd probably try to beat it out of my anyway… "It was morning, we were in…bed, and I was just waking up." He makes a face when I say bed, not that I expected any less. "I was shocked to see her alive, but happy, very happy. Then, a little boy…our son, he ran into the room, and Sting was there, and Frosch, and she told me that she was two months pregnant, she was so happy, and everything was…perfect."

Natsu goes quiet, unnaturally so. And the silence drags out a while, before he finally sighs. "You wanna mate my sister, huh?"

"Yes." I know that much with utmost certainty. And I know from the lessons with Skiadrum that I would much rather be fighting with Natsu over this than Ciara. Apparently, some she-dragons could be absolutely vicious when testing out a potential mate. And considering just how many instincts we acquired along with our magic, that really is one test I would rather avoid. I wish I'd paid more attention to his lessons, I just wasn't interested in girls when I was five years old.

Natsu scrutinizes me with beady black eyes. "You'll protect her?"

I nod. "If she needs it, and for as long as I'm able to." It's all I can realistically promise, but I'll be damned if I'm at a point where I'm not able to protect her.

He sniffs the air, and seems to take my words at face value. Then, he grins menacingly. "Alright, but if I hear that you've done ANYTHING to her that she doesn't like, I'm going to roast your ass until it's charcoal. Then I'll move onto the fun parts."

I'll try to pretend that I don't know what he means by that, though it still sends a shudder through me. "Alright, I can accept that." I'll just have to give him no reason to want to barbecue me.

"Good." The grin lessen considerably in the span of only a few seconds. "And…be careful with her. She's a lot more delicate than she wants people to know."

"Delicate?" She never struck me as particularly delicate. She's always seemed strong, powerful, and mostly independent. I could associate words like beautiful, enchanting, and mesmerizing with her, but not…delicate.

"Remember, I warned ya." Natsu turns away from me, swimming back towards the shore. "C'mon, I want some dinner. And I don't want my sis gettin' mad at me for tryin' to kill her boyfriend, again."

Part of me wants to ask what he means by again, but I get the feeling that I don't really want to know. What's important is that I've survived Natsu's wrath.

I paddle myself to shore and pull myself out of the water, dripping wet as I walk across the grass and back towards the guild. One of the wizards in there might have a way to dry my clothes out without me having to ask Natsu for some of his fire. He'd probably be all too happy to give it to me. Still, I at least shake off as much water as I can, a wring out my cape before heading inside.

I spot Sting almost as soon as I walk in, shivering almost as much as I should be, back at the tables our guild staked out yesterday night. And it's actually a bit funny to see the expression on his face as I walk over. "What did Ciara do to you?"

Sting shivers at the mention of her name and glares up at me. "She's a demon, I tell you, a demon! She threatened to drop me out of the sky!" Wait, she what!?

"Threatened to, I didn't actually do it." I look up to the second floor railing to see Ciara sitting up there, looking back down at us. "Besides, I could have done so much worse than just scared you a bit. You learned your lesson, didn't you? No more spying or snickering, making fun of either of us, or trying to get blackmail material, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Sting actually looks funny, trying to hide his vital spots from her. She must have really spooked him. "And what happened to you!?"

I try my best not to groan. "I threw myself and Natsu into a boat, and then toppled us into the lake."

He blinks slowly. "Did it work? Is he going to kill you, or try to burn you balls to coals?"

The suggestion makes me flinch. "No, he's not." At least…not for now.

"…Then what did he say?" I look up into silver eyes, eyes that look almost frozen, she barely looks like she's breathing.

I sigh as I drip water all over the floor, and pull her ribbons out of my pocket. Surprisingly, they're already dry. "Let me get dried off first, and then I'll help you put your hair up."

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

"Okay." I slip away from the railing and towards the couches on the second floor.

His answer was evasive, and I'm not sure if that means that his little conversation with Natsu went well, or went badly. For all I know, this could mean that he scared off Rogue as well. And the thought of that really burns me up inside.

I lie on the nearest couch, flat on my stomach, my head pressed into my arms. "Why do things always seem to blow up in our faces…?"

"Maybe because your brother is a pyromaniac." A firm hand travels up my back, one that I felt just earlier. He stops at my neck, brushing his fingers through my hair. "He seems to like blowing things up."

I swallow thickly as I sit up. "So…you and Natsu…talked."

He smirks wryly as he pulls out one of my ribbons. "If you want to call getting motion sick and then soaking wet talking, then yes, we talked."

I laugh a little at the mental image. "Yeah…and I think I've given Sting a permanent fear of extreme heights." Not that he didn't deserve it. "So…" I really want to ask how their conversation went, but I'm still not sure what the answer is going to be. And that scares me.

"So…Natsu gave me a very…fiery version of 'The Talk'." He pulls at my hair, fiddling with half of it, probably trying to figure out just how I get my ribbons in. "And essentially, he threatened to castrate me if I hurt you."

I turn to him with wide eyes. "Wait, you mean he didn't successfully run you off?" I know my brother better than anyone, and he can be pretty…persistent. So the implication here is…different.

Rogue abandons trying to tie my hair up, and instead cups the back of my head, pressing a gentle kiss to my lips,before resting his forehead against mine. "After this long…and after giving you every reason to say no, I'd hope that I'm at least persistent enough to talk down your brother."

I snort derisively. "Usually, Natsu is the one talking people down, not the other way around."

"You seem to be able to do it well enough." He must be talking about the incident at the banquet. "Now…" He holds up the ribbons. "Care to show me how to put your hair up for the next time I help you?"

"Sure." I take his hands and slide the ribbon out of them, turning my back to him as I gather up my hair. "The trick is to wrap it around a few times before tying the ribbon. That way, I can yank out the ribbon in a hurry if I have to. Like this." I do my best to maneuver it so that he can feel what I'm doing, as much as see it. After all, it's a technique I figured out after years of accidentally sitting on my hair because it hung down too far.

As he tugs on the ribbon and ties it into place, he picks at a few strands of pink. "During the games, I could have sworn that some of your hair turned black."

I freeze, dropping my hands into my lap as he gathers up the other half of my hair. "You mean when I was about to blast your team into oblivion." It's not my proudest moment. "I'm sorry about that…I was only really aiming for Minerva." And that part, I'm not sorry for.

"I see…" His hands work a little more slowly now. "During the games…I kept sensing something dark in you. It's not there anymore, but it worries me."

"As it should. Since it's not inside me anymore." Of course, all I really have is a theory built on what Gajeel has told me, but I've had about half a month to think about it. And nothing I've come up with is good. "Rogue…you should know that this isn't something I like telling people about, and more people know about it than I would like, already."

His arms circle around my waist, pressing my back to his chest. "Then you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

I don't want to tell anyone, really, but in this case, I have to make an exception. "No, it concerns you as well, so keeping it from you would put you in danger. Just…not here." Not where someone could overhear us.

"…Alright." He holds me a little tighter as shadows wrap around us. "I think I know the perfect place."

"What?" But all the answer I get is shadows wrapping around us, caressing my skin gently. It's dark and cool, but the warmth at my back never disappears.

Soon, the darkness clears, revealing a starlit sky, and the smell of grass and trees all around us. Rogue's breath is warm in my ear. "You said that you like napping in the tree, so I thought you might like this better."

"Yeah, this is better." I settle down into the grass as he leans back against my favorite tree. "So…it's Nirvana that you want to know about, huh?"

"Nirvana?" I don't blame him for being confused. This isn't a story we tell much. "What's Nirvana?"

I sigh as unpleasant memories rise to the surface. "You would have been about twelve years old when the Oracion Seis were arrested by the Magic Council. They were a member of the Baram Alliance, and were a dark guild that was taken on by a coalition of legal guilds. Fairy Tail, Blue Pegasus, and Lamia Scale formed that alliance." There's no point in mentioning Cait Shelter, as it never actually existed.

I can feel him nodding against the top of my head. "So that's why you all knew each other before the games."

"Yeah." That's the most pleasant part of the story. "Our guilds have been loyal allies since those battles took place. But…I could have torn all of that apart with my own hands." My fingers play with my wristguards anxiously. "The Oracion Seis were after a magical city, buried in the Worth Woodsea four hundred years ago. That city was a weapon, one that could turn light into darkness. That includes within people's hearts…in mine."

Rogue suddenly goes very quiet, and his arms squeeze me a little tighter. "…Is that where all that darkness I sensed came from?"

I nod slightly. "I didn't know that anyone could sense it. Hibiki never said a thing about it, or maybe it was after Tenrou Island that people started being able to sense it, or maybe just other dragon slayers, since you and Gajeel seem to be the only ones who sensed it, and Natsu probably wouldn't have noticed, since we're connected constantly."

"Sting sensed it as well, so maybe…" He seems to be thinking hard about something, I can almost hear the gears turning in his head. "Does this have anything to do with…the shadow that's been haunting me since the last day of the games?"

Then what Gajeel told me is true, it actually talks to him. I'll have to do something about that later, no matter how tonight turns out. "Yeah, I think so. I think that Nirvana's influence never completely went away. That…the power that coaxed me into nearly killing everyone in the alliance, into…wanting to spill their blood…might have been exposed to your magic, and created…that." And for that, I half expect him to hate me for forcing something like that on him, even if I didn't mean to do it.

I'm starting to wonder if maybe I'm still a bit drunk. High altitude flying probably didn't help to sober me up much, despite all the fresh air. Damn it. And now, he'll leave, because even without the darkness, I'm still a mess, still a monster.

"You smell like fear." His fangs nip my ear, just above the crystal earring in my right ear. "What are you afraid of?" His grip loosens, but his arms don't move away. "Is it me?"

I don't usually try to pick up emotions with my nose. But I'm fully aware that strong things like fear and arousal are easier to pick up than others. There's more hormones involved, and they give off particular scents. The question is…can I get away with a lie? Probably not. "Yes, I'm afraid of you." I swallow thickly. "I'm afraid of everyone. I'm afraid that they'll see that darkness, see what I look like when I…get covered in scales and don't even look human anymore…and know that I'm a monster who tried to murder my own allies. They'll hate me for it." And I would deserve it.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

I've always found emotions hard to scent, but the fear is rolling off her in waves, and something about the way she grabs at her concealed wrists worries me. Everything she's said worries me. "You're not a monster. At least…not any more than I am."

She may think that covering herself in scales makes her a monster, but…I can do it too, and so can Sting. Hell, there's even something…beautiful about the way her scales shine when she fights like that.

I press my nose into her hair, inhaling her scent, along with the scent of fear, that really doesn't belong there. "I don't hate you…I couldn't. And if you're still afraid of that darkness, then I'll protect you from it, I'll keep it away from you so that it can't make you do anything." Maybe this will give me a real chance to protect her for a change. "Besides, you haven't actually killed anyone while like that, right? It'll be alright, you won't hurt anyone now."

She shrinks a little in my arms. "Except maybe myself…" It's almost too quiet to hear, but that's a tone I'm quite familiar with. And now, the fidgeting with her wrists makes sense.

For the few days after the dragons attacked, I was…not in a good place. I knew that it was my future self that came back and caused all of that destruction. Saying that I felt guilty over it would be an understatement. Thankfully, Sting stopped me before I could do anything stupid, but still, the thoughts are there. The what ifs, the doubt, the fear, both of others and myself.

So, I reach for her hand to confirm my suspicions, and she doesn't fight at all as I slip the wristguard off for just a few seconds. And as expected, there's a months old scar there. There's probably one to match on her other wrist as well.

She starts to tremble a little, probably reliving something bad. "Now you know…this is my darkest secret." She sounds like she expects me to just up and leave now.

Instead, I pull her wrist back and kiss the scar, before slipping the guard back on. "Don't do that again. And don't try to scare me off either." I'd like to think that I'm a bit more stubborn than that. "You're not perfect, but who is? If you can stop glaring at me for killing the only parent I ever had when I was five years old, I think I can deal with this."

She goes eerily quiet as she pulls her wrist back, rubbing it self-consciously. "Did you really kill him for power?" She sounds almost…skeptical of the idea. "Because I doubt that a five-year old could down a fully grown dragon, no matter how talented they might be."

Now that she puts it that way, the notion seems so ridiculous, that it's hard to believe that anyone bought it in the first place. "No…Skiadrum was ill, dying. I just did as he asked and put him out of his misery."

"I see…" She leans back into me, the fear in her scent fading quickly, much to my relief. "I'm sorry about your dad. We're…used to hearing stories like that in Fairy Tail. We don't usually talk about it, but sometimes…"

"Sometimes, you just need to get it out?" I do feel a bit lighter now, like some of the darkness surrounding that memory is ebbing away. And normally, I wouldn't want to talk about it. Maybe it's a combination of the alcohol, and the night air, but I feel…open, honest. It's a strange feeling, and it's hard to explain.

She shifts in my arms, turning so that I can see her stunning silver eyes. "Are you feeling better?"

I blink at the question, then smile as I peck her lips. "Yeah, I am. How about you?"

A hint of panic flashes through her eyes, before she smiles hopefully. "Ask me in the morning?"

It takes a few seconds for her meaning to sink in. She's gently giving me an out, a chance to think over everything we've said, and decide if I really want to pursue this. I already know my answer, but I suppose that taking tonight to think of ways to wade through all of the fear and doubt inside her might help. "Okay, I'll ask you in the morning. Want me to walk you home?" Might as well be a gentleman after this impromptu…date? It was kind of dark and heavy, but does it still count as one? I mean, now we each know where the other stands, and we got the heavy stuff out of the way, so that's good.

My heart leaps a little when her smile softens and brightens. "Yeah, sure." Her expression betrays nothing of the memories that haunt her, memories that I wish I could take away, along with the darkness that it seems I already have.

If I can protect her from that darkness by staving off that damn shadow, then I'll do it. And if it includes having to protect her from herself, well, I'll do my best to handle that too.

For now, I'll just take a couple more minutes to cuddle before walking her home. Though once my guild finds out that I like to cuddle, I'll never hear the end of it. They'll call me the Cuddly Shadow Dragon, or something like that. Frosch is one thing, they know that cuddling him is basically a requirement, but Ciara…she is most definitely another thing entirely.


	122. A Birthday and a Gift Horse

**Sorry this took so long, I had serious writer's block on it. And to make up for that, it's really long, got lots of fluff and crack, and switches P.O.V. a ton. I think it works.**

 **Now, in terms of the timeline, Natsu takes about ten months to train alone, not a whole year, which means that at the very earliest (and this is pushing it), he leaves a ways into August, and at the latest, he leaves in September (at least in canon). But, as we all know, Mashima is kind of bad with dates if they don't involve a 7 somewhere. And even sometimes when they do (ex: Tenrou group gone for 7 years? Actually, gone for nine months less than that, so…not seven years).**

 **So, like I said, I'm going to screw around with the timeline a little. And I'm at least going to have the Fantasia Parade and Harvest Festival happen before Tartaros attacks. Right before it attacks. Won't that be nice? So we've still got a little ways to go before that happens, and I still want to do a few things before then, so don't worry, it'll probably only be two to four more chapters before Tartaros happens, unless I'm particularly inspired to write fluff. I could also write a lemon or two at some point (though put them into a lemonade stand style story so as not to increase the rating to M on this one). If that interests anyone, let me know in the reviews.**

 **Anyway, now, we get to the birthday party! So I'm gonna cram a lot of content into this chapter. Including a primary translation of the first half of a certain song, English lyrics done by Youtuber Nathan Sharp, and then having roughly translated the rest of the lyrics myself into more…proper English grammar. Enjoy!**

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

About an hour before noon, I smirk at the sight of Sting ranting about how cruel Ciara was to him last night. But I think I have a pretty clear picture of what she did to him, and I have to admit, it's rather creative, and something that only she could pull off. Dropping Sting from high altitude over and over again, without letting him fall more than twenty feet at a time takes some serious skill.

Sting definitely deserved it.

"Are you listening to me!?" Sapphire eyes are in my face in a second, glaring at me with a blazing blue fire. "Your girlfriend is crazy!"

"Ciara isn't crazy, she just doesn't have much patience for idiots." Not that I have much patience for them either, but I suppose I tolerate Sting as much as she tolerates Natsu. It's kind of a requirement.

"Are you calling me an idiot!?" He asks that like it's not obvious already.

I push open the doors to Fairy Tail, ready to get to the third day of insanity, and find Lector and Frosch, who came here a few hours ahead of us. Seriously, their parties make the Grand Magic Games look almost sane in comparison, surprise dragon attack included, and I'd rather not leave those two alone for long if I can help it. "If the shoe fits, wear it."

But as the two of us walk into the guild, we find a very strange sight. There's a fifteen foot tall cake being decorated in the middle of the room, the Strauss sisters working on spreading the red and silvery blue icing. There's no question as to who it's for.

Mirajane spots us walking in and smiles. "Well, if it isn't the birthday girl's new squeeze. Good to see you, Rogue." She smiles at me in a way that kind of scares me, and that smile only gets wider. "Oh, I can already see the babies! So cute!"

I'm not entirely sure how her thoughts escalated that quickly, regardless, I feel the heat in my cheeks as heads turn towards me. It's way more attention than I'm comfortable with. "You're getting ahead of yourself, don't you think?"

The cook shakes her head. "I don't think so. You were determined enough to make it past Natsu, that means you're serious, right?"

I groan silently. "Are you really planning on interrogating me in the middle of Fairy Tail?" There's got to be at least fifty people here, not to mention whoever is hiding downstairs with the games, or upstairs on the couches.

She just giggles at me. "Nothing stays secret for very long in Fairy Tail." Then, she pauses for a moment. "Oh, and just so you know, presents aren't a requirement for today's party. It's kind of an unspoken rule that only the people closest to whoever is having a birthday get to give them presents, otherwise they'd be going home with a mountain of them."

I nod hoping to edge away before any more interrogation can start, but Sting just doesn't know when to leave a topic well enough alone. "What do you mean her new squeeze?" _Ugh…anything but that question…_

Another of those infernal giggles. "Well I just think that it's good she has a new boyfriend. It's been three years, well, I guess ten, actually, since she dated anyone. This could be really good for her." Mira sighs softly. "The closest she got after that was a day out with Hibiki, and that didn't go anywhere…"

"Hey sis! I finished the caramel sauce!" A smaller version of Mira walks over, Lisanna, I think her name is. She reminds me a lot of Yukino. "Oh, you're Rogue, right?" Her attention turns way too quickly for it to be a coincidence. I'm being ambushed. "Be nice to my friend, or I'll turn into a giant bunny and squish you, okay?"

I think…that was some kind of threat. "Right…" And I assume that by friend, she means the one I was making out with yesterday. I'd forgotten for a bit that Fairy Tail is a very close-knit family. These two probably see her as another sister.

Which means more death threats in my immediate future. Wonderful. And with my luck…

Mira smiles as sweetly as ever at me. Then she opens her mouth. "And I'll give you a private demonstration of my Satan Souls. All of them…"

Right, S-Class wizard, almost forgot that part for a minute. "Got it…" Now, all I've got is one question, and I'm rather afraid to ask it. "How many more people should I expect to…have words with before this is over?" I'd assume the rest of her brother's group, as well as the guild master, and maybe a couple of the older members. But if that's what it's going to take…bring it on. I doubt they'll attack me like Natsu did.

Lisanna is the one who answers. "Well, definitely Gramps and Erza, maybe Lucy. And Gray…? What about Gildarts?"

"Well, I don't know about Gildarts, but I don't think he'll have the same problem with Gray." Mira eyes me critically. "I hope you can handle Erza, though."

"Yeah…" Honestly, the master and Erza Scarlet are the two who worry me the most. Not only are they powerful, but they have a lot of reasons to not want me anywhere near her after what happened between our guilds during the games.

Speaking of the old man…

As wise old eyes scrutinize me, he waves me over as he puts down a mug of…what's probably some kind of alcohol. Yesterday taught me one thing at least, in Fairy Tail, you can drink at any hour of the day, and no one will judge you.

I amble over a bit awkwardly, bracing myself for what promises to be a stern lecture, at best. "Master Makarov…" I try to keep my voice polite as I address him.

"Rogue…" He peers at me, as though seeing right through me. "You should know that every member of Fairy Tail, I consider to be one of my children. That said…what is it that you want with my child?"

 _Right…family bond, keep the family bond in mind._ Maybe, by appealing to that, I can make him like me. "I want to make her my mate."

His eyes widen slightly. "And what does that entail?" Of course a regular wizard wouldn't understand right off the bat. Sometimes, I forget just how…different we dragon slayers are.

So, I try to put it as accurately as possible. "I suppose…we are both human and dragon at the same time, so we share their traits in varying amounts from one dragon slayer to the next. For humans, flings are normal, and we can have them from time to time, or even frequently. But a dragon…when they choose a mate, it's for life." And that's an instinct I definitely have, since it's been torturing me for weeks.

"I see…" His eyes close, as though thinking. "…That is a serious commitment to make at such a young age. Are you sure that it is something you're prepared to do?"

 _Is it something I'm prepared to do?_ Prepared for, probably not, seeing as it hit me all at once this past month. Then again, I could argue that my instincts picked her a very long time ago. Regardless, it's something I'm going to do, if she'll let me. But maybe, in the end, it's not about time, because despite all logic… "Yes."

"Took you a while to answer, child." I nearly flinch at his words, but do my best not to show any weakness at all. "Good. It means that you're not rushing in so thoughtlessly." The old man takes another chug of his drink. "But know this, if any harm comes to my child…"

"Yes, I know, you'll destroy whatever's left of me when Natsu's done whatever he's got planned. If Mirajane doesn't get to me first." And now I've got a growing list of people who want to kill me if I do anything to Ciara. Jeez, she's got an over-protective family. Not that I blame them in the slightest.

"Don't forget Erza." The old man nods towards the fiery redhead, who conveys a plethora of threats, all involving terrifying and painful death, in a single glare.

"Right…" I inch away from the S-Class swordswoman. "Ladies first, of course." Which doesn't make me feel better in the slightest.

"Hey, why don't you all chill out and give the poor guy a break?" An impromptu rescue from what should be almost the last of the death threats comes in the form of Gray Fullbuster, dressed in nothing but a pair of black boxers.

Beside me, Sting blinks, before pointing at the ice wizard. "Uh…dude, your clothes."

"Seriously!?" Looks like he really does instinctively strip anywhere and everywhere, like Ciara told me. Though that's one weird habit.

Still, I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Do you know where she is? I was planning to see her this morning." And this whole place smells so much like her that it's kind of hard to pick her scent out if she's not within twenty feet of me.

"Yeah, come on, she's napping next to the pool." Gray nods his head towards a door leading out the side of the guild, almost hidden next to the bar. "She and Natsu aren't allowed inside the guild until the party tonight, so they're just hanging out back here." He pushes open the door, revealing a path straight outside to a tropical themed pool area. "And sorry about all of them,I know full well how protective Natsu and the others can be of her."

I frown at him slightly, Mira's words from earlier coming back to me because of his tone. _If I'm the new boyfriend..._ Though it's a little difficult to imagine what's running through my head as a possibility. _No, wondering about an ex is a recipe for disaster._ Especially since I don't really do jealousy well. And that kind of information might just be the straw that breaks the camel's back.

Behind me, Sting grumbles. "And here we were supposed to be the only guild with a pool…"

"Whatever…" I shake my head as I sniff around for Ciara. It's hard, because there's a slight scent of chlorine in the air, but I manage to pick out her smell of spices, pine needles, and a breeze over coals. That's her.

Of course, I don't expect her to be napping in the pool, that's a recipe for all kinds of trouble. But neither do I expect to find her lying on her side on a couch pulled outside, with Happy curled up on her head, Carla on her hip, Pantherlily dozing against her lap, and Lector and Frosch cuddled up together in her arms, once again treating her breasts like a couple of pillows. And all six of them are fast asleep.

I take another sniff, and turn my head to see Yukino lounging in a chair across the yard, sunbathing, but still keeping an eye on the kitty pile.

She smiles as she gets to her feet, tiptoeing over as quietly as a mouse. "It's the cutest thing you've ever seen, isn't it?"

"Yeah." There's nothing to debate there. Though I'm kind of wondering how it all happened. From what Frosch has said about Carla and Pantherlily, I wouldn't expect them to join a group nap like this. Especially when it's almost noon. I need curtains in order to sleep with this much light around. _I wonder why she's so tired…_

Ciara's nose twitches, and the Exceeds start to stir as well as she opens her eyes. "What time is it…?"

"Almost noon." I reach out to brush her bangs out of her eyes. "And I thought I was a late sleeper."

She burrows away from me, deeper into the couch as her grip on Lector and Frosch tightens a little. "Couldn't sleep last night."

After all of the alcohol we had yesterday, that surprises me. I know she's built up a high tolerance, she proved that last night. But still, that much alcohol should have helped knock her out. "Did something happen?"

Her eyes open again, slowly, revealing a haunted look in silver eyes, dulled with a lack of sleep. "Nothing I haven't handled before…I'm okay."

It…doesn't sound like a lie, but I still feel like there's something wrong. I glance back at Sting, who puts his hands behind his head and whistles quietly. "Hey Yukino, let's go and draw on Natsu's face before he wakes up."

Surprisingly, Yukino doesn't protest. "What should we draw?"

"Dunno, got a light pen?" The two of them quietly sneak off towards where Natsu is snoring away.

My eyes focus back on the drowsy silver pair just below me. "Come on, tell me what happened."

From the looks of it, she doesn't even have the energy to protest. "Another nightmare. And the house is too quiet. I can't sleep."

"Too quiet?" That's odd. I didn't notice any sleeping problems during the games, at least none like this. Maybe she shared a room? "Is that why you're sleeping with the cats?"

She nods. "They're warm, and they purr." She sniffs the air, snuggling Frosch a little closer. "And they all smell like you guys." Then, her eyes turn back towards me. "You…came back?"

I nod slowly. "I would have been here sooner, but a few members of your family decided that death threats were a requirement in getting me to treat you properly."

Now that brings a spark of attention to her eye. "They what?" While the Exceeds might be purring, she's definitely growling. "Who threatened you?"

Smiling, I shake my head. "Just a few people who care about your happiness. It takes more than that to scare a dragon away."

"He LIKES you…" Happy sits up, opening his eyes and staring at me with a grin on his face. "Are you gonna kiss her now and wake her up?"

Well, that's not such a bad idea, since it looks like she's falling asleep again. But…I have another idea. After all, the party isn't going to be until later, so why not let her sleep a while longer? Dissolving into a shadow just for a few seconds, I wiggle myself into the pile, setting her head down on my lap without disturbing the four sleeping cats. I stroke her hair gentle, ignoring Happy's paws as they bat playfully at me. "Go back to sleep, Happy."

"Aw…you're no fun." He turns in a circle, plopping back down around one of Ciara's ponytails. "Goodnight."

The sight makes me laugh. "Goodnight, Happy." I brush my fingers through the pink strands, careful not to disturb Happy, or heavens forbid, Frosch. The last thing I want is to upset my little buddy.

And certainly not Ciara, as her breathing evens out, a sign that she's asleep yet again.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

There's something warm under me, and a hand caressing my hair, and that smell…it smells wonderful. It smells like warmth, and home, and…love. I like this smell. I like it very much.

So, I crack my eyes open, noting that Frosch is still tucked against me, but I have a distinct lack of any other Exceeds snuggled up to me. Instead, my head rests…on a lap? I turn over slowly, dislodging the hand on my head and looking up into ruby eyes. "…Rogue?"

"Looks like someone is a heavy sleeper when they want to be." He smiles down at me, shifting his legs so that my body leans up enough for him to kiss me comfortably. "You didn't wake up once in four hours."

"Four hours?" That's more sleep than I was hoping to get. "How did I stay asleep so long?" I would have thought that someone would come barging in to wake me up by now. Or maybe a nightmare would… Wait a minute. "Have you been here the whole time?"

Rogue nods, stroking my cheek. "I had Sting and Yukino drag Natsu out of here before he got loud, and no one else has come in here. You said that you couldn't sleep, so I thought that maybe you could use some help from your 'snuggle buddy'."

My face flushes hotly, and I cover it with my hair. "So I've been napping on your lap for the past four hours?"

"That's right." And he sounds downright smug about it, at least, for a second. "How are you feeling?"

Honestly, refreshed. I didn't expect to sleep this well, especially in the guild hall. Not that it could be worse than sleeping at home is right now. "Better than this morning."

"Good." He brushes my hair away, before propping me up in a sitting position. "Mira said that the party would start as soon as you woke up, and told me to give you this." He hands me a bag, and one I know all too well.

I take the bag and open it up to see…exactly what I thought I'd see in there. Snapping it closed, I growl as my cheeks heat right back up. "Damn it, Mira. I am NOT wearing that!"

"Oh yes, you are." And speak of the She-Devil, she pokes her head outside, grinning at me in a way I really don't like. "First up is a pool party! So I thought that a special occasion merited breaking out your best swimsuit." What really disturbs me is that she'd had to have broken into my house to get it. And with all of the spells I've got around it, I don't think I want to know how she managed it.

 _Wait, no, Freed. She'd have asked Laxus to borrow Freed._

She watches me expectantly. "Well, go on and get changed. I'll tell everyone else that the pool is open."

I want to bang my head against the wall, badly. "Do I have to!?"

"Yes!" And when Mira tells you to do something, you either do it, or fear her wrath. Or in my case, fear that she'll drag me to another bikini photo-shoot.

Rogue hasn't said much of anything this whole time, and when I turn my gaze on him, I note that there's a pink stain across his cheeks, and his eyes are unfocused. "Rogue…what are you thinking about."

He blinks, before glancing at the bag. "Well…" That's a pretty clear indication of interest. I just wish that I felt comfortable…showing off my body like that.

I shift into a more comfortable position on his lap. "I, uh…I've got a few scars that I'm not big on displaying." Though explaining the star-shaped one on my back is going to be interesting later.

His fingers travel down my arm and to my right wrist, pulling my hand up and rubbing it against his cheek. "You mean apart from these?" I nod silently. "That's okay." His eye flickers at me. "It means you're strong and fierce, and not afraid to fight. Besides…" His cheeks flush pink again. "I doubt the scars would catch my attention much."

If he means what I think he means… "Okay, a pool party it is." I tilt my head towards the door, and can hear dozens of footsteps. "Looks like it's about to get started." I push myself off his lap, pulling the bag with me. "Just…give me ten minutes or so." I look him up and down, noting the fairly heavy clothes, despite the summer heat. "And you should probably get changed too, unless you want to be thrown into the pool wearing all of that."

I catch an eye roll as I head for the outdoor changing rooms. Still, Mira's lucky that she made the cake, otherwise I'd smack her for pulling this stunt.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

Somehow, whenever I end up in a pool with Sting anywhere nearby, I end up drenched within ten seconds. I suppose that it's a good thing that I brought swim trunks after all, otherwise Sting would have tossed me in, just like Natsu did Lucy. Though how there's enough room for that with three dozen people in the pool is a mystery.

Blocking the next of Sting's splash attacks, I give him a faceful of water instead. "Shouldn't you be splashing Yukino or something?"

He smirks at me. "Shouldn't you be hunting down your new girlfriend?" …Okay, he's got a point there.

But as I open my mouth to throw something, anything back at him, my nose twitches as the scent of spices, pine, and coals wafts in. I turn my head and have an instant…problem.

A shimmering, strapless white and gold bikini against tanned skin that leaves almost nothing to the imagination, tied between her shoulder blades and at her hips with wide, but delicate looking ribbons. So beautiful, but so easy to tear…

Sting snickers next to me. "Jeez, talk about embarrassing. I think every dragon slayer here can smell how much you want her."

"Shut up, Sting." I force my eyes down towards the water, trying to rid my cheeks of the furious blush. "I wasn't expecting her to walk out wearing THAT." If I'm not careful, I'll end up with a nosebleed here in the pool. Now that would be mortifying. Even more mortifying than…well, my more easily hidden problem.

To make matters worse, she hovers over the water, before dropping in with a splash not far from us, resurfacing a few seconds later. Now she's gorgeous and soaking wet. And I can't help but stare. So much for self-control.

As she shakes off the water, her nose twitches, and her eyes move slowly, falling directly on me. Her cute button nose twitches again, and a pink blush dusts her cheeks as her eyes widen.

Sting elbows me. "Rogue, she totally knows. And she's not running for the hills. Why don't you just grab her and-"

"Sting!" I grab the back of his head and dunk him under the water. "Damn pervert…" Like I'm not having enough fantasies about doing just that already…

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

Even through all of the chlorine and the other scents, the scent of a shadow dragon stands out above all others. Thick, musky, and impossible to misinterpret. Arousal. Mira's little choice in swim wear for me has Rogue turned on. Badly.

Hesitantly, I sweep my ponytails over my shoulders, taking my eyes off of him while my nose keeps working on monitoring his scent. And as I turn my back to him, I expect there to be a significant drop in the potency of the scent. _After all, scars on a woman are usually a turn-off, right?_

 _…It's not turning him off?_

Thankfully, despite the…issues we had to all had to work out last night, Natsu is here to distract my attention from Rogue's enticing scent with some good old fashioned silliness. "Hey sis, turn on the waves!"

I roll my eyes at the request. "Seriously!?"

"Yeah!" Natsu may be a Fire Dragon Slayer, but he sure loves to play in the water. Well, as long as he has a bathing suit on.

"Fine…" Though we're not really supposed to use magic in the pool,like the wind kicks up waves I the ocean, I'm good at kicking up the waves in the pool.

Holding my hand out over the water, the horn blows. Gramps must have heard the request and blown the alarm for us. And good timing too, because in less than ten seconds, the first of the waves start to crash against all of the other swimmers.

Cheers and shouts of glee go up all around the pool as I manage to glide right into the middle of the pool. It's a bit rough on my nose to smell all of the chlorine, but it's not nearly as bad as most other pools. After all, Gramps adjusted it so that Fairy Tail's dragon slayers could actually get near the pool without wanting to scratch our noses off.

Three rotations of ten minutes on, ten minutes off later, most of the swimmers are finally getting out of the pool, leaving only a dozen or so people in the room as the smell of Mira's cooking entices them back into the guild hall.

I glance over towards the lounge chairs, where Rogue retreated to after the first set of waves. He's got Frosch with him, and I sure hope the little guy's sense of smell is screwy, otherwise this is going to get awkward and fast. Especially since I've got a dragon slayer to…well, calm down, if his earlier reaction is any indication.

"Rogue…?" I sidle up next to him, kneeling next to the lounge chair. It's amazing, actually. His pale skin isn't burning, despite the sun. Mira must have given him some of her special sunscreen, otherwise he'd be burning like one of my brother's baked potatoes.

A single ruby eye shoots me a sideways glance as he rolls over onto his side to look at me better. "Hey. Is the pool party over?"

"Looks like." I bite my lip, debating a little, before turning around and sitting myself down against his stomach. "…You smell good, you know."

He groans slightly, his hand brushing against my waist. "I'm sorry. I didn't meant to…"

"Its okay." Honestly, I'm flattered that even though the scent has died down some, it's still there, and growing a bit stronger now. Still, I run my fingers along the small collection of scars that dot my skin, mostly on my stomach and hips, but a few on my arms. Not to mention the one on my back. "I thought that you'd be turned off…seeing me like this."

"You think I'd be turned off by seeing you wearing almost nothing?" His voice is laced heavily with sarcasm. Then, he touches the star on my back, all too close to my heart. "This…must have hurt…" His fingers brush softly over the mark, before his warm lips follow suit.

I squeak at the touch and squirm away from him, only to be caught around the middle as he presses kisses up my back, not missing a single scar. "Ah! Rogue…what are you doing?"

"Kissing you." His lips continue their journey up, not stopping unless it's to speak. "These are what you're so self-conscious about, right?" He presses a harder kiss right between my shoulder blades, pulling the ribbon down a bit in order to mark my skin. "I want to hear the stories behind them later."

"You jerk." I playfully swat him away, wiggling out of his grip as I keep my back hidden from view. There's only a few stragglers left, but I still don't want them seeing a big red mark on my back. That would bring up all sorts of uncomfortable questions. And when it comes to gossip, Fairy Tail doesn't know when to quit. "People are going to see, and then we'll never hear the end of it."

"True…" Rogue hates being harassed about as much as I do, that much is obvious. Whereas I'm just used to it, after being in Fairy Tail for so long. "…Could you change out of your bathing suit? It's driving me crazy." As if his scent didn't say that already.

"Sure." I swivel around, breaking the grip that he has around my waist, the clingy idiot, and head towards the changing rooms. Honestly, if he wants me to get changed, then she shouldn't be lying there, trying to keep me from going anywhere.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

I'm not entirely sure if that hour of pool 'fun' was a blessing or a curse. Because while it was monumentally embarrassing to the highest degree. It was also…quite the slice of heaven. One that I wouldn't mind seeing again…later…under different circumstances.

"It's almost time for cake!" Mira pokes her head around the giant piece of baking as most of the wizards gather inside the guild hall. "Romeo, could you light the candles?"

"Sure!" A little boy with dark purple hair races towards the cake, fire lighting up his hands. It's no mystery just what Fairy Tail wizard he looks up to the most.

The kid lights up…eighteen candles. Which, I guess, means that they're going with physical and mental age, rather than chronological. That probably works better because there's less of a disconnect for anyone looking at them. Because they definitely don't look like they're in their mid-twenties.

"That's perfect, Romeo!" Mira looks around, probably searching the crowd for the birthday pair. Then, she takes a deep breath. "Ciara! Come cut the cake!"

"Wait, I wanna do the flames first!" Natsu jumps over the crowd, landing next to the cake. "They look tasty!"

"Natsu, don't jump the gun, you're not supposed to just eat them that fast." Ciara comes floating over from near the back door, coming to a hovering stop just above the cake. "Hey Mira, you do know that a cake this big is just asking for a food fight, right?"

"No kiddin'." Natsu eyes the cake hungrily. "Come on sis, gimme the fire!"

"Yeah, yeah…" She glances at Mira, who nods quickly. "Alright, Natsu, get ready!" She raises her arms high above her head, before sweeping all of the flames off the candles and into the air, twisting them into a ball within her wind, before chucking them straight down her brother's throat. "Bottoms up!"

Natsu scarfs down the whole mouthful, licking his lips as the residual blades of wind slice deeply and cleanly through the many layers of the massive cake. "Chow time!"

Ciara grins. "Chow time." Pieces start to detach, dropping onto the plates that Mira set up across a dozen tables.

Two plates, one with a slightly smaller piece of cake, float over towards me. And I look up to see Ciara smiling. She must mean for me and Frosch to have these pieces before it all disappears. I smile back and mouth a thank you to her, before going to find my little buddy.

* * *

Ciara's P.O.V.

As usual, Mira makes some of the best cakes in town. And no doubt Erza is sitting in a corner stuffing her face with it, while a few of the rowdier party-goers are throwing it at each other. Like I didn't see that coming.

Me, though, I like to have my cake and eat it too, which means that it's now sitting in my stomach, rather than on someone's face. I mean, I can get into a food fight, sure, but I'd rather eat the food than throw it.

"Hey Ciara…" Oh no, I know that voice.

I swallow the last bite of my cake and put my plate down carefully. "Yes Cana?"

She props her elbows on my shoulders and grins. "So…we've got a kind of weird request for the birthday girl and her idiot brother."

"And this request is…?" If it's something humiliating, then I'm going to tell Cana to shove it where the sun doesn't shine. "This had better not be something stupid."

"It's not." She points off towards the stage. "Hibiki was asking about a song you once sang to him, he wanted to hear you sing it again."

I blink slowly, before the memory of that incident comes to the front of my mind. "Wait, he wants to hear mine and Natsu's-"

"Yep." She grins widely. "Come on, I know that it's something special for the two of you to share, but…we're family too, right?"

She's got a point, I guess. It's just that…Natsu and I only share that song with very special people. It's something that we made for each other, for whenever one of us was out on a mission. We could sing it and think of each other. And we could use it to welcome the other home.

I glance across the room at Natsu. _Hey…Cana wants us to sing for everyone._

He cocks his head to the side, confused. _She wants us to sing? Sing what?_

I swallow slowly. _Snow Fairy._

He nearly drops his plate in alarm. _Wait, she wants us to sing THAT!?_

 _Yeah…_ I mean, I'm not totally against it, it's just a decision that we have to make together. _Should we? I mean, we sing it for each other, for our family, so…_

He goes quiet for a minute, before getting up from his table and walking across the room to pull me to my feet. "Sure, let's do it!"

Cana pumps her fists in the air. "Alright! I'll go and tell Mira to get the lacrima with the soundtrack on it, and I'll give it to Laxus."

"Soundtrack?" Does she mean that they recorded the music for us? Well, to be fair, it's a pretty simple tune, but I didn't think they'd actually have a copy of it just lying around. "Okay…?"

Natsu laughs as Cana runs off. "Guess we're on stage, sis."

"Guess so." I let him pull me through the room and towards the stage. "You're not going to do anything stupid to try and run Rogue off again, are you?"

He glances back at me as we climb up onto the stage. "…As long as he doesn't do anything bad to ya, I'll let him keep his balls." And while for a second, I want to smack him upside the head, he pats me on my own. "But as long as he treats ya like a princess, I can tolerate him. Cause at least he's serious about'cha."

I blink at the unexpected answer, before sighing and whacking his hand away with a smile. "Alright, I guess that's good enough, for now. But pull any more stupid stunts like that, and I'll hand you over to Erza without a second thought." That should shut him up for the immediate future.

Above our heads, the speakers turn on, and Mira's voice comes giggling out. "Alright everyone, it looks like tonight, we've got some extra special entertainment." That gets everyone's attention focused on the stage. "By Hibiki's special request, Natsu and Ciara have agreed to sing a very special song for everyone." Then, there's a little static. "Laxus, Reedus, you're up!"

I blink as a familiar tune starts to warm up, and pictures of years long passed dance through the air. Mostly of when we were little, kind of like a collage. Must be Reedus' work, considering how lifelike the look.

But, with a smile on my face, I start to sing. _**"Hey Fairy, where are you going?"**_ Natsu's voice joins me in an instant. _**"I'm trying to assemble all this light, I'll shine it down and make tomorrow bright!"**_

The two of us take a breath, and I smile at Natsu as pictures of us and Happy flash through the air. _**"Now, do you hear those voices calling out your name? Because I lost my voice while doing the same!"**_ True story, actually, and Porlyusica was not happy about treating me for a sore throat when I was twelve.

Natsu grins and picks me up, whirling me around as he presses his head to my chest, right over my heart, something he used to do a lot when we were kids, always worrying about me and my health. _**"I'll never quit until I feel your beating heart!"**_ He whirls around once more, before setting me down and grabbing my hands. _**"The sun and moon have joined in celebration,"** _ The two of us start to glow, me in silver like the moon, Natsu in a fiery orange like the sun.

I squeeze his fingers right back. _**"Have you forgotten their affiliation?"**_ Big words, not my brother's forte. ** _"When you're not here to share your laughter with me…"_** Because laughing together is always the best part of our relationship, much more fun than all of the fighting.

We grin at each other. _**"I just can't find my inspiration!"**_ Splitting up, we walk towards the front of the stage, smiling up at the pictures of Natsu and me arriving home from different missions. _**"Now it's snowing, keep going, be honest, keep smiling! Cause we're approaching, the clock keep on ticking…and it never stops!"**_ The time that we would wait for each other to walk back through the front doors of the guild. Sometimes it was exciting, at other times, excruciating. _**"Hey Fairy, where are you going? I'm trying to assemble all this light, I'll shine it down and make tomorrow bright!"**_ Bringing light into Fairy Tail is all we can ever do, even if that means bonding through all of the bar brawls.

The music slows, and Laxus must be controlling the lights, because two spotlights shine down on the two of us. _**"There are feelings floating on the water's edge, when the orange turns quickly into white."**_ We used to train out by the lake all of the time, and it always amazed us to see fall turning into winter. After all, you don't see much snow when you grow up being raised by a fire dragon.

Natsu laughs. _**"Let's get together and go see the rainbow, cause in our memories, the seven colors turn to snow!"**_ Because time passes, and the images above our heads show that clearly as they go from our childhood, into our teenage years, words narrating the content of each of the pictures. Including the one of me at fourteen after passing the S-Class exam.

 ** _"It's strange, but your smile…makes me feel just a little stronger!"_** That's definitely true, I always feel stronger and more hopeful when I see Natsu smile, and I'm pretty sure he feels the same way. _**"It's snowing, I'm shivering, but you're approaching, so wrap me all up all nice and warm…"**_ Like he's done so many times before when I used to get sick.

Natsu bumps his hip against mine playfully. _**"Hey Fairy, slowly, but surely, you're walking your way, so hang in there!"**_ Famous words from when we used to train together all the time. Hang in there, his idea of encouragement.

I roll my eyes and bump back against him, my eyes trailing across the faces in the crowd. _**"You're laughing, but you've forgotten, you put me under a spell. And with a single smile, you changed everything, my Fairy…!"**_ A spell, hope, the power to keep fighting against everything that held me back as a kid.

More images of us getting home from missions, sleeping on tables or on the floor with Happy between us, or goofing off around the guild pop up, showing us surrounded by all of our friends, our family. _**"Now it's snowing, keep going, be honest, keep smiling! Cause we're approaching, the clock keep on ticking…and it never stops! Hey Fairy, where are you going? I'm trying to assemble all this light, I'll shine it down and make tomorrow bright!"**_

The music starts to slow down, and Natsu hugs me from behind, his warm breath tickling my ear as a few scenes of us fighting at various stages in our lives flash through the air, some of the comical, others…less so. But all a bit stupid in hindsight. **_"Now it's snowing, keep going, be honest, keep smiling! Because that smile was always with you!"_** A smile that I remember during one particularly bad winter, when many of these lyrics came into being during some bad snow storms when we didn't know if Natsu would make it back from a job, hoping that fairies would help bring him home. _**"It's snowing, my Fairy, and you're raining down all that gathered light, shouting Snow Fairy…!"**_

Another picture of us cuddled up with Happy, along with Lucy, Gray, and even Erza appears in the air. _ **"Don't say goodbye."**_ Because we always see each other again. I smile and snuggle against him, the music fading out as applause fills the air.

It's kind of hard to believe, actually, singing that song meant only for each other in front of a whole room of people who mostly aren't even in our guild. Not to mention Reedus plastering…basically our entire lives here as part of Fairy Tail for all of them to see.

* * *

Rogue's P.O.V.

I'd…never heard the whole version of the song before, only the first half or so. But seeing those two up there…it actually answers a lot of questions about their relationship. Why they can fight so much, and still be able to be so close.

Besides, some of those pictures were really cute, or really funny, and seeing Frosch mesmerized by them was entertaining as well. Luckily, I managed to keep a firm hold on him to stop him from trying to fly up there and catch the pictures.

It takes a couple of minutes for the two of them to wade away from the stage, as well as from each other, but Ciara does manage to get to our table without too much difficulty.

She spots Frosch in my arms, and I loosen them enough for him to jump into hers as she smiles. "Hello Frosch, did you like the song?"

"Uh-huh!" He snuggles against her chest, making just a twinge of jealousy flare inside me.

Still I smile at the sight. "That was a nice song."

"Thanks…" She sits down on the table, petting Frosch gently. "Natsu and I have never actually performed for such a large audience. Usually, that song is just for each other. Or…special people."

Hearing that makes me feel warm inside. "You sang part of it for me."

"Yes, I did." She shoots me a sideways smile. "Because sometimes, we feel like singing it for someone special. I've sung it for you, Gray, and Hibiki. Natsu has sung it for Lisanna, and I think Erza as well, maybe Lucy." I chuckle at the thought. "It's…for the people we care about and appreciate, and want to see come back safely."

"So that's it…" I mean, I kind of wondered, but I didn't really know how to ask. "You sing really well, though. And I didn't expect Natsu to sound like something other than a dying dragon."

She laughs loudly at the joke, enough that her shoulders shake. "Yeah, you wouldn't expect Natsu to be able to sing, would you. But…it's one of his hidden talents. He's got a lot of them…" For some reason, she looks tired.

That doesn't sit well with me. "Are you feeling alright? You look a little pale."

She nods slowly. "I'm fine. I just…haven't been sleeping well."

Yeah, I gathered that much earlier from the way she took a cat nap on the couch. "Why aren't you sleeping properly?"

There's a little pain in her eyes as she turns to face me. "Nightmares. They've been getting worse lately. My house…feels quieter than usual." She laughs sadly. "Maybe I should invite Natsu to sleep over. He can usually drive the nightmares away…and Happy's purring is a good distraction. But he wants to try and sleep over with Carla tonight."

 _Nightmares…?_ That can't be good for her health at all. And I don't like the idea of anything hurting her health. "You could borrow Frosch, if you want. I mean, if it'll help you sleep better."

She blinks at me, before pressing her nose to Frosch's onesie and sniffing softly. "Do you…" The rest of her question is muffled by the fabric, even from my sensitive hearing.

I frown. "What did you say?"

Her face turns bright pink in an instant. "I…just wanted to know…It's just it'd feel wrong to take Frosch away from you, even just for one night, so…I was wondering if you…wanted to sleep over?" She bites her lip for a second. "I mean, it might help with the nightmares."

It's a gift horse. And I really shouldn't look it in the mouth.


End file.
